Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Tottenham in the 2025 European Super Cup may be the tournament’s last in its traditional format, as UEFA is considering radical changes to the competition’s format starting next year.
Historically, the European Super Cup has been a single match between the Champions League and Europa League winners at a neutral venue, and this particular tournament has always been given a relatively friendly feel.
According to The Telegraph, UEFA is seeking to expand and generate significant financial gains from the European Super Cup by adopting the Spanish format for the Super Cup, meaning that the tournament will feature four teams instead of just the Champions League and Europa League winners.
UEFA plans for the European Super Cup to be held in a semi-final and final format, and to be held in a country outside of Europe, either in the Middle East or America. This will generate significant economic growth for UEFA and the participating clubs.
The current European Super Cup champion receives only €5 million. Holding the competition next year as a three-match tournament outside Europe would double this figure. However, many clubs are expected to object, arguing that this would place additional pressure on the players due to the increased number of matches and stress.
The two additional teams that will participate in the tournament if the new format is adopted have not been revealed, although the likely winner of the European Conference League and the runner-up of the Champions League will complete the semi-finals.
It’s worth noting that several leagues have recently followed Spain’s example with regard to the Super Cup, most notably Italy, which has held the last three editions in Saudi Arabia using the same format and has generated significant financial gains.
