Riyadh hosts the second edition of the SFS event, strengthening the dialogue between sport, business, and innovation.
The Social Football Summit (SFS) returns to Riyadh with the second edition of the SFS Saudi Edition, following the inaugural event held in January 2025, further strengthening the dialogue between Italy and Saudi Arabia through football, sports business, and innovation.
The event will take place on December 22, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. (KSA local time, GMT +3), followed by a light lunch, at the Radisson Blu Hotel – Riyadh Convention & Exhibition Center. The event will be held in English.
SFS Saudi Edition 2025 is organized by the SFS and Lega Calcio Serie A, and is developed in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Riyadh, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in Riyadh, the Ministry of Sports, and the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia.
Entitled “Italy and Saudi Arabia in Football: Beyond the Match”, SFS Saudi Edition 2025 will focus on strengthening cooperation in tourism, business, finance, and people-to-people exchanges, positioning football as a strategic platform for bilateral dialogue and long-term partnerships. Building on the success of the first Saudi edition, the event will once again bring together institutional representatives, league executives, industry leaders, businesses, and key stakeholders from both countries to explore the role of sport as a driver of economic growth, innovation, and cultural exchange, in line with Vision 2030.
The Summit will open with official greetings from Carlo Baldocci, Italian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Ezio Maria Simonelli, President of Lega Calcio Serie A; and Ghandourah Ghandourah, Deputy Minister of Sport for International Relations. The program includes high-level panels dedicated to the evolution of the fan experience, the transformative role of football, and the commercial and strategic opportunities associated with the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Speakers include Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Lega Calcio Serie A; Omar Mugharbel, CEO of the Saudi Pro League; as well as senior representatives from the Saudi Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Investment; Lega Calcio Serie A; SAFF (Saudi Arabia Football Federation); the Saudi Tourism Authority; and organizations and companies with specific interests in broadcasting and developing the football industry in Saudi Arabia, as well as C-level representatives from the Italian Super Cup finalists.
The event will also feature a Brand Ambassador and former Serie A legend, further underscoring the symbolic and cultural value of Italian football as a bridge between the two countries.
“Sport, and football in particular, represents an increasingly important pillar of relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia,” said Carlo Baldocci, Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. “Initiatives like the one organized in January and repeated now offer a valuable platform to promote dialogue, mutual understanding, and concrete cooperation between institutions, businesses, and communities, in line with the ‘sports diplomacy’ actively promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. We are delighted to have opened 2025 with sport and to close it with sport, also following the recent mission here to Riyadh by Vice President and Minister Tajani which focused strongly on this sector. We intend to strengthen our presence and the partnerships between Italian and Saudi stakeholders along one of the key pillars of Vision 2030.”
“Football has become a strategic platform for international cooperation, generating economic, cultural and social opportunities,” said Ezio Simonelli, President of Lega Serie A. “The partnership between Italy and Saudi Arabia is based on a shared long-term vision that goes beyond hosting major events, encompassing investment, infrastructure, innovation and skills development. Serie A is proud to be part of this journey.”
“Saudi Arabia is a key market for Serie A’s international expansion,” said Luigi De Siervo, CEO of Lega Serie A. “Events such as the Italian Super Cup, alongside high-level forums like SFS Saudi Edition, help deepen relationships, facilitate knowledge exchange and create sustainable long-term value for clubs, partners and fans in an increasingly global football landscape.”
A dedicated session will finally focus on the development of sports business and infrastructure, connecting Lega Calcio Serie A‘s experience with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, before concluding with a light networking lunch.
“With its second edition in Riyadh, the SFS Saudi Edition confirms its role as a bridge between international football ecosystems,” commented Gianfilippo Valentini, CEO of the Social Football Summit. “Our goal is to create a stable platform for discussion and collaboration, where football becomes a tool for innovation, economic growth, and exchange between people.”
SFS Saudi Edition 2025 represents a further milestone in the internationalization of the Social Football Summit, confirming its mission to connect the global football industry and generate value for institutions, companies, and communities through sport.
SFS Saudi Edition 2025 unites Italy and Saudi Arabia in football
Riyadh hosts the second edition of the SFS event, strengthening the dialogue between sport, business, and innovation. The Social Football Summit (SFS) returns to Riyadh with the second edition of the SFS Saudi Edition, following the inaugural event held in January 2025, further strengthening the dialogue between Italy and Saudi Arabia through football, sports business, and innovation. The event will take place on December 22, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. (KSA local time, GMT +3), followed by a light lunch, at
SFS Takes the Next Step: Riyadh Welcomes the 2nd Saudi Edition
The SFS expands its international footprint with the launch of SFS Saudi Edition, scheduled for 22 December 2025 in Riyadh Following the extraordinary success of SFS25 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin in November, the international platform dedicated to innovation, business and culture in football strengthens its global presence with a new strategic appointment organised in partnership with Lega Serie A, and developed in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Riyadh and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA/ICE) Office in Riyadh, during the
Beyond Visibility: how sports sponsorships generate business
For years, their value was measured using traditional metrics like Gross Advertising Value (GAV), based on the quantity of exposure: how many people see the logo and for how long. Today, this approach is no longer sufficient. Sponsorships are not mere advertisements (or 'spots'): their impact depends on the quality of the exposure and fan perception. To demonstrate the true ROI, an integrated model is needed that combines visual data, brand insights, and purchasing behavior. In this article, we analyze
Mondial 2026, Trump and FIFA launch the fast track for ticket-holding fans
The American attorney Giorgio Polacco (Arce Immigration Law): “Faster appointments for the visa, but no automatic pass-through.” With the launch of the FIFA PASS, the new priority appointment booking system for visas ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the White House and FIFA promise shorter lines at consulates for ticket-holding fans. But what really changes for those who want to go to the United States to watch the matches? We discuss it with Giorgio Polacco, an American attorney at Arce Immigration
Geopolitics and Sport, the Report from the Allianz Stadium
Article written by Carlo Rombolà On Tuesday, November 18th, a debate on the geopolitics of football—a topic that is extremely interesting and multi-faceted—took place at the Global Stage of the Social Football Summit, held this year within the heart of the Juventus stadium. Moderated by Giulia Aloisio Rafaiani, the stage featured the voices of Francesca Petriccione (from Vada), Jakub Romaniuk, Valerio Mancini, and Carlo Rombolà. These professionals are interested in and work in the world of international relations and, naturally, football, albeit
Beyond the Screen: How Sport and Research Join Forces Against Hate Speech
Online hate speech has become a growing challenge in today’s digital world, and sport, with all its passion and visibility, often feels its impact most intensely. This shared concern brought together representatives from the FIA, the ATP, the Football Association, and Dublin City University at the 2025 Social Football Summit in a dedicated panel, where each offered insight into how their organisations are working to create safer and more respectful online spaces. The FIA opened the conversation by highlighting its collaborative
Valentini: Uniting expertise to design the future of the Football Industry
“The football industry can evolve only through concrete collaboration between clubs, federations, leagues, institutions and companies — especially those leading innovation processes. The growth of the sector depends on the ability to combine skills, visions and resources to build a truly competitive and sustainable ecosystem. At Allianz Stadium in Turin, the centrality of cooperation emerged clearly, along with the vitality of a transforming ecosystem and the awareness that innovation and sustainability are no longer future perspectives, but operational priorities and shared
Allianz Stadium in Turin Becomes the Global Capital of the Football Industry for Two Days
The eighth edition of SFS – Social Football Summit, the main event organized in Italy dedicated to the international football industry, has concluded. For the first time, the Summit took place in Turin, hosted at the Allianz Stadium, registering exceptional participation from industry professionals, clubs, sports institutions, companies, and media, with over 3,000 attendees, more than 50 panels, over 150 speakers, and 60 partner companies. The 2025 edition confirmed the Summit's role as a platform for innovation, networking, and training in
Multi-Club Ownership in Football: Rules, Risks and the Future of Investment in the Global Football Industry
On the afternoon of Day 2 on the Global Stage, a panel was held focusing on investment in football through multi-club ownership models. The session, moderated by Lucas Ferrer, Partner at Statim Legal, featured contributions from Jan Kleiner, Director of Football Regulatory, FIFA, Lina Souloukoulu, CEO of Nottingham Forest FC and Marcos Motta, Partner, Bichara e Motta Attorneys at Law). Jan Kleiner opened the discussion by outlining FIFA’s position on the growing phenomenon of multi-club ownership, in which financial groups control
Sustainability, Talent, and Infrastructure: Serie BKT Between Financial Challenges and Product Appeal
During SFS 25, the panel dedicated to Sustainability, Talent Development, and Infrastructure unveiled the economic and structural dynamics of Serie BKT, highlighting critical issues alongside unique opportunities. The speech by Paolo Bedin, President of Lega Serie BKT, interviewed by Andrea Sartori, CEO of Football Benchmark and independent advisor to Lega B, provided a lucid overview of the need for a strategic shift for the entire football system and the Italian second division. The financial challenge: economic data Bedin opened the debate by