Super Cup in Saudi Arabia: The matches that have been played abroad

The Spanish Super Cup is being played this year in Saudi Arabia.

It’s not the first time, as this is the third Super Cup that has been hosted by the Saudis in the last four years - the year missing was during the Covid pandemic.

Some will consider their decision to host this event as part of a wider plan for the Saudis to become more involved in international sport.

It might be another step towards a potential bid to host the World Cup, just like the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Al-Nassr and the decision to buy Newcastle United.

But playing Super Cups abroad is not something new, for years organisers have decided to play these matches away from their home countries.

Sometimes due to marketing reasons, to introduce their football to new fans, and in others it was just an issue of money - and a lot of it.

Here are some of the interesting Super Cup relocations from the past.

Xavi y Ancelotti se citan para la final de la Supercopa de mañana en Ryiahd pic.twitter.com/ELICVQ9MsJ

— Alfredo Martínez (@Alfremartinezz) January 14, 2023

France all over the globe

In the last two years, France have decided to host their Super Cup in Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv.

Before that, they played the French Trophée des Champions in the United States, China, Tunisia and Morocco.

The first was back in 2009, when Bordeaux and Guingamp played in the Olympic Stadium of Montreal.

The stadium was almost half empty - 34,000 fans came to a stadium with a capacity of 66,000. Six years later, the Canadian city hosted this match once again, but this time in a smaller stadium, Stade Saputo, which was almost full with 20,000 fans.

In 2013, France went further when they picked Gabon as the host nation of the match.

34,000 people turned up at Stade d'Angondjé in Libreville, to see a dramatic tie between PSG and Bordeaux.

Trophée des Champions in Tel Aviv: When Ligue 1 meets the Middle East — by @Levyninho, 📸 @NickieLiberman #TDC21 #Lebaujeu #psg #loschttps://t.co/HXFm7LTG7U

— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) August 4, 2021

My country, my rules

In 1993, Italy moved the Supercoppa Italiana to Washington DC, playing this match for the first time outside Italy.

It took almost a decade until the Italians decided to once again play abroad, but it wasn’t a good decision.

At the beginning of the 2000s, Libya tried to enhance relations with its former colonisers.

Libya president, Muammar Gaddafi, was involved, as well as his son, Al-Saadi Gaddafi - the Libyan Football Association president.

The connection between the two even brought Al-Saadi Gaddafi to a short and unsuccessful spell in Perugia.

In 2002, the Italian Super Cup was played in Tripoli.

The 11 June Stadium was fully packed, as Juventus defeated Parma 2-1 with a brace from Alessandro Del Piero.

Al-Saadi Gaddafi made this match his own home match, as he walked around the stadium, taking pictures with some of the Italian association leaders, as well as being part of the celebration photos of Juventus players with the trophy.

The Italians would bring this trophy back home, but have hosted the match elsewhere -  in the United States, China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Saudis are traveling

Not only is Saudi Arabia hosting other countries’ Super Cups, but the Saudis themselves also once played their own Super Cup away from home.

In 2015, an initiative led by the Saudis meant the game between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal would be played in London.

The host stadium was Queens Park Rangers’ Loftus Road.

Only 8,000 people came, and some would say that it didn’t draw any special attention in England.

The Saudis came back to England twice more - in 2016, the match between Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal was played at Fulham’s Craven Cottage and, after a year of not playing the Super Cup at all, Loftus Road was the home of the 2018 Saudi Super Cup, between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad.

In each of these matches, more than 16,000 fans came.

The idea of playing the Saudi Super Cup in England has not been repeated since then, as the match returned to play at home.