Could Al-Ahli Lose the Saudi Super Cup? A Legal Expert Explains the One Shot
15 November 2025
The case could reach the sports arbitration court, a rare scenario that could strip Al-Ahli of the Saudi Super Cup they won last August over Al-Nassr.
A legal expert outlined a sole scenario whereby the title could be taken away from Al-Ahli, who earned the cup in Hong Kong, though their eligibility was contested from the start.
Al-Hilal withdrew from the Cup in July due to a tight schedule after their Club World Cup 2025 run in the United States, where they reached the quarterfinals.
The disciplinary committee had previously sanctioned Al-Hilal by allowing Al-Ahli to participate in the 2025 Saudi Super Cup, while banning the mastermind from the next edition and fining 500,000 SAR.
Al-Ahli then defeated Al-Qadisiyah 5-1 in the semi-final, and Al-Nassr beat Al-Ittihad 2-1 in the other semi, with Al-Ahli winning the final on penalties.
Hours before the final, the Appeals Committee issued stronger rulings, declaring Al-Hilal's semi-final loss to Al-Qadisiyah 0-3, and imposed a ban on Al-Hilal for the next edition plus a 500,000 SAR fine.
Al-Hilal sought relief at the Saudi Sports Arbitration Center, requesting that Al-Ahli be joined as a party, while Al-Qadisiyah also sought intervention.
Could the Super Cup be Stripped?
The legal expert Ayman Al-Rifai said that if the center agrees to include Al-Ahli as a party, there could be movement to strip the title from the Jeddah club.
He noted: 'If there is a move to strip the title, the arbitration center will need to include Al-Ahli as a party to defend itself.'
He explained: 'Qadisiyah asks to play the final directly because the appellate decision states that Al-Hilal is defeated 0-3.'
He added: 'Qadisiyah wasn’t at fault for delaying its request to join the case, as it waited for the appellate ruling; there was no prior clause requiring them to join.'
He added: 'There will be no special arbitrator for Qadisiyah, since it is not an original party in the case; the arbitrators will consider its request to play the final, either by consensus or by majority.'
Reality About Reissuing the Super Cup
The legal expert also ruled out the idea of reissuing the Saudi Super Cup, saying the federation's decisions were compliant with the regulations 100%.
From his view, there will be no reissue; the appellate committee closed gaps and applied the rules as written, even if there are perceived flaws.
He added: 'If the tournament is canceled, a different commercial dispute would arise, governed by the sponsors.'
He continued: 'If the Cup is revived, the same sponsorship terms would apply, and it would likely be held in Hong Kong unless the parties agree otherwise; if the sponsor insists, the case could reach the sports court.'
When Will a Verdict Arrive?
On timing, the expert said seven days are set to appoint arbitrators, then 48 hours for appeals, leaving six days to challenge the arbitrators for Al-Hilal's appeal.
Then, if the arbitrators remain unchanged, up to 60 more days are allowed for deliberation, as this is a standard arbitration, not an urgent one.
If a delay is requested, an additional 30 days may be added, meaning a ruling is unlikely before mid-January next year.
