Airbnb and LALIGA Launch Partnership With Andrés Iniesta Rural Experience in Fuentealbilla.

Roger Hampel

Image: Anna Huix

Airbnb and LaLiga have activated their newly announced multi-season partnership with a football-themed rural experience featuring Andrés Iniesta in his hometown of Fuentealbilla, Spain.

The initiative marks the first major activation under the agreement and is positioned around connecting football, travel and community development, with a particular focus on rural revitalisation.

Experiential Activation Rooted in Local Identity Airbnb

The first experience will allow one selected guest and two companions to spend a full day in Fuentealbilla on March 14, taking part in a 4-v-4 street-style match with Iniesta, touring the town, sampling local products and staying overnight in a rural Airbnb property. Bookings open on March 2 via a dedicated online page.

The activation forms part of a broader collection of football-linked experiences, including a private home tour with Fernando Morientes, a matchday immersion experience with Isabel Forner at Estadio de Mendizorroza and a pre-match culinary event in Valencia hosted by Arturo Valls. The structure reflects a shift from traditional sponsorship visibility toward participation-based experiential formats.

Rural Development and Distributed Tourism

The collaboration sits within Airbnb’s Rural Commitment programme, aimed at stimulating tourism in smaller municipalities. Airbnb reports being present in more than 5,300 Spanish towns and villages. The company positions hosts as local economic multipliers, particularly in destinations where visitor flows directly support small businesses and services.

Executive Comments

Andrés Iniesta said:

“It means a great deal to me to open the doors of my hometown to share such a special moment. Fuentealbilla will always be part of who I am, and I’m delighted to bring people closer to my roots and show them the streets and places where I first dreamed of playing football.”

Jorge de la Vega, Director General of Business at LALIGA, stated:

“Andrés Iniesta represents the values and the essence of football at its origin. Through this collaboration with Airbnb, we want to offer fans experiences that connect with that authentic way of living football and that generate a positive impact on the community.”

Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, Director General of Airbnb Marketing Services S.L for Spain and Portugal, added:

“We are delighted to welcome LALIGA legends to Airbnb. Andrés Iniesta embodies the original values of football in its purest form — the game played in the streets. Wherever he goes, he acts as a host for his hometown, Fuentealbilla. Together with him, we will discover the most special corners of this community. This experience celebrates the cultural richness shared by many towns across Spain and reinforces Airbnb’s ambition for 2026 to be a breakthrough year for rural tourism in the country.”