JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Tuesday 6 January 2026: The Spanish Super Cup has reached a major milestone ahead of kick-off in Jeddah this week, with exceptional ticket demand underlining the Kingdom's growing appetite for elite European football and the tournament's expanding global profile. Four of Spain's most iconic clubs - Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Athletic Bilbao - will contest the three-match competition at Alinma Stadium, with semi-finals taking place on 7 and 8 January and the final on Sunday 11 January 2026. Ticket sales have surged across all fixtures, with Thursday's Atlético Madrid v Real Madrid semi-final officially sold out, while Sunday's Spanish Super Cup Final is now extremely limited, with fewer than two per cent of standard-category tickets remaining and only a small number of premium hospitality seats still available. Strong demand continues for the FC Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao semi-final, as fans across the region prepare for a festival of elite football in Jeddah. With a capacity of 63,241, Alinma Stadium is one of the Middle East's premier football venues, featuring state-of-the-art broadcast infrastructure and premium hospitality facilities. The stadium has previously hosted major international tournaments and is recognised as a flagship venue in Saudi Arabia's elite sports infrastructure. The strength of ticket demand reflects football's deep cultural roots in the Kingdom and the rapid growth in live sports engagement. Saudi Arabia has hosted more than 150 international sporting events since 2018, welcoming over 2.6 million international visitors, while domestic football interest continues to surge, with Saudi Pro League attendance rising by 25 per cent in recent seasons. The Spanish Super Cup returns to Saudi Arabia for the sixth time, with Jeddah hosting the competition for the third occasion, following previous editions shared with the capital Riyadh. This year's Spanish Super Cup has delivered the strongest ticket sales of the last six years, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for elite football in Saudi Arabia. Notably, 43 per cent of ticket purchases have come from international fans, with more than 80 per cent of those travelling from outside the Kingdom, representing 126 nationalities to date. Football plays a central role in Saudi society, with around 80 per cent of the population either watching or actively playing the sport, reinforcing the Kingdom's long-standing identity as a football nation and the strong demand for elite European competitions. Saudi Arabia's sporting transformation continues to be driven by participation as well as elite events. Weekly sports participation has risen from 14 per cent in 2017 to around 59 per cent in 2025, while women's sports participation has increased by 400 per cent since 2015, ensuring that growth is broad-based and sustainable. The Spanish Super Cup brings together clubs with vast followings across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, particularly Barcelona and Real Madrid, whose fan bases span generations and continue to grow through academies, grassroots engagement and broadcast reach across the region. Organised in collaboration with the Royal Spanish Football Federation and international partners, the tournament is broadcast to audiences in more than 150 countries, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's role as a global meeting point for elite football. Only last month, the Kingdom hosted the Italian Super Cup in Riyadh. With a sold-out Madrid derby, a near-capacity final, a world-class venue and four heavyweight clubs competing for the first major club trophy of the year, the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah is set to deliver another landmark moment in the Kingdom's sporting journey. Spanish Super Cup fixtures (10pm local time): • Semi-final 1: FC Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao - Wednesday, 7 January • Semi-final 2: Atlético Madrid v Real Madrid - Thursday, 8 January (sold out) • Final: Sunday, 11 January (very limited availability)
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