JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — In the historic centre of Jeddah, within the outdated coronary heart of town, there is a soccer pitch. It is not a lot: an uneven, astroturf floor, and two undersized objectives. There are floodlights, and white traces painted on the bottom, however no seats for spectators. It’s surrounded by crumbling partitions, half-abandoned buildings, and some palm bushes. This is soccer, prefer it’s all the time been, in all places.
But the sport has modified. The 2034 FIFA World Cup is coming. Cristiano Ronaldo performs right here within the Saudi Pro League, and so does Karim Benzema, at Jeddah’s Al Ittihad. And 20 miles to the north of that pitch — an hour’s drive on a superb day for visitors — there’s one other: contained in the 62,000 capability Al Jawhara Stadium, in King Abdullah Sports City, the venue for the 2025 Spanish Supercopa.
A soccer pitch in Jeddah. But not the one the place tonight’s Clásico was performed. Piece on the Supercopa developing for @ESPNFC… pic.twitter.com/QNTSFRX9In
— Alex Kirkland (@alexkirkland) January 12, 2025
This event has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020 — with a 12 months off for the pandemic — switching between Jeddah and the capital, Riyadh. Its newest iteration pits final season’s prime two LaLiga finishers and Copa del Rey finalists in opposition to one another in a “ultimate 4.” A contract signed till 2029 is price round €40 million a 12 months to the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF). Half of that goes to the golf equipment.
Everybody right here, besides the followers of the opposite two groups concerned, needs a Real Madrid–Barcelona ultimate. It’s the revamped event’s raison d’etre: bringing a aggressive Clásico, with a trophy at stake, to Saudi Arabia, with the entire consideration — and revenue — that generates.
“Are you going to the sport?” a baggage handler at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport requested, excited. “I hope will probably be Real Madrid vs. Barcelona. It could be a wonderful ultimate.”
And it was, the third Clásico Supercopa ultimate in a row, after Barça’s 3-1 win in 2023 and Madrid’s 4-1 victory in 2024. Sunday’s 5-2 win for Barcelona had every part. Seven objectives. A penalty. A crimson card. These video games are inherently unpredictable, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had defined a day earlier.
“Quality prevails,” Ancelotti stated. “There’s a lot particular person high quality that it overcomes the collective, which is above all in defence.”
As it turned out, it wasn’t a foul abstract. Individual high quality? For Barcelona, that meant Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski. For Madrid: Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior.
Defending? Not a lot.
The lapses from each groups solely added to the drama. Barcelona had two probabilities to attain within the first 5 minutes alone, Thibaut Courtois saving Yamal’s curling shot after which Raphinha’s header. But lower than a minute later, Madrid went forward on the counter-attack, Mbappé sprinting from the midway line, twisting Alejandro Balde in knots earlier than taking pictures throughout goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Mbappé’s first Clásico, in LaLiga in October, was a misfire: Madrid misplaced 4-0 and Mbappé skilled a mini-crisis of religion, caught a record eight times by Barcelona’s ruthlessly tight offside entice. Here, his confidence was excessive. Madrid have performed three finals this season: the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the Spanish Supercopa. Mbappé has scored in all of them. Soon he was disregarding challenges, Ronaldo Nazario fashion, earlier than being introduced down, hurting his ankle.
But Barcelona’s dominance of possession was already placing, with 83% of the ball within the first 20 minutes. And it wasn’t lengthy earlier than they have been stage, a fast passing transfer ending with Lewandowski enjoying in Yamal, who did what he does — chopping inside, Lionel Messi-like, and ending left-footed previous Courtois. The objectives saved coming. In the thirty fifth minute, a penalty to Barça, awarded after a VAR test discovered Eduardo Camavinga had caught Gavi along with his studs. Lewandowski scored to make it 2-1.
This was already precisely the spectacle the federation and the Saudis needed, the 2 greatest golf equipment on the planet going toe-to-toe. But then Barcelona discovered one other gear, and Real Madrid collapsed.
“They scored the objectives simply,” Ancelotti stated afterwards. “We misplaced lots of duels … I haven’t got to call anybody, I’m speaking about the entire group, we did not defend properly.”
There have been two extra Barcelona objectives earlier than half-time, Raphinha powering a header previous Courtois, and Balde scoring within the final of 9 added minutes. It was 4-1, and on the Barcelona bench, the substitutes and workers have been leaping into the air in joyous celebration. Ancelotti made adjustments, bringing on Dani Ceballos for Camavinga — who had been yellow carded — and Rodrygo gave Madrid hope, hitting the crossbar from an offside place. But a minute later, Raphinha had scored once more. 5-1.
The Real Madrid followers contained in the stadium sat in surprised silence. Barcelona’s might barely imagine what was taking place, both. The sport was over as a contest, however nonetheless, the motion saved coming. Mbappé went previous Szczesny and was introduced down on the sting of the field, the keeper despatched off, Barça right down to 10 males. Rodrygo transformed the free kick. There was even time for Dani Olmo — whose availability for the event was doubtful till Spain’s sports ministry (the CSD) ruled that he should be temporarily re-registered as a Barça participant — to play the final half hour. By the ultimate whistle, most of the Madrid followers had already left their seats and headed for the exits.
Barcelona’s 5-2 win is emblematic of a season outlined to date by its uncertainty. Barça seemed unstoppable early on, main the way in which in LaLiga; then their type fell aside, as Madrid slowly discovered themselves, and Bellingham began scoring. But Barça have not all the time been performed badly in defeat, and Madrid usually have not satisfied in victory. And proper now, neither group is on prime of LaLiga anyway, on the season’s midpoint: that is Atletico Madrid, who quietly beat Osasuna 1-0 within the league on Sunday.
What occurs within the second half of the season is anybody’s guess, however this was a triumphant night time of rebirth for Barcelona, coach Hansi Flick and his gamers, and a serious blow for Madrid, who do not lose many finals, actually not conceding 5 objectives.
And it was an excellent night time for the Spanish soccer federation. Selling a product like that is simple.
“For us [Saudis], soccer belongs to 2 international locations: Brazil, and Spain,” Fahad, a driver and safety guard, advised me earlier than the sport. It’s illustrious firm. After successful Euro 2024, Spain is again, the picture of the nationwide group restored. After this Supercopa, so are Barcelona.
