Argentina has decided to follow in the footsteps of Spain and Italy by announcing the organisation of a Supercopa match in the Middle East. The next edition of this competition will take place in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.

Over the past decade, this destination has become very attractive for many federations. Italy was the first to reach out for money from this region of the world. In 2014, the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, hosted the meeting between the champion and the Coppa Italia winner. Later, in 2019, the rights to host the match were taken over by the Arab cities of Jeddah and Riyadh, where, in addition to 2020 and 2021, clashes for the trophy were played. One step further has been taken by Spain, which has dropped one Super Cup match in favour of a mini-tournament involving the country's top four teams. As with Italy, the current organiser of this competition is Saudi Arabia.

The Argentine Football Association has decided to follow a similar path by signing a four-year partnership agreement with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC). One of the terms of this contract is that the UAE capital will host a match for the Supercopa Argentina between the winner of Primera Division and Copa Argentina in January 2023.

Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, © Stadiontour.at

According to AFA president Claudio Tapia, this agreement is particularly significant for South American football, as it opens new doors that will benefit not only the association, but also the clubs, the players and the fans themselves. The partnership will provide global visibility for Argentine football and create new business opportunities for our clubs and the league. This agreement has mutual benefits alone. – repeated Tapia. His optimism was shared by ADSC secretary general, Arif Hamad Al Awani. In his view, it is a huge prestige for Abu Dhabi that one of the world's most important matches will be held there. 

The teams assured of participation in the upcoming edition of this contest are the current champions of this country, Boca Juniors, and the sensational cup winners, CA Patronato. Fans in the Middle East may be a bit disappointed that the “Superclásico” will not take place. The rivalry between the previously mentioned Boca and River Plate is one of the hottest clashes in the world. With a tradition of nearly 110 years, the Buenos Aires derby arouses great interest not only in Argentina.

Zayed Sports City Stadium, © Frank Jasperneite