The EA SPORTS FC Supercup is in Saudi Arabia

The EA SPORTS FC Supercup will be held in Saudi Arabia again this year. The very first edition took place in Jeddah in 2018, a match which Juventus won after beating AC Milan 1-0. After this, there have been three more occasions in which the trophy has been contested in the “Land of the Two Holy Mosques” (Al Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid al-Nabawī in Medina, always in Riyadh, which is ready to host this edition as well. The city, which was home to a mere 2 million residents in the early 90s, is now home to more than 7.5 million people. It is located in the historical region of Yamama on the Najd plateau, in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula and has been the capital city since 1932. Between matches, fans and professionals can stroll down the King Fahd Road, the main street which is home to the Al-Anoud Tower and the Kingdom Centre - one of the biggest skyscrapers in the world for its design. From there, one can enjoy breathtaking views of the city. Alternatively, one can explore Al Murabba, the old district in which typical palaces and historic buildings can be found, including the Murabba Palace. For museum-lovers, it is definitely worth visiting the National Museum of Saudi Arabia, the largest museum exhibition in the country, as well as Fort Masmak, a clay and mud-brick fortress which is home to a permanent exhibition showcasing Saudi history. An unmissable site approximately 15km from the centre of Riyadh is the Turayf quarter, in the al-Turayf district, near the al-Dirʿiyya oasis, which has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2011. The centre of Riyadh, for the five days during the EA SPORTS Supercup will be the Al-Awwal Park Stadium or King Saud University Stadium, with a capacity of 25,000 fans. The stadium is home to Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most successful and popular teams in Saudi Arabia, founded in 2015.

The stadium will also host the semi-finals this year, Inter vs Atalanta and Juventus vs AC Milan on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 January at 20:00 CET, respectively. The final will take place on Monday 6 January at 20:00 too. This particular stadium hosted the final between Juventus and Lazio, when the Biancocelesti ran out 3-1 winners in 2019. As well as this, it hosted the final four edition won by Inter, who beat Lazio before beating Napoli in the final. The 2022 edition which was won by Inter in the derby against AC Milan, however, was played at the King Fahd International Stadium.