Saudi Arabia has emerged as a central player in the global sports arena—not for athletic achievement, but for its calculated use of high-profile events to rebrand its international image. This practice, known as sportswashing, refers to the strategic deployment of sporting partnerships and events to divert attention from ongoing human rights violations and bolster a reputation of progress and modernity. Saudi Arabia’s rapid expansion into sports has included investments in tennis, the acquisition of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, and hosting Formula 1 races in Jeddah, with the next Grand Prix set for April 2025. These initiatives form part of a broader state-led strategy to reshape international perception while repression continues at home.
The urgency of scrutinizing this strategy is underscored by Saudi Arabia’s deeply troubling human rights record. In 2024, the Kingdom carried out 330 executions, the highest number recorded in 30 years. Many of those executed were convicted in trials that lacked transparency or due process, and some for charges related to political dissent. The legal infrastructure that enables this repression includes the 2014 Penal Law of Crimes of Terrorism and its Financing, which criminalizes vaguely defined acts such as “disrupting public order” or “harming the reputation of the state.” These provisions are routinely used to silence peaceful dissent. The Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), originally created to handle terrorism cases, now frequently targets activists and online critics. Even digital expression is criminalized: individuals have received decades-long prison sentences for social media posts. This systemic repression contrasts sharply with the kingdom’s efforts to portray itself as a modern, tolerant society through international sport.
One of the most telling examples of this disconnect is the Italian Super Cup, which returned to Riyadh in January 2025. This match featured four of Italy’s top clubs—Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, and Atalanta—with AC Milan ultimately winning the tournament. The presence of Italy’s most celebrated football teams in Saudi Arabia was not coincidental, but the result of a long-term commercial agreement. The original deal, signed in 2018 between Serie A and the Saudi Ministry of Sport, brought the Super Cup to Riyadh in 2019 and 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the following two editions were held in Italy, delaying the full execution of the agreement. In 2023, the agreement was renewed: four additional editions are now set to be played in Saudi Arabia over the course of six seasons. With the 2024 and 2025 editions already hosted in Riyadh, two more Super Cups will be held there in the next four years. The updated deal is worth €92 million, with €23 million paid by Riyadh for each edition. Of that, €6.8 million goes to Serie A, and the remaining €16.2 million is divided among the four participating clubs.
The political justification for this partnership has been controversial. Italy’s Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi, defended the deal by claiming it contributed to “democracy and respect.” His remarks were widely criticized, especially when weighed against Saudi Arabia’s documented repression. The contradiction is even more glaring when viewed in light of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s past criticism: while in opposition, she referred to the original 2018 agreement as “a shame.” Since taking office, however, her government has not only remained silent on the renewed deal but has also lifted a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, authorizing €363 million in weapons exports in 2023 alone,
Beyond a few critical voices in civil society and isolated political figures, Italy’s institutional response to this partnership has been alarmingly muted. The normalization of Saudi Arabia as a commercial partner and host country for major European sports events reflects a broader European trend. Spain
has already hosted several editions of its “Supercopa” in Riyadh, and other leagues are increasingly pursuing similar agreements. The appeal is simple: lucrative deals with little scrutiny. But this comes at a cost. These partnerships lend international legitimacy to a regime that systematically silences dissent and violates fundamental rights. They allow Saudi Arabia to craft an image of openness and modernity, while the reality—mass executions, repression of expression, and gender-based discrimination—remains largely unchallenged by its new European partners.
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Italian Super Cup is more than a sporting event; it is a calculated move in a broader strategy of reputation laundering. As football becomes an instrument of political soft power, the silence of democratic institutions becomes more than passive—it becomes complicit. The matches may last ninety minutes, but the consequences for human rights and credibility last much longer.
