Estadio Mestalla is a football stadium in Valencia. It is the home ground of football giants Valencia CF. With a maximum capacity of 55 000, it is one of the largest stadiums in Spain. It is also renowned for its steep terracing and being one of the most intimidating atmospheres in Spain to play at. In May 1923, the pitch was inaugurated with a friendly match between Valencia CF and Levante UD. It was the beginning of a new era that meant farewell to the old place. A long history has treaded on the field since its very beginning, when Valencia CF were not yet in the Primera División, the highest national football league of Spain. Back then, the stadium could hold 17 000 spectators. The capacity increased to 25 000 before it became severely damaged during the Civil War. Estadio Mestalla was used as a concentration camp and junk warehouse. It would only keep its structure, since the rest was a lonely plot of land with no terraces and a stand broken during the war. Once the ground was renovated, Valencia CF managed to bring home their first major trophy: The national cup in 1941. Estadio Mestalla was chosen as the venue for the debut of Spain in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.