Real Madrid And Barcelona Fans, Welcome To One Of The Richest Clásicos Ever

After scraping past Real Betis on penalties, Barcelona will meet Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia this Sunday in one of the wealthiest Clásico matchups ever staged. Here’s why.

Regarding players, Real and Barcelona’s starting lineups should be worth over €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in combined market value. Superstars have always characterized both clubs, but many of the best players on show—including Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Pedri and Gavi—combine quality with youth, raising their worth in the current climate by some estimations.

Albeit at another club, a sign of the times is Borussia Dortmund’s 19-year-old Jude Bellingham alone—courted by Real and holding a possible value of €205 million ($222 million). Certain bright lights belonging to coaches Xavi and Carlos Ancelotti are not far off this figure.

As for the tournament, Saudi Arabia has paid handsomely to host the event until at least 2029. The Middle Eastern nation reportedly supplied the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) with €40 million ($43 million) each year between 2020 and 2022, despite the 2021 edition taking place in Sevilla due to the pandemic. It is now spending around €30 million ($33 million) annually to keep it.

Loosely, the money comes under the Saudi state name. Yet it is believed to stem directly from the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Turki Al-Sheikh—who oversees sport and related departments while owning La Liga team Almería. There is room to suggest the figures are somewhat excessive, as the nation holds back for a potential joint World Cup in 2030. But the underlying wealth is undeniable and something Spain hasn’t been able to resist.

Like both semifinals involving Real, Valencia, Barcelona and Betis, the venue will be the King Fahd stadium, quoted as costing about €470 million ($510 million) in construction. However, unlike the arenas built in neighboring Qatar for the World Cup, this stadium is not designed for one-off events. Saudi Arabian soccer club giant Al-Hilal plays home games there, and other events have been staged inside during its 35-year history, where it has held a 68,752-seat capacity—set to grow to 80,000.

And there’s more. Its location 5,000 kilometers from Spain means fans wanting to see the game in the flesh incur flight costs and, potentially, overnight accommodation fees—factors that wouldn’t come into play were it back home. It all adds up, despite the host capital Riyadh not being the most expensive area imaginable.

There are logistical components to this event, too, with supporters usually able to purchase refundable ticket bundles in case their team doesn’t reach the final. Even so, not knowing scuppers plans, so it’s unsurprising that locals will fill much of the stadium this weekend, especially given the lack of away fan culture in Spanish club soccer, unless it’s a major tournament or Champions League final, for instance.

For the many watching en casa, it won’t be free. In Spain, the television channel Movistar+ has the rights and demands more money than the typical Movistar subscription. Altogether, it can cost comfortably—or less so—north of €100 ($108) monthly when factoring in all the other services. That is unless a fan’s provider is Orange España, carrying the game and able to provide an offer. The prices don’t relent.

Turning attention to sponsors, these are harder to gauge. Native Saudi Arabian ventures NEOM and Red Sea Development had their names on the 2022 tournament, and though NEOM does once more, the other’s involvement is unclear. In any case, one way Saudi Arabia benefits from staging these games is by wealthy tourism and infrastructural development projects—like these—promoting their ‘2030 vision’ to the world through the prism of soccer.

Finally, there is the small matter of prize money. Winning the tournament will guarantee one finalist pockets around €5 million ($5 million) in total after Real and Barcelona received slightly higher base payments than Valencia and Betis simply for participating. Similar to previous years, it’s nothing massive, but not bad for turning up and playing a couple of matches.

In sum, this is a particularly monied clash. And one that creates a precedent this decade as Spain and Saudi Arabia’s soccer business connections tighten and become even more familiar, for better or worse.