[2] As early as 1912, the Spanish architect Aníbal González Álvarez-Ossorio had an initial design of a stadium for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.

[3] The technical study for its construction was carried out by Manuel María Smith who has designed the San Mamés Stadium of Bilbao in 1913.

[3] The newly built Estadio de la Exposición was officially inaugurated on March 17, 1929, hosting an international match where Spain defeated Portugal 5-0.

[citation needed] During the Spanish Civil War, Seville City Council requisitioned the stadium and handed it over to the military.

However in 2010, Real Betis fans voted to change the name of the stadium back to honor former club president Benito Villamarín.