Riyadh (AFP)

Football fans are hoping defending champions Real Madrid and Barcelona will set a date for the Spanish Super Cup final for the first time, which turns into a mini-tournament system when the competition kicks off in Riyadh on Wednesday. A match that could have been in the eyes of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo ends up being a Saudi victory.
The Super Cup will be played for the third time in Saudi Arabia and is part of an agreement that runs until 2029, in which the Spanish federation will earn 30 million euros (30.1 million dollars) per season.
La Liga champions Real Madrid will face Copa runners-up Valencia on Wednesday in the first semi-final, while Copa champions Real Betis will face Liga runners-up Barcelona on Thursday . , and the final will be played on Sunday.
King Fahd Stadium, located about 30 kilometers from Al-Nasr Marsuli Park, will host all competition matches.
And as the championship system was changed to a rally instead of a single match, Barcelona lost the title and reached the final once, against rivals Real Madrid twice.
Barcelona have won the title 13 times, most recently in 2018, a record they could share with Real Madrid if the latter managed to retain the trophy.
And if Real Madrid manage to defeat 11th-placed Valencia and fourth-placed Real Betis, who have had an excellent season beating Barcelona,​​the two teams will meet in Sunday’s final clash. And ‘Real’ has the French striker Karim Benzema, who will take him to the third championship of the tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo, who moved to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nasr, should watch one or two matches for his former club, Real Madrid, with whom he made history between 2009 and 2018, winning the European Champions League four times and the Ballon d’Or. four times.