Estadio la Cartuja

The most striking feature of the Estadio La Cartuja is the distance between the fans and the pitch. Built for athletics, the track once separated the terrace from the field. This gap gave the ground a particular quality, one where the roar of a sell-out crowd travelled a long way before reaching the players. That changed in 2025, when the track was removed during a major renovation to prepare the venue for football. The new configuration brought spectators closer to the action, and the roof was extended with glass panels to close the gaps left by the old design.

The stadium sits in a landscape that remains largely agricultural, surrounded by fields rather than the dense urban fabric of Seville. This isolation means the building stands as a singular object in the flat plain. The architecture, with its fan-shaped roof structure, reflects its origins as a multi-purpose arena. While it hosted the 1999 World Championships in Athletics, its football history is defined by a single night: the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. That match between FC Porto and Celtic FC set an attendance record of 52,972, a figure that stood for more than two decades.

Real Betis took up residence here in 2025 while their own home undergoes redevelopment. The club plays in a ground that feels larger than its surroundings, a place where the light gets in late and the shadows stretch long across the natural grass. The capacity has been increased to 70,000, but the space often feels empty on non-match days. The venue has hosted the Copa del Rey final five times since 2020, including the most recent one in April 2025, marking its return to prominence after years of sporadic use. It remains a stadium defined by its dual identity, balancing the silence of an empty athletics track with the noise of a football match.