If you’re waking up today, January 17, 2026, and your first thought is "who’s playing?", you’ve come to the right place. We are right in the thick of it. The NFL is hitting the Divisional Round, which is arguably the best weekend of the entire year for American football fans. Meanwhile, across the pond, the European leagues are in full swing with some massive derbies and title-race implications.
Honestly, it's a lot to keep track of. You’ve got Josh Allen taking the Bills into the thin air of Denver, and then you've got a bitter NFC West rivalry happening in Seattle. If you're more of a "round ball" football fan, the Manchester Derby just wrapped up or is still ringing in everyone's ears.
Let's break down the actual schedule so you don't miss a kickoff.
The NFL Divisional Round: Saturday Doubleheader
This is where the pretenders get sent home. Today marks the start of the second round of the NFL playoffs. We’ve moved past the Wild Card chaos and now the top seeds are finally getting onto the field.
Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS / Paramount+
The Denver Broncos secured the #1 seed in the AFC this year, which means the road to the Super Bowl goes through Empower Field at Mile High. It’s loud, it’s cold, and the air is thin. The Buffalo Bills are coming in as the #6 seed after a gritty Wild Card win.
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Watch the matchup between Josh Allen and the Broncos' secondary. Denver's defense has been a brick wall at home all season. If Buffalo can’t establish some sort of run game to keep the clock moving, Allen might find himself forced into risky throws late in the fourth quarter. It’s the classic "unstoppable force meets immovable object" scenario.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX / FOX One
This is the nightcap, and it’s a doozy. There is zero love lost between these two. The Seahawks earned the #1 seed in the NFC, while the 49ers had to claw their way through the Wild Card round as the #6 seed.
Lumen Field is going to be shaking. These divisional rivalries in the playoffs always feel a bit more violent, a bit more desperate. Keep an eye on the injury reports for the Niners' backfield; they’ve been banged up, and they’ll need every bit of explosive power to crack Seattle’s "Legion of Boom" revival.
European Soccer: A Loaded Saturday Slate
If you prefer the Premier League, La Liga, or Serie A, today is basically a marathon. Most of these games have already kicked off or finished depending on where you are in the world, but here is what the landscape looks like for the major leagues.
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Premier League Highlights
The English top flight had a massive Saturday. The headliner was undoubtedly the Manchester Derby, which kicked off early at 12:30 p.m. local time.
- Manchester United vs. Manchester City: The battle for the city usually dictates the mood of the entire country for the next week.
- Liverpool vs. Burnley: Anfield was the site for a clash of styles.
- Tottenham vs. West Ham: A London derby that always brings out the yellow cards.
- Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal: The late kick-off (5:30 p.m. GMT) saw the Gunners trying to keep their title hopes alive in a hostile City Ground environment.
La Liga: Real Madrid at the Bernabéu
Real Madrid took on Levante today. Under the management of Alvaro Arbeloa, Madrid has been leaning heavily on youth and pace. It wasn't expected to be a close game, but in La Liga, the smaller teams have a habit of sitting deep and frustrating the giants.
Elsewhere in Spain, we saw:
- Real Betis vs. Villarreal (A huge battle for European spots)
- Mallorca vs. Athletic Club
- Osasuna vs. Real Oviedo
Serie A and Bundesliga
In Italy, the big story was Inter Milan traveling to face Udinese. Inter is trying to run away with the Scudetto again, and these away fixtures are the "trap games" that usually trip them up. Later in the evening, Juventus faced a tricky trip to Cagliari.
In Germany, the Bundesliga gave us a massive showdown: RB Leipzig vs. Bayern Munich. This has become the new "Klassiker" in many ways, with Leipzig constantly trying to prove they belong at the very top of the food chain.
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Why Today Matters So Much
You might think it's just another Saturday, but January 17 is actually a pivot point for the 2025-2026 sports calendar.
In the NFL, the Divisional Round is statistically the most "upset-prone" weekend. The #1 seeds are coming off a bye week. Sometimes they are rested; sometimes they are rusty. If Denver or Seattle falls today, the entire bracket gets turned upside down.
In Europe, we are in the "winter grind." This is when depth is tested. Teams are dealing with fatigue, small injuries, and the pressure of the mid-season table. A loss for Arsenal or Manchester City today could be the difference between a trophy in May and a "what if" season.
How to Watch and Follow Along
If you're trying to catch the NFL games, make sure your Paramount+ and FOX Sports apps are updated.
For soccer fans in the States, Peacock remains the go-to for the Premier League, while ESPN+ handles the bulk of La Liga and the Bundesliga. If you’re looking for Serie A, check Paramount+.
Basically, just keep your remote close and your snacks closer.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the Weather: If you're betting on the Bills/Broncos game, check the wind speeds in Denver; it’s looking like a factor that could limit the deep passing game.
- Sync Your Calendar: The NFL games today are at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Set those alerts now.
- Monitor the Live Tables: Use an app like FotMob or OneFootball to track the live Premier League table, as the goal difference is becoming a massive factor in the title race.