Why There’s No Extra Time in the UEFA Super Cup (And Why It Goes Straight to Penalties)
If you watched the 2025 UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Tottenham, you probably noticed something unusual. The match ended 2-2 in normal time… and then bam, straight to penalties. No extra 30 minutes. No dragging legs. Just straight to the shootout.
So why does the UEFA Super Cup break football tradition and skip extra time?
The Quick Answer: It’s All About the Format
The UEFA Super Cup is a one-off match played between the Champions League winner and the Europa League winner (and now sometimes the Europa Conference League winner). It’s held in August, just before most domestic seasons kick into full gear.
Extra time is usually saved for high-stakes knockout finals like the World Cup or Champions League final, games that are meant to be a full 120-minute battle. But the Super Cup? It’s more of a showcase match than a gruelling endurance test.
The Main Reasons UEFA Skips Extra Time
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Player Fatigue
Most players are fresh off summer tournaments, pre-season tours, or a short break. Throwing in an extra 30 minutes in August isn’t ideal for bodies that are still finding match sharpness.
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Fixture Congestion
The European football calendar is already jam-packed. Adding extra time could push games too late, especially when teams need to travel and jump straight into league matches that weekend.
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Logistics & Broadcasting
The Super Cup is often played midweek in a neutral city. Broadcasters (and fans in different time zones) love a fixed finish time, penalties deliver that.
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Quick Showcase, Not a Marathon
The Super Cup is more of a curtain-raiser than a season-defining battle. A penalty shootout keeps the drama without turning it into a stamina test.
But Didn’t the Super Cup Used to Have Extra Time?
Yes, before 2013, the match followed the traditional format: 90 minutes, then 30 minutes of extra time, then penalties if needed. UEFA tweaked the rules to protect players and make the match more TV-friendly.
The Bottom Line
The UEFA Super Cup skips extra time because it’s designed to be a fast, exciting, and not-too-draining season opener. You still get the tension, you still get the drama, you just get it in 90 minutes and a shootout.
So, next time the Super Cup goes straight to penalties, remember: it’s not laziness, it’s logistics.
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