The “played for both clubs” football game, explained
Each square in a football grid crosses two clubs, or a club and a country, and you name one player who played for both; any past club counts, not just the current one. In Nadirball every correct name scores the share of players who picked it that day, so a rare right answer beats the obvious one.
Updated · The Open Apps, Inc.
How to find a player who played for both
- Start from the smaller club. Fewer players have worn its shirt, so the list in your head is shorter.
- Think about the transfer routes. Turkish clubs have signed many players from the Premier League and Bundesliga late in their careers, and sent players the other way.
- For a country square, think wider. A player who represented that country at any age level, or holds its citizenship, counts.
- Type the name. Accents are optional and a well-known surname is enough (“Podolski”). A first name alone asks for the full name and doesn't use a guess.
- Pick the less famous one. If you know two right answers, give the one fewer people will think of: it scores lower, and lower wins.
How many players connect Turkey's big four
Players who played for both clubs, by Wikidata's club histories in Nadirball's index (updated as the index refreshes). A big number means many right answers, and a hard square to score rare on.
| Clubs | Players who played for both |
|---|---|
| Galatasaray × Fenerbahçe | 63 |
| Galatasaray × Beşiktaş | 33 |
| Galatasaray × Trabzonspor | 31 |
| Fenerbahçe × Beşiktaş | 41 |
| Fenerbahçe × Trabzonspor | 28 |
| Beşiktaş × Trabzonspor | 30 |
Ways to play the “both clubs” game
The same question works as a daily puzzle, a race or a pub game.
| Nadirball | Ortak Oyuncu | Futbolle's Futbol Grid | With friends, no app | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Nine squares a day; name one player per square | Two players race to name the shared player | Nine squares a day | Someone names two clubs; first to name a player who played for both wins |
| Scoring | Rarity: the share of players who gave your answer | First right answer wins; three wrong answers end the round | Not stated on its site | Whatever your group agrees |
| Who checks answers | Nadirball, against Wikidata | The site | The site | You argue it out |
Checked on each site on 14 October 2026.
Use it in ChatGPT
Nadirball Football Grid is a ChatGPT plugin. Type one of these:
- “Let's play today's Nadirball grid”
- “Podolski for Galatasaray and Arsenal”
- “I'm done, show me the answers”
Coming soon to ChatGPTHow it works in ChatGPT
Questions
- Who played for both Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe?
- Wikidata lists 63 players who played for both, which is why that square is hard to score rare on. Nadirball shows each square's most-picked and rarest answers once you finish a grid.
- Does any past club count?
- Yes. Nadirball counts every club in the player's Wikidata history, not just the current one.
- What if my right answer is rejected?
- Wikidata can miss a spell. Report it from the grid: a person checks it, and if you were right your guess turns correct.
- Is a wrong name a wasted guess?
- Only if it's a real player who doesn't fit. A name Nadirball doesn't know, a repeat, or a player already on your board uses no guess.