Real Madrid’s draw in Saudi sparked interest in a Super Cup that had previously failed to connect with the home crowd.
The romance between Real Madrid and Saudi Arabia is different from other teams. This is not only due to their dominance in titles since the Spanish Super Cup took place on Saudi territory, with three of the four trophies won here, but also due to the attraction that the white team has on local fans . For the first time in four days, a Super Cup event, in this case the match, turned into a real celebration.
It’s perhaps also worth noting that Friday is a public holiday here, giving fans an incentive to flock to the stadium and enjoy the tournament knowing they don’t have to work in the morning. However, stadium staff questioned us when we mentioned the stark difference in atmosphere between the two semi-finals: “There is a lot of passion for Barça and Madrid, but the people are more ‘blancos’. If I had to give a percentage… 35%-65% in favor of Madrid, maybe. » The atmosphere in the stadium reflected this, not only from the public.
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According to Google Maps, the hotel we are staying at is only 25 minutes from King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. To arrive at the game two hours early, we needed an hour and a half to travel the same distance. The traffic is known to be chaotic here, but the movement of fans was much greater than in the first semi-final between Barça and Athletic Club.
When the ball went into play, an explosion of joy rang out in the stands, painted white with Real Madrid jerseys as well as the kingdom’s traditional men’s attire, the tobe. Members of the Peña Madridista Blancos KSA led the chants, reminiscent of the Bernabéu. Every move from Vinícius, Mbappé and Bellingham was cheered as if it were a moment from the Champions League final. The desire to see the King of Arabia was strong. “This is how Madrid win,” they exploded at the end of the match.
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There was also time for nostalgia during the night in Jeddah. Benzema, star of the Al-Ittihad Jeddah club and legend of the madridistas, had his moment of glory in the ‘sa’ box of the stadium. In the afternoon, the Frenchman had visited the hotel where his former teammates were staying to wish them good luck, which they did not need despite the enthusiasm and resilience of the always competitive team of Mallorca led by Jagoba Arrasate. When the former captain appeared on the video screens at KASC Stadium, cries of “Benzema, Benzema” rang out loud, shaking the tables in the press room, evoking memories of the glory days of the second highest scorer in history of Chamartín.
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Tribute must also be paid to the Mallorca fans who traveled to Jeddah to experience the Super Cup with their team. For many minutes of the first half, they made their presence heard, as did the 20,000 they said their president would need to appear competitive in the face of local white support. The reward for the Bermellones was to compete, and they did so for much of the match, their fans never stopping to motivate.
In the end, the logic and superiority of Real Madrid prevailed in the city of the Red Sea, in the ‘Brilliant Jewel’ who will have the honor of attending the first clásico of this 2025 season, carrying an air of ‘vendetta’ for both teams. For the Whites, it is an opportunity to forget the 0-4 defeat in the first leg of La Liga at the Bernabéu. For Barça, it is an opportunity to regain the Super Cup throne lost with Xavi last season in Riyadh with a 4-1 which marked the beginning of the end for their current squad.
And here in Jeddah, perhaps finally, we will have the chance to talk about high-level football in days darkened by the storm surrounding the precautionary measures on Olmo and Pau Víctor and the sanction on Vinícius. Arabia wanted the clásico, and they will have it.
