Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero is the home of Elche CF in the palm-grove city of Elche in the province of Alicante, a large ground of around 33,700 that has staged World Cup football and now hosts the club back in La Liga. Demand for Estadio Martínez Valero tickets is driven by Elche's return to the top flight and by the visits of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and the regional rivals, the biggest occasions for a club that spent years fighting to get back among the elite. The ground is spacious and open, a short hop from Alicante and its airport, which makes a match here easy to combine with a break on the Costa Blanca. 1BoxOffice is a verified secondary marketplace established in 2006, with seat-level detail at checkout and a 150% money-back guarantee if a ticket fails to grant entry on matchday.
Thousands trust 1BoxOffice
This guide is written for the supporter making the trip, not the browser. It covers the buses and trains that serve the ground and the short trip from Alicante, how the stands are arranged, where home and away fans sit, the bag rules and the entry process, where to eat and drink in Elche and along the coast, and the history of a stadium that hosted the biggest win in World Cup history. By the end you should know how an Elche matchday runs.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero |
| Address | Avenida de Manuel Martínez Valero, 03208 Elche, Spain |
| Capacity | Around 33,700 |
| Opened | 8 September 1976 |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Home Club | Elche CF, the Franjiverdes |
| Built For | Named after a former club president |
| World Cup | A venue at the 1982 World Cup |
| Nearest Station | Elche, on the Alicante to Murcia line |
| Nearest Airport | Alicante-Elche, very close to the city |
Estadio Martínez Valero sits in the city of Elche in the province of Alicante, a mid-sized city on the Costa Blanca, and the great advantage is that Elche is small and easy to reach, with the airport almost on the doorstep. The ground is served by city buses, and Elche is connected to Alicante by train and coach, so getting to the stadium is straightforward. Match tickets do not include transport, so buy a bus or train fare before you set off.
From the centre of Elche, city bus line H runs from the Plaça de Baix towards the ground, getting off at the Barxell stop for a short walk to the stadium. From the rail and bus station to the north-east of the centre, bus line K also serves the Barxell stop near the ground. Elche is a compact city, so the ground is reachable on foot from parts of the centre, and the buses cover the rest of the short distance.
Elche has its own railway stations, and the Cercanías C-1 line runs between Alicante and Murcia through Elche, so the city is well connected by rail. Many visitors base themselves in Alicante, around twenty kilometres to the north-east, with its wider choice of hotels and its seafront, and travel down to Elche for the match by train or coach in a short journey. From the Elche station a city bus or a short taxi reaches the ground.
Alicante-Elche Airport is one of the closest airports to any ground in Spain, only a short distance from the city, with flights from across Europe as a major Costa Blanca gateway. From the airport a taxi to the stadium is quick and simple, or you can take a bus into Elche or Alicante and pick up local transport to the ground. The proximity of the airport makes this an unusually easy fly-in fixture for overseas visitors.
By road Elche is reached on the A7 and the A31 motorways of the Alicante region, with the ground in the city. Parking around the stadium is limited on matchday, so it is often easier to park a little further out and walk in, as the city is compact. Given the short distance from Alicante and the airport and the availability of taxis and buses, driving right to the ground is not essential, and public transport is often simpler on a busy matchday.
Parking at Estadio Martínez Valero is limited on matchday. The ground sits in a built-up part of the city, so on-street spaces near the stadium are scarce for a big fixture, and the surrounding streets get busy. There is some parking in the wider area, but it fills early for a well-attended match, particularly for the visits of the biggest clubs. Because Elche is compact and well connected by bus and train, and the airport and Alicante are close, public transport or a taxi is often easier than driving. Drivers should arrive early and be ready to park some distance away and walk in.
Estadio Martínez Valero is a large, open ground for the size of the club, a spacious bowl with four stands around the pitch that was built to a generous scale in the 1970s and staged World Cup football. The stands are named in the Spanish tradition, with the home support gathered behind one goal, and the ground has an airy, sunlit feel in the warm Alicante climate. With a capacity of around 33,700, it is one of the larger grounds relative to its city, which means good availability for many fixtures and a big stage for the marquee matches.
The main stand along one long side, the tribuna, holds the premium and hospitality seating, the media positions and the tunnel, so it carries the higher-priced seats and the best facilities, with a strong central view along the length of the pitch. The opposite long side, the preferencia, offers good views at a lower price. The two long sides give the best all-round view of the game, and the main stand is the choice for comfort and a central vantage point.
Behind one goal is the home of Elche's most vocal support, where the ultras and the loudest fans gather with flags and singing to drive the atmosphere, the green-and-white of the Franjiverdes filling the end on a big day. This is the section to target for the fullest matchday experience, and it generates the noise on the visits of the biggest clubs. It is the heart of the Elche support.
The opposite end behind the far goal completes the ground, with home supporters through most of it and the visiting fans housed in a designated section, typically in a corner, with an allocation that varies by fixture. For the visits of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atlético the arrangement and segregation are tighter, so away fans should check the details for the specific match. Accessible positions for wheelchair users are provided with companion spaces, though published detail on the exact number is limited, so supporters with access requirements should contact the club before the match. The table below matches a section to what you want from the day.
| Priority | Recommended Sections |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | The home end, behind the goal with the Franjiverdes |
| Tactical overview | Main stand, the tribuna, central rows |
| Close to pitch | Front rows of the long sides |
| Calmer view | The preferencia, opposite the main stand |
| Budget-friendly | The ends and the upper corners |
| Away fans | Designated section, usually a corner (confirm for the fixture) |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair-user bays with companion spaces (request at purchase) |
Elche sits in the province of Alicante on the warm Costa Blanca, one of the sunniest and driest parts of Spain, so a match here is usually played in fine conditions. Summers are hot, with high temperatures lasting into the evening, and winters are mild. The main stand offers some cover, but the ground is largely open, so a seat in the ends or the far side can catch the strong sun. For a summer or early-season match sun protection and water are more useful than a coat, while a light layer is enough for a winter evening. Rain is rare in this part of Spain, so heat is the main thing to plan for.
Like other Spanish grounds, Elche operate a bag policy with searches on entry, so the sensible approach is to travel light. Large bags and rucksacks are best left at your accommodation, since oversized bags may be refused and there is no guarantee of a bag store. Standard prohibited items apply, including bottles, cans, outside alcohol, pyrotechnics and flares, and any object judged dangerous. Security is tighter for the visits of the biggest clubs. Check the club's matchday guidance for the current bag size limit before you travel, and arrive early to clear the search on a busy day.
Elche is a pleasant Valencian city with a good local food scene, and the wider Costa Blanca and nearby Alicante add plenty of choice, so a matchday here pairs well with the food of the region. The area around the ground is residential, so the move is to gather in the centre or by the palm groves before the match.
The centre of Elche has bars, cafes and restaurants serving Valencian food, from rice dishes and seafood to local specialities, at reasonable prices, and the streets around the Glorieta and the palm groves are pleasant places to eat and drink before a match. Elche is famous for its dates from the palm groves and its rice dishes, and the local bars fill with the green-and-white of Elche supporters on matchday. It is an unpretentious, good-value build-up.
Because Alicante is only a short trip away, many visitors combine the match with the seafront, the tapas bars and the marina of the bigger coastal city, travelling down to Elche for the game. The Costa Blanca is rich in rice dishes such as arroz a banda, seafood and the local wines, and the whole region is geared to visitors, so eating and drinking is easy and good value around a matchday.
Inside the stadium the concourses serve simple Spanish matchday fare of snacks, filled rolls and drinks. The choice is basic, so the better plan is to eat in the centre of Elche or in Alicante before the match, then head to the ground. Prices inside are modest in line with Spanish football.
Elche use modern ticketing, so for most fixtures the ticket is scanned at the turnstile, whether held on a phone or as a members card for season-ticket holders. Load the ticket, charge your phone and turn the screen brightness up before you reach the entrance, since a saved screenshot can fail to scan when a barcode refreshes. Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd filter in, and with a bag search and a busy crowd arriving by bus and on foot at once, the entrances get busy in the last half hour. Aim to be at the ground in good time rather than joining the final rush, particularly for the visits of the biggest clubs.
Leaving a ground in a compact city is straightforward, with buses and a short walk back into town and the train to Alicante close at hand.
The city buses run back towards the centre and the station after the match, and the trains and coaches from Elche head to Alicante and along the coast, so getting back is easy. The stops are busy immediately after a full house, so either move quickly with the first wave or wait a few minutes for the initial crush to clear. Check the evening train times if you are travelling back to Alicante the same night.
For those staying centrally in Elche the walk back is manageable, and drivers should expect the streets around the ground to be busy when a full house leaves at once, so patience helps. Following the signed routes back to the A7 and the A31 is the quickest way out once the immediate area clears. Parking away from the stadium and walking in makes the exit easier.
The natural way to end a matchday is over a meal or a drink in the centre of Elche or, for those based on the coast, back in Alicante by the seafront. The simplest way to beat any post-match crowd is to settle into a local bar and let the town clear before travelling on. The warm Costa Blanca evenings and the relaxed pace make for an easy end to the day, whatever the result.
Estadio Martínez Valero opened on 8 September 1976 as the home of Elche CF, a large and modern ground for its time, named after Manuel Martínez Valero, a former president of the club. It replaced the club's older ground and gave Elche a stadium of a scale beyond what the size of the city might suggest, a generous open bowl that has served the club through its many moves between the top flight and the second division. It remains one of the larger grounds in Spanish football relative to the population of its city.
Its greatest moment on the world stage came at the 1982 World Cup, when the ground was chosen as one of the venues for the tournament held in Spain and staged three first-round group matches. Among them was the match in which Hungary beat El Salvador by ten goals to one, which remains the biggest win in the history of the World Cup finals, a record set at Martínez Valero and confirmed by contemporary records. Argentina also played group matches at the ground during the tournament, putting Elche on the global football map.
Elche CF themselves, the Franjiverdes in their distinctive green sash, are a club with a long history and a loyal following, moving between La Liga and the second division over the decades. The return to the top flight is the latest chapter, bringing the biggest clubs in Spain back to the large ground in the palm-grove city. The stadium has retained its open, sunlit character while being maintained for the modern game, and it stands as a reminder of the ambition of a proud provincial club.
The ground's most famous occasion was the 1982 World Cup match in which Hungary beat El Salvador ten goals to one, the biggest win in the history of the World Cup finals, a record set at Martínez Valero and verified by contemporary records. The stadium staged three group matches at that tournament, including games involving Argentina, its high point on the world stage. In the club's own history, the promotion-deciding matches and the visits of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in Elche's top-flight seasons have produced the most charged atmospheres the ground has known.
Estadio Martínez Valero is a large, well-established ground, and there has been periodic discussion of modernising the stadium in keeping with the club's return to the top flight, but no plan for a major structural rebuild has been confirmed as settled. As with any project of the kind, supporters should treat reports of significant change as provisional until the club sets out firm details. The generous scale of the ground gives it capacity to spare for most fixtures, and for now it remains the settled home of Elche CF, maintained for the demands of La Liga football in the palm-grove city.
Estadio Martínez Valero provides accessible facilities for disabled supporters, including wheelchair-user positions with companion spaces, in a large ground with room to accommodate access needs. The exact number and location of accessible spaces are not widely published, and provision can vary from one fixture to the next, so supporters with access requirements should contact the club well before the match to confirm the available seating, arrange any companion ticket and check the route into the ground. The compact, flat city and the bus links help with reaching the stadium, and the club can advise on the most suitable access route for a given fixture.
The fixtures that move Estadio Martínez Valero tickets fastest are the visits of the biggest clubs. The visit of Real Madrid tickets is the standout, along with the visits of Barcelona tickets and Atlético Madrid tickets, the biggest occasions of the season for a club back in the top flight. The regional meeting with Valencia tickets is another strong draw, while the full home programme sits on the Elche tickets and La Liga tickets listings. Cup ties fall under the Copa del Rey tickets competition. Given the large capacity, mid-table league fixtures are among the most accessible in La Liga and often available closer to kick-off, while the visits of the giants sell fastest. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than fixed and buy early for the marquee matches.
1BoxOffice is a verified secondary marketplace that has operated since 2006, showing seat-level detail before you pay and backing every order with a 150% money-back guarantee if a ticket fails to grant entry on matchday. The eight steps below cover the process from finding a fixture to tracking your order.
Step1
Find the fixture
Go to the Estadio Martínez Valero listing on 1BoxOffice and select the match you want. Each fixture shows the available stands, rows and current pricing before you commit to a seat.
Step2
Check the seat detail
Use the stand and price filters to compare sections. Seat location and row are shown against the venue layout, so you can weigh the atmosphere of the home end against a calmer main-stand seat before deciding.
Step3
Confirm the supporter section
Make sure the block matches who you are travelling with. Home and visiting-supporter areas are listed separately, and away fans are routed to the designated section for that fixture.
Step4
Review before checkout
Check the delivery method and the kick-off time against your travel plans, especially if you are travelling in from Alicante or the airport. Spanish league kick-off times often move for television, so verify the date and time before you book travel or a hotel.
Step5
Create your account
First-time buyers should create an account to complete checkout and receive the ticket. Returning customers simply log in. An account keeps your order and delivery details in one place.
Step6
Complete payment
All major credit and debit cards are accepted. The 150% money-back guarantee applies automatically to every order if the ticket fails to grant entry on matchday.
Step7
Receive your ticket
Tickets for Elche fixtures are typically issued digitally. Keep the live ticket in your wallet or app ready to scan, and avoid relying on a saved screenshot that may fail at the turnstile.
Step8
Track your order
Follow delivery status and manage your booking through track order. Digital tickets arrive ahead of the match so you can travel with everything ready.
A trip to Estadio Martínez Valero works well as part of a Costa Blanca break, combining a match with the sunshine, the beaches and the food of the Alicante coast. Fly into Alicante-Elche Airport, one of the closest airports to any ground in Spain, and base yourself in Elche or in Alicante just up the coast, with the train and buses linking the two. Remember that match tickets do not include transport, that the Alicante region is hot in summer so water and sun protection are essential even for an evening game, and that Elche is a compact, walkable city. The large ground and the club's return to the top flight make for a good occasion in a sunny corner of Spain.
With the Costa Blanca full of things to see, many supporters build a longer trip around the match. If you are lining up other fixtures, the football tickets hub, the wider football tournaments calendar and the venues tickets directory show what else is on. In Elche itself, the palm groves that are a World Heritage site, the historic centre and the basilica, and the beaches and the city of Alicante nearby all reward a matchday on the Costa Blanca.
Estadio Martínez Valero holds around 33,700 spectators, a large ground for the size of Elche and one of the more spacious in the top flight relative to its city. Built to a generous scale in the 1970s, it staged World Cup football in 1982 and gives Elche a big stage for the visits of the biggest clubs.
From the centre of Elche, city bus line H from the Plaça de Baix serves the ground, getting off at the Barxell stop. From the rail and bus station, bus line K also reaches Barxell. Elche is compact, so the ground is reachable on foot from parts of the centre, and the buses cover the rest of the short distance.
Alicante-Elche Airport is one of the closest airports to any ground in Spain, only a short distance from the city, with flights from across Europe as a Costa Blanca gateway. A taxi from the airport to the stadium is quick, or you can take a bus into Elche or Alicante and pick up local transport, making this an easy fly-in fixture.
Parking is limited. The ground sits in a built-up part of the city, so spaces nearby are scarce for a big match, and the wider-area options fill early. With Elche compact and well served by bus and train, and the airport and Alicante close, public transport or a taxi is often the easier choice than driving to the ground.
Yes, and given the large capacity there is often good availability for many fixtures. Members and season-ticket holders get first access, and the visits of the biggest clubs sell fastest, but the ground's size means tickets are often more available here than at smaller grounds. A verified secondary marketplace shows seat detail before you pay.
Travel light, as large bags and rucksacks may be refused and there is no guarantee of a bag store. Expect a search at the entrance, with tighter checks for the visits of the biggest clubs. Bottles, cans, outside alcohol, pyrotechnics and flares are prohibited. Check the club's matchday guidance for the current bag size limit before you travel.
The end behind one goal, where Elche's ultras gather with flags and singing in the green-and-white of the Franjiverdes, is the loudest part of the ground. Target it for the fullest atmosphere. The main stand is better for a calmer central view of the game, and the open ground gives a clear sightline from most seats.
Visiting supporters are housed in a designated section, typically in a corner of the ground, with an allocation that varies by fixture. For the visits of the biggest clubs the arrangement and segregation are tighter, so away fans should check their own club's away information for the exact section for a given match.
Yes. The ground provides wheelchair-user positions with companion spaces, with room to accommodate access needs in a large stadium. The exact number of spaces is not widely published, so contact the club before the match to confirm the available seating and arrange it in advance. The flat, compact city and the bus links help with reaching the ground.
Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd in, typically around an hour and a half before the match. With a bag search and a busy crowd arriving by bus and on foot at once, the entrances get busy in the last half hour, so aim to arrive in good time. The precise opening time is confirmed with your ticket.
Inside the ground the concourses serve simple snacks, filled rolls and drinks. The town centre has bars and restaurants serving Valencian food such as rice dishes and seafood, and Alicante up the coast adds plenty more. Elche is famous for its dates from the palm groves. Eat and drink before the match rather than relying on the concourses.
Elche is famous for its vast palm groves, the Palmeral, a World Heritage site and the largest in Europe, as well as for its historic mystery play and its long tradition of shoemaking. The palm groves and the historic centre make the city a pleasant place to spend time around a match, on the warm Costa Blanca.
Yes. Estadio Martínez Valero was a venue at the 1982 World Cup, staging three first-round group matches. Among them was the match in which Hungary beat El Salvador ten goals to one, the biggest win in the history of the World Cup finals, a record set at the ground and one of its proudest moments.
Face-value prices are reasonable by the standards of La Liga, and the large capacity often keeps league matches accessible, with the visits of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid priced higher and in greater demand. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than a promise, and buy early for the marquee matches.
Elche itself has accommodation near the ground and the centre, while many visitors base themselves in Alicante up the coast, a short train ride away, for the wider choice of hotels and the seafront. Both work well, with the train and buses linking the two, and the Costa Blanca setting makes either a pleasant base for a matchday.
Elche issue tickets digitally for most fixtures, so the ticket is held on a phone or a members card and scanned at the turnstile. Charge your phone, turn up the screen brightness and load the ticket before you arrive. A saved screenshot can fail to scan when a barcode refreshes, so rely on the live ticket in the app or wallet.
It is known as the large home of Elche CF in the palm-grove city, a ground built to a generous scale that staged World Cup football in 1982, including the record ten-goal win by Hungary over El Salvador. It is best known for that World Cup history and for hosting the giants of Spanish football when Elche are in the top flight.
Elche is a pleasant Valencian city, so the attractions are close at hand. The palm groves that are a World Heritage site, the historic centre and the basilica, and the beaches and the city of Alicante a short trip up the coast all reward a matchday on the Costa Blanca.
Estadio Martínez Valero opened on 8 September 1976 and has been the home of Elche CF ever since, named after a former president of the club. It is the home ground of Elche, a La Liga club known as the Franjiverdes, and it was a venue at the 1982 World Cup, staging three group matches.
They are as safe as the marketplace you use. A verified marketplace shows seat details before checkout, confirms sellers and offers a money-back policy if the ticket fails to admit you. 1BoxOffice has operated since 2006 and applies a 150% money-back guarantee. Avoid anonymous sellers who will not show seat details before payment.
Sources: Elche CF (elchecf.es), club matchday guidance, Alicante and Elche transport, La Liga and stadium reference records. Information was gathered in July 2026 and may change; check sources for the latest details. 1BoxOffice is not affiliated with Elche CF or Estadio Martínez Valero. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.