The five best football matches to watch this weekend, including AFCON quarter-finals, the FA Cup third round, and El Clásico.
Five must-see fixtures this weekend:
Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace
This weekend marks the FA Cup third round, featuring England’s top clubs. Macclesfield, a non-league team, is making a comeback in the sixth tier after being reformed in 2020. They will host defending champions Crystal Palace at Moss Rose.
Palace surprised everyone in last year’s final against Manchester City, but they are favorites this time around.
Winners once. Holders still.
We are Crystal Palace.Introducing the limited-edition @EmiratesFACup Winners’ Ball for our match against Macclesfield 🤌 pic.twitter.com/hhz38EthDz
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 8, 2026
Will John Rooney, brother of Wayne, lead Macclesfield to an upset?
Spice Rating: Mild 🌶
Egypt vs Ivory Coast
In the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, Egypt will clash with holders Ivory Coast on Saturday evening. Egypt recently defeated Benin in extra time, with Mohamed Salah scoring his third goal of the tournament.
Salah aims for his first AFCON title, but Ivory Coast is showing strong form, driven by Manchester United‘s Amad Diallo.
Egypt will face Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations 🇪🇬🇨🇮 pic.twitter.com/rvs13g6ZiQ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 6, 2026
Spice Rating: Medium 🌶🌶
Algeria vs Nigeria
Another exciting match in AFCON sees Algeria take on Nigeria, both teams unbeaten so far. Riyad Mahrez has scored three goals for Algeria, while a late goal from Adil Boulbina saved them from penalties against DR Congo.
🇩🇿 Algeria vs. Nigeria 🇳🇬
Looking forward to this AFCON quarter-final 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/xoCCvLPWUo
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 6, 2026
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are in great form, contributing to a 4-0 win over Mozambique in the Round of 16. Nigeria seeks their first AFCON title since 2013 after a disappointing World Cup.
Spice Rating: Hot 🌶🌶🌶
Inter Milan vs Napoli
Inter Milan faces Napoli in Serie A, which could significantly impact the title race. Inter leads the standings, coming off six consecutive wins, including a 2-0 victory against Parma. However, they are still wary after a previous defeat to Napoli this season.
How will this match unfold?
Spice Rating: Fire 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
El Clásico, a highlight of the European football calendar, returns as Barcelona and Real Madrid meet for the Spanish Super Cup after winning their semi-finals in Saudi Arabia.
This match will decide the first trophy of the Spanish season.
𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐋 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 😍
On Sunday, Barcelona 🆚 Real Madrid for the Spanish Super Cup trophy 🏆🇪🇸
𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗧 𝗢𝗡! 🥵 pic.twitter.com/bry9afHi4o
— 433 (@433) January 8, 2026
Spice Rating: Insane 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
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