Pinatar Arena has ended 2025 with the strongest figures in its history, cementing its status as one of Europe’s leading high-performance football centres after hosting 159 team training camps from 41 different countries and generating more than 45,000 overnight stays on the Costa Cálida.
Over the course of the year, the San Pedro del Pinatar complex staged 196 matches, welcomed 100 national teams and 59 professional clubs, and became a focal point of the international football calendar.
Among the standout moments of a record-setting year were Argentina’s visit led by Lionel Messi, the UEFA Nations League play-off between Iceland and Kosovo, winter training camps for clubs and national teams, Round 2 of the UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship, the final phase of the Women’s Under-23 European Championship, and preparations for both World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations.
Winter and summer packed with elite clubs
The year began in strong fashion with Pinatar Arena’s traditional winter club season, attracting teams from across Europe. Bundesliga side Heidenheim, Croatia’s Hajduk Split, Belgium’s Genk, Sweden’s Kalmar, Denmark’s Silkeborg and Ukraine’s Kryvbas were among the regular visitors, joined by newcomers such as Elfsborg (Sweden), Újpest (Hungary) and Śląsk Wrocław (Poland).
The summer pre-season delivered some of the year’s most high-profile moments, with historic British clubs Heart of Midlothian, Blackburn Rovers and Millwall training at the venue. Spanish sides Getafe, Elche, Granada and Albacete also featured, alongside regular local representatives FC Cartagena and Real Murcia.
The presence of Arab clubs continued to grow, highlighted in 2025 by visits from Middle Eastern heavyweights Al Ain, Al Rayyan and NEOM, underlining Pinatar Arena’s expanding global reach.
Preferred base for national teams
Once again, national federations were at the heart of Pinatar Arena’s success. The centre hosted established international tournaments such as the Pinatar Cup and MIMA Cup, involving senior, Under-19 and Under-17 teams across both men’s and women’s football.
For the third consecutive year, the number of national teams (100) exceeded that of clubs (59), reflecting the centre’s rising international standing. This reputation has been further strengthened by Pinatar Arena’s selection as one of the official training centres for the 2030 World Cup.
November’s visit by reigning world champions Argentina, led by Messi, will be remembered as a defining highlight. The venue also played a role in 2026 World Cup qualifying, hosting Georgia’s preparations ahead of their match against Spain, as well as serving as a base for DR Congo and Zambia in their build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Federations from Germany, Scotland, China, Portugal, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Ukraine and the United States, among many others, returned throughout the year. Kyrgyzstan, Chinese Taipei and Zambia made their Pinatar Arena debuts in 2025, while the English FA and the Dutch FA (KNVB) were particularly prominent. Following the signing of an agreement making Pinatar Arena the official training base for the Netherlands in Spain until 2028, Dutch teams trained in San Pedro del Pinatar on almost ten occasions during the year.
Nearly 200 matches in one year
The 159 teams hosted in 2025 played a total of 196 matches, with 114 staged on the main pitch, many attracting strong crowds and scouts from around the world.
Not all fixtures were friendlies. In March, Pinatar Arena hosted Round 2 of the UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the same month the centre was chosen to help organise the Nations League play-off between Iceland and Kosovo, played at the Enrique Roca Stadium in Murcia.
Looking ahead, Pinatar Arena will announce its January match schedule in the coming days, with new clubs already confirming their participation in what is expected to be another landmark winter season in terms of both teams and fixtures.
