Derry will welcome top-ranked international table football teams this weekend for a two-day Federation International of Sports Table Football (FISTF) Grand Prix.

The event, hosted by Derry City Football Table Club at the Nerve Centre, marks an expansion from the club’s regular International Open competition. It runs Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 10.30am.

Among the visiting sides are Barcelona FT and Bormla of Malta, the team ranked number one globally for the past three years. Oisín Mac Eo, a club member and competitor, said the Maltese outfit operates as a semi-professional table football team, with players regularly nominated for sports personality awards.

Other European teams making the trip include Hanover and Yorkshire. The weekend splits into an individual tournament on Saturday and a team competition on Sunday. In Sunday’s draw, Derry A faces Bormla and Hanover, while Derry B meets Barcelona, Yorkshire, and IPL.

The individual event will feature world number five George Ebejer, also from Malta. Mac Eo noted that the public is welcome to attend and watch, as long as play is not disrupted.