It was already known that the Spanish Super Cup could not be held in Saudi Arabia as it had been in recent years. Due to a competing event, Barcelona will now have to defend its title in Istanbul.
Since 2018, the “Supercopa de España” has been held abroad; for its inaugural edition, Tangier, Morocco, was selected as the host city. The only exception was the 2021 tournament: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the matches were played behind closed doors in Córdoba, Málaga, and Seville.
Otherwise, people in Spain have now grown accustomed to the Spanish Super Cup being held in Saudi Arabia; this has already been the case six times in total. After five consecutive editions in the desert, however, the venue will be moved to Istanbul this time—more specifically, to the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. The three matches will be played from February 2 to 7, 2027. Last January, there had been speculation that the Supercopa would be moved to Doha, Qatar.
Saudi Arabia was not an option this time, as the Asian Cup is taking place there during that period. However, it will only be a one-year hiatus: As FC Barcelona noted on its website, the tournament is scheduled to return to the desert nation in 2028.
In addition to defending champion Barcelona, Copa del Rey finalist Atlético Madrid, Copa del Rey winner Real Sociedad, and Spanish league runner-up Real Madrid will also compete in the tournament. Kickoff times for the two semifinal matches and the final have not yet been set, but the matchups have already been determined. Barcelona will face Atlético in the semifinals, while Real Sociedad will take on Real Madrid.
Will Flick Remain the Dominant Winner?
Incidentally, Hansi Flick is not yet accustomed to seeing the trophy pass into other hands. Since the 61-year-old took the helm at the Blaugrana in the summer of 2024, he has won both editions—and in each case, in the final against Real Madrid. In January 2025, the Catalans gave their eternal rivals no chance in a 5–2 victory; a year later, Barcelona prevailed 3–2 against Real.
Among the players, the Supercopa trip is unpopular due to the physical strain, but the economic interests of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) apparently take precedence. While the 2018 tournament in Morocco generated around one million euros, RFEF President Rafael Louzan says that, thanks to the move to Saudi Arabia, the figure has now risen to over 50 million.