Honestly, trying to figure out the schedule on a Tuesday in mid-January is kinda like solving a puzzle with half the pieces under the couch. We’re in that weird, transitional week where the NFL is catching its breath between the Wild Card chaos and the Divisional Round, while European soccer is absolutely redlining with cup matches.
If you’re looking for a massive NFL primetime game tonight, January 13, 2026, I’ve got some bad news. You won’t find one. We just wrapped up a wild Monday night where the Houston Texans basically dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 to close out the opening round. Now, the league goes dark for a few days before the Buffalo Bills travel to Denver this coming Saturday.
But don't toss the remote yet.
If you expand your definition of "football" to the global stage—or what the rest of the world calls the beautiful game—the schedule is actually pretty stacked. We’ve got heavyweight clashes in the EFL Cup, a massive Bundesliga slate, and high-stakes knockout rounds in Spain and Italy.
The Big Match: Newcastle vs. Manchester City
The undisputed headliner tonight is the EFL Cup semi-final first leg. Newcastle United hosts Manchester City at St. James' Park. Kickoff is set for 8:00 PM local time (3:00 PM ET for those of us on this side of the pond).
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This isn't just a mid-week filler. City is chasing yet another trophy, but Newcastle at home is a different beast entirely. It’s loud, it’s cold, and the Magpies are desperate for some silverware to justify that massive investment over the last few years. If you’re looking for high-level tactical drama, this is where you park yourself.
European Cup Tussles: From Madrid to Rome
While England is busy with the League Cup, the rest of the continent is deep into their own domestic trophies. It’s a "survive and advance" kind of Tuesday.
- Copa del Rey (Spain): We have three big ones in the Round of 16. Atletico Madrid is traveling to face Deportivo La Coruna. At the same time, Real Sociedad takes on Osasuna, and Athletic Club is playing away against Cultural Leonesa. These 8:00 PM CET (2:00 PM ET) starts are usually when the "giant killings" happen in Spanish football.
- Coppa Italia (Italy): Over in Rome, AS Roma is hosting Torino in their own Round of 16 clash. Roma under the lights at the Olimpico is always a vibe, even if the Coppa isn't always their top priority.
- Coupe de France: Even the French are getting in on the action with Marseille taking on Bayeux.
The Bundesliga Mid-Week Sprint
Germany doesn't usually do Tuesday league games unless the schedule is tight, but tonight we’ve got a full-blown Bundesliga Tuesday.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Werder Bremen is the pick of the litter. Dortmund’s "Yellow Wall" will be rocking at 7:30 PM local time. If you want goals, this is usually the safe bet. Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen—still trying to maintain that aura of invincibility—is away at Hamburger SV, while Stuttgart hosts Eintracht Frankfurt. It’s basically a Saturday afternoon schedule shoved into a Tuesday night.
Why There’s No American Football Tonight
It’s easy to get confused because the NFL has been experimenting so much with the calendar lately. We’ve had Black Friday games, Saturday triple-headers, and the usual Monday Night Football.
However, the "Super Wild Card Weekend" is designed to end on Monday. The players need a minimum of four days of recovery before the Divisional Round starts on Saturday, January 17. If they played tonight, the turnaround for a Saturday playoff game would be physically impossible.
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College football fans are also out of luck. The National Championship was yesterday. The season is officially over. We are now entering the long, dark tunnel of the offseason where we mostly just talk about the transfer portal and spring practice reports.
What to Watch and How to Find It
If you’re looking for a quick breakdown of where to point the TV, here’s the gist of the evening:
- For the best atmosphere: Newcastle vs. Man City (EFL Cup).
- For pure technical skill: Atletico Madrid or Real Sociedad (Copa del Rey).
- For high-scoring chaos: Dortmund vs. Werder Bremen (Bundesliga).
- For the underdog story: Bayeux vs. Marseille (Coupe de France).
Basically, if you can get past the lack of a pigskin on the field, there's plenty of "football" to go around. Just make sure your streaming subscriptions are current, because these mid-week cup games are scattered across half a dozen different platforms like ESPN+, Paramount+, and Peacock.
Check your local listings for the exact channel, but generally, the European stuff kicks off between 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM ET. If you’re watching from the West Coast, you might actually need to "work" from home this morning to catch the second half of the Bundesliga games.
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Keep an eye on the injury reports for Man City before kickoff. Word is they might rotate a few players, which could give Newcastle the opening they need to take a lead into the second leg.
Stick to the international streams for the most consistent coverage tonight.