From Türkiye to Brazil 

©TM/IMAGO

Football never sleeps, and with the end of the Holiday Season, we are returning to our five games to watch feature. The weekend offers a massive slate of exciting games across two continents. This weekend, we will see massive derbies in Istanbul and Paris, a title clash in Italy, an intriguing game in Türkiye, and FA Cup clashes in England. In other words, there are once again exciting games to watch across the globe, and with the expertise of our global team, Transfermarkt takes you around the world to highlight five games you should watch this weekend.

Are you going to any of the games in person? If you do, then register as a user now and use our Groundhopping Tool to log your matchday experience and uncover some cool stats!

Sinan Yener (Transfermarkt Content Manager Türkiye):

This Saturday, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray will face off in the Turkish Super Cup. The match will be played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, which has a capacity of 77,563. Over 35,000 Fenerbahçe fans and 35,000 Galatasaray fans are expected to be in the stadium. Because of the Africa Cup of Nations, goal scorers like Victor Osimhen and Youssef En-Nesyri will not play. Instead, Mauro Icardi and Jhon Durán will be on the field. The total squad value of Galatasaray is about €287m, while Fenerbahçe’s squad is worth around €275m. Together, the two teams are worth almost €600m.

This derby looks like a battle of former Premier League players, as both teams have many players who played in the Premier League. For Galatasaray, the in-form Germany national team player Leroy Sané will be very dangerous in attack together with Icardi, Barış Alper Yılmaz, and Yunus Akgün. In midfield, former Premier League players İlkay Gündoğan, Mario Lemina, and Lucas Torreira will play. In defense, Davinson Sánchez will be an important name. Fenerbahçe also has many well-known Premier League players. Along with striker Durán, players like Marco Asensio, Edson Álvarez, and goalkeeper Ederson will play in this match. At match time, life in Turkey will almost stop, and all eyes will be on who wins the Turkish Super Cup. This cup is very important for both teams to gain confidence and start the second half of the season with motivation.

Galatasaray, who have won the Turkish league in the last three seasons and also won the Turkish Cup, want to add another trophy to their museum. Fenerbahçe, on the other hand, have not won the league or the Super Cup for almost 10 years. They only won the Turkish Cup in 2022. Under head coach Domenico Tedesco, Fenerbahçe will fight hard to give their fans a trophy. Galatasaray also has very important matches in January. After the Fenerbahçe derby, they will play against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, and in the last group match, they will face Manchester City away. Galatasaray want to get at least one point to qualify from the group. Fenerbahçe will also face Premier League club Aston Villa in the Europa League in the coming weeks. Because of this, the Turkish Super Cup match is expected to be a strong test before these big European games.

Paris Derby: PSG vs Paris FC

Ronan Caroff (Transfermarkt Area Manager France):

Before this season, there had been two derbies between Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC. Now it is getting two in eight days. PSG hosted PFC last Sunday to close out the first half of the Ligue 1 season. The title holders won the game 2-1, but despite the narrow result, PSG dominated Paris FC, who have the financial backing of the Arnault family and the Red Bull Group.

The situation from last Sunday hasn’t changed much, but PSG might rotate the squad quite a bit for the Coupe de France game. Both teams will be missing players due to the ongoing AFCON. Furthermore, the Champions League winners also played the Trophée des Champions (French Super Cup) against Olympique Marseille in Kuwait on Thursday.

With this extra travel, the favorites of this matchup might show up a bit more tired than their ambitious opponents, who will also be looking to disrupt their curse in the cup. Paris FC has never reached the final rounds since their only semi-final appearance in 1980.

This might be a good opportunity for Paris FC to beat their city rivals. PSG not only played a difficult game in Kuwait but is also about to play its final two games in the Champions League group stage. A cup game versus a weaker opponent on paper will surely be an opportunity to give some players a much-needed rest. With the likes of Ilan Kebbel at the AFCON, the player to watch for Paris FC is Willem Geubbels. With rotation at PSG likely, keep an eye on younger stars like Senny Mayulu.

Scudetto Clash: Inter Milan vs Napoli

Stefano Buonfino (Transfermarkt Area Manager Italy):

A rivalry that is exploding: for the second year in a row, Inter and Napoli are competing for the Scudetto, not without opponents this time, but this match could decide who will be in the lead at the end of the weekend.

Inter are looking to avenge their defeat at the Maradona stadium, and compared to the first leg, they have a new defensive line, with Manuel Akanji moved to the center, Yann Bisseck on the right, and Acerbi relegated to the bench. It remains to be seen whether this lineup will be confirmed in the head-to-head clash. In addition, they have Lautaro Martínez in fine form and the return of Marcus Thuram.

Napoli have found consistency and, above all, goals from Rasmus Højlund, who could be the new Azzurri striker after the sale of Victor Osimhen and Romelu Lukaku’s injury. And who knows if Antonio Conte will continue his verbal duel with Marotta and Lautaro…

Inter-Napoli is already shaping up to be a heated match in which it will be necessary to keep your nerves steady, something the Nerazzurri failed to do in the previous match this season, ending up conceding ground and victory to a Napoli with many absences but with a cynical approach. The hope is to see a game with lots of goals and not blocked by tactical calculations, but the proximity in the standings and the menace of AC Milan could invite caution.

Campeonato Paulista: Mirassol vs São Paulo

Marcos Watts (Area Manager Brazil):

As the 2026 season gets underway in Brazil, Mirassol and São Paulo meet in the opening round of the Campeonato Paulista in a clash defined by starkly different scenarios.

Fresh off what many described as a miraculous 2025 campaign, Mirassol enter the new season on unprecedented momentum. In their first-ever year in the Brazilian top flight, the club stunned the country by finishing 4th in the Brasileirão – a historic achievement that reshaped expectations around the club’s project. Now, however, comes the challenge of adapting to this ‘new reality’: preparing for a demanding calendar, Mirassol must navigate a transition period while managing one of the least valuable squads in Série A. Squad continuity is another concern: eight players have already departed, while seven new signings arrive tasked with maintaining the club’s competitive edge in a whole different level.

On the opposite side stands São Paulo, beginning 2026 amid deep institutional turbulence. The club failed to challenge for titles in 2025 and, more damagingly, missed out on qualification for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. Off the pitch, instability has been even more pronounced: the club’s been dealing with financial issues since 2024 and have now been compounded by a major political crisis involving club president Julio Casares, leaving uncertainty around leadership, planning, and short-term ambitions.

This opening-round encounter goes far beyond a simple three points. For Mirassol, it represents an early test of sustainability — a chance to prove that last season’s success was not an anomaly, but the foundation of a new reality. For São Paulo, it’s an opportunity to seek order amid chaos and begin restoring credibility both on and off the pitch.

Ben Littlemore (Transfermarkt Content Manager England):

At League One club, Exeter City, the supporters’ trust is the club’s majority shareholder, but it’s tough times for the Devon-based side. This season, they have had to make two rounds of redundancies and required £600,000 in loans from the supporters’ trust to help stabilise finances. Their home ground also sustained about £100,000 of fire damage in November.

They were hoping to get a big name in the FA Cup draw as the money could be pivotal, and they managed to get seven-time FA Cup winners Man City. Exeter will take 8,000 fans to a sold-out Etihad Stadium. In the FA Cup, each club receives 45% of gate receipts, with the remaining 10% going to the FA. It’s estimated that ticket sales will generate between £250,000 and £400,000 for Exeter.

On Wednesday, Exeter’s supporters’ trust published a statement which said: “In recognition of Exeter City’s supporter-ownership model and the financial realities faced by fan-owned clubs, the club have written to Manchester City to ask whether they would consider voluntarily transferring a portion of their share of the gate receipts to Exeter City.” Man City have since said no, so there’s plenty of motivation for Exeter to get one over on Pep Guardiola’s juggernauts and stand up for football and fan ownership in the process.

Going to the game? Record it in the Groundhopping tool!

Ever wondered who the top scorer is in matches you have actually attended in person? Or how many stadiums you have actually been to? What about the win percentage of your team in games you’ve watched live? Or how many countries you have watched matches in? Well, don’t worry, Transfermarkt have you covered for all of this and more with our incredible Groundhopping tool. Register as a user now and become a part of the community.