Spanish Super Cup 2027 moves to Istanbul as Saudi Arabia hosts Asian Cup

Venue change to Istanbul

The 2027 Spanish Super Cup will be staged at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul from February 2 to 7, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced on August 13. The four-team tournament features LaLiga champions Barcelona, LaLiga runners-up Real Madrid, Copa del Rey winners Real Sociedad and Copa del Rey finalists Atlético de Madrid. The semifinals pit Barcelona against Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad against Real Madrid. The 77,000-capacity Atatürk Olympic Stadium, home of the Turkish national team, previously hosted the Champions League finals in 2005 and 2023. This will be the first edition of the Supercopa held in Turkey.

Why Saudi Arabia was unavailable

The tournament has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2022, with Riyadh hosting three consecutive editions. Saudi Arabia could not stage the 2027 Supercopa because it will host the Asian Cup from January 7 to February 5, 2027, creating a direct scheduling clash. The RFEF confirmed the Supercopa will return to Saudi Arabia in 2028. The existing contract with Saudi Arabia, originally running through 2029, was automatically extended by one year to 2030 to compensate for the missed 2027 edition.

Selection process and competing bids

The RFEF said Istanbul was chosen after analyzing up to seven bids from locations around the world. The federation worked with SELA, the company that has partnered with the RFEF on tournament development since the event moved to Saudi Arabia. According to El Mundo, Qatar, specifically Doha, was considered by many the favorite to host the 2027 edition, given its experience organizing events such as the recent Intercontinental Cups. The RFEF rejected the idea of returning the tournament to Spanish soil, citing what sources at the federation's Las Rozas headquarters described as the "extreme" difference between the revenue generated in Saudi Arabia and in Spain. The RFEF stated that the agreement to hold the Supercopa in Turkey guarantees the continuity of benefits that flow directly to nearly a thousand clubs across all categories of men's and women's football.

Financial structure

The RFEF's contract to stage the Supercopa in Saudi Arabia is worth approximately €51 million ($59.6 million) per year, depending on the participating clubs. According to figures the RFEF presented at its assembly, the tournament generates €27 million annually in sponsorship, €11 million in audiovisual rights, €10 million in services and €3 million in travel and hotel assistance.

Criticism and context

The Saudi arrangement has drawn criticism on multiple fronts. Before the 2025-26 tournament, Athletic Club's Inaki Williams called the arrangement detrimental to players and fans. Saudi Arabia's human rights record has been questioned, and last year Spain's main supporters' association warned of risks to female fans after partners of Mallorca players alleged they were harassed during a Supercopa match in Jeddah. The four-team format debuted in 2020 in Jeddah. The 2021 edition was held in Spain behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the move to Saudi Arabia, the Supercopa had been a two-legged match between the LaLiga winners and the Copa del Rey winners. Barcelona, the defending trophy holder after winning the 2026 edition, has won the trophy in three of the last four editions.