Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr are set for a well-deserved winter break. Fans of Al Alami will have to wait until February to watch their favorite names back on the pitch. However, that doesn’t mean that Al-Awwal Park will be short of soccer action. The iconic stadium is set to host some huge fixtures, including the likes of the Italian & Spanish Super Cup finals. If lucky, fans could even witness an El-Clasico!

The SPL is currently on a 6-week break as a result of the prestigious AFC Asian Cup, a 24-team international tournament. This paves the way for clubs around the world to play friendly matches and tournaments in the country. This time, it is far more interesting than usual.

Al-Awwal Park, Cristiano Ronaldo’s home ground set for a busy month

Al-Awwal Park is set for a busy January with key fixtures lined up. Incidentally, one of the matches involves their rivals-Al Shabab. The occasion is Al Shabab’s diamond jubilee celebrations, as a result of which they will be playing against AS Roma on January 24. Fans will be excited to watch the ‘Special One’ and his team, but it is the other fixtures that will be leaving them licking their lips. The Spanish Super Cup semi-final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid is scheduled for January 10. However, that’s not the end of it.

If Real Madrid, does end up victorious, they could face off against FC Barcelona in the final on January 15. Likewise, the Italian Super Cup scheduled from January 18-22 will also have 2 matches at the stadium. With Inter Milan, Napoli, Lazio, and Fiorentina in the running, fans can expect an exhilarating showdown. Besides providing great soccer, the upcoming matches serve a far more important purpose. Especially, considering that Saudi Arabia is hosting the 2034 World Cup.

A prelude to far more important matches?

The 25,000-seater has hosted its fair share of important matches previously, like the Maradona Cup, 2019 Italian Super Cup, etc. However, none of them were matches of this scale. Hence, if everything goes smoothly and results in good turnouts, it will definitely benefit the country as a whole which is trying to establish a soccer legacy. Especially, after all the previous talks on human-rights violations in Saudi.

Read More: FIFA Silences Saudi Minister’s ‘Friendly Tournament’ Claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Winning the Arab Club Champions Cup

Right now FIFA has a criteria that a World Cup stadium should have a minimum capacity of 40,000. Al Awwal Park does not meet that figure. Hence, the upcoming month is crucial as it could potentially alter FIFA’s stance. On the other hand, even a stadium renovation might be on the cards in the coming years, considering the prestigious tournament is only a decade away.

Which match are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below.

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