Erdogan, Al-Sheikh hail cooperation for Spanish Super Cup in Istanbul
08:08, 18/09/2026, FridayU: Update: 08:10, 18/09/2026, Friday
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World Ethnosport Confederation President Necmeddin Bilal Erdogan (2nd L), Saudi Royal Court Advisor and General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Al-Sheikh (2nd R), TFF President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu (L), Turkish Youth and Sport Minister Osman Askin Bak (3rd L), and Turkish Culture and Turism minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy (R) attend the signing ceremony for the 2027 Spanish Super Cup at the TFF Hasan Dogan National Teams Camp and Training Facilities in Istanbul, Turkiye on September 17, 2026.Bilal Erdogan and Turki Al-Sheikh emphasized deepening cooperation between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Spain during a promotional event in Istanbul, as the city prepares to host the 2027 Spanish Super Cup featuring four of Europe's top football clubs.
Bilal Erdogan and Turki Al-Sheikh on Thursday emphasized deepening cooperation between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Spain during a promotional event in Istanbul, as the city prepares to host the 2027 Spanish Super Cup featuring four of Europe's leading football clubs.
Cooperation highlighted
Erdogan, who heads the World Ethnosport Confederation, welcomed representatives from the Spanish Royal Football Federation, the Turkish Football Federation and Türkiye's three major clubs — Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas — to the Istanbul gathering. He said the initiative to bring the tournament to Istanbul emerged from his discussions with Al-Sheikh and received support from Turkish ministries, noting also that an Ethnosport Culture Festival would be held in Riyadh in November as part of Riyadh Season. "I am happy to be here today to be one of the enablers of this event coming to Istanbul," Erdogan said, highlighting that Real Madrid's squad features Turkish international Arda Guler.
Tournament preparations
Al-Sheikh, who serves as Saudi Royal Court Adviser and General Entertainment Authority Chairman, thanked Türkiye's authorities and the football federations for their contributions, noting his support for Galatasaray. "February will see an incredible event. The Spanish Super Cup will be a great event for both Türkiye and Istanbul," he said, adding that he and Erdogan would announce "a very nice surprise" in November regarding further cooperation. The 2027 tournament will take place from Feb. 2-6, with Barcelona facing Atletico Madrid at Chobani Stadium on Feb. 2 and Real Madrid meeting Real Sociedad at Tupras Stadium on Feb. 3, before the final at RAMS Park on Feb. 6.