Spanish soccer’s RFEF governing body has announced that the 2027 edition of its annual Supercopa de España competition has been relocated from Saudi Arabia to Istanbul, Turkiye.
Istanbul, the RFEF revealed, was one of seven bidders to stage the upcoming edition of the competition, which will be relocated from Saudi Arabia due to a clash with the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which will run from January 7 through February 5, using all of the country’s biggest soccer venues.
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The four-team Supercopa mini-tournament will be held at Istanbul’s 79,414-capacity Atatürk Olympic Stadium from February 2 to 7.
LaLiga champions Barcelona and runners-up Real Madrid will face Copa del Rey winners Real Sociedad and that competition’s runners-up Atletico Madrid in the 2027 tournament.
The RFEF has confirmed that financial dividends from the one-off move to Istanbul will remain the same as the previous editions in Saudi Arabia, and also said that the event will return to Saudi Arabia in its 2028 edition.
Sela, the Saudi Arabian events company that helped bring the Supercopa to the Kingdom, supported the RFEF in the decision-making process behind the move to Istanbul.
Six of the last seven editions of the competition have been staged in the Kingdom, except 2021 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), when it was held in Spain.
It was moved to Saudi Arabia in 2020, in a deal reportedly worth more than €40 million ($41 million) per year, rising to as much as €51 million depending on the teams involved.
That deal will run until 2029, but in January 2025, it was reported that the RFEF was keen to extend the Saudi Arabia hosting agreement for a further five years, through 2034, although no extension announcement has been made since.
The Atatürk Olympic Stadium has been the home of soccer side Fatih Karagümrük since they achieved promotion to the top flight in 2020, as its own Vefa Stadium was unsuitable.
With construction continuing at the Vefa Stadium into this season, Fatih Karagümrük continues to utilize the Olympic Stadium, but should construction be completed before the season is finished, it will move back to the Vefa Stadium, leaving the Olympic Stadium without a tenant once more.
Previously, the stadium staged the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.
Looking to the future, the Atatürk Olympic Stadium is one of 10 venues in Turkey selected for use to host the UEFA Euro 2032 tournament (which Turkey will co-host with Italy).
The Turkish Football Federation governing body has announced plans to renovate the stadium before then, albeit with a lower capacity.
