Top games to watch this week
Friday
Trinidad and Tobago vs Guadeloupe (CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualifiers)
Martinique vs St. Lucia (CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualifiers)
Curacao vs St Kitts and Nevis (CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualifiers)
Malta vs England (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Gibraltar vs France (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Denmark vs N. Ireland (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Korea Republic vs Peru (Friendly)
Poland vs Germany (Friendly)
Colombia vs Iraq (Friendly)
Australia vs Panama (Toulon Tournament)
France vs Mexico (Toulon Tournament)
Saturday
French Guiana vs Sint Maarten (CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualifiers)
Suriname vs Puerto Rico (CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualifiers)
Guyana vs Grenada (CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualifiers)
Norway vs Scotland (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Belgium vs Austria (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Portugal vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Brazil vs Guinea (Friendly)
Ecuador vs Bolivia (Friendly)
New England vs Orlando City (MLS)
Sporting KC vs Los Angeles FC (MLS)
Nashville vs St. Louis City (MLS)
Sunday
Netherlands vs Italy (UEFA Nations League - Third-place match)
Croatia vs Spain (UEFA Nations League – Final)
Panama vs Mexico (CONCACAF Nations League - Third-place match)
Canada vs USMNT (CONCACAF Nations League – Final)
Monday
England vs North Macedonia (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
France vs Greece (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Turkey vs Wales (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Slovenia vs Denmark (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Indonesia vs Argentina (Friendly)
Tuesday
CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualification - Game 1
CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualification - Game 2
CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualification - Game 3
Moldova vs Poland (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Austria vs Sweden (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Estonia vs Belgium (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Iceland vs Portugal (UEFA Euro Qualifiers)
Japan vs Peru (Friendly)
Brazil vs Senegal (Friendly)
Ecuador vs Costa Rica (Friendly)
Bolivia vs Chile (Friendly)
Wednesday
Santos vs Corinthians (Brasileirao)
Fluminense vs Atlético Mineiro (Brasileirao)
Cincinnati vs Toronto FC (MLS)
Orlando City vs Philadelphia Union (MLS)
St Louis City vs Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Los Angeles FC vs Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Thursday
Vasco da Gama vs Goias (Brasileirao)
Coritiba vs Internacional (Brasileirao)
Cuiabá vs Botafogo (Brasileirao)
RB Bragantino vs Flamengo (Brasileirao)
River Plate vs Instituto (Primera División)
Godoy Cruz vs Boca Juniors (Primera División)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: June 5-11, 2023
The end of the 2022-23 season came last weekend with the game between Manchester City and Inter Milan, and while there will be national team matches all summer and a FIFA Women's World Cup ahead, the official end of club tournaments for this season took place at Ataturk Stadium.
Needless to say, the match that determined the winner of the UEFA Champions League gathered quite a bit of attention from fans across the country, and both the English and Spanish broadcasts had relevant numbers to discuss.
Luckily for audiences in the USA, there were other options to keep an eye on, and the third place in this ranking was also able to surpass one million average viewers. What some may have dismissed as just a friendly match ended up becoming the third most-watched soccer event in the past week.
Here are the top three most-watched games within the USA.
What are this week's must-watch games?
Sporting KC vs Los Angeles FC live this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on MLS Pass on TV
While club soccer has ended in Europe, the action continues in MLS, with a host of interesting games set to take place over the weekend, including LAFC's trip to Sporting Kansas City. The Black and Gold, who are only two points behind second-placed Seattle Sounders despite playing three fewer games, will want to keep up pace with Western Conference leaders St. Louis. Sporting KC, on the other hand, currently sit in the last of two Final series playoffs spots. However, the 9th-placed Wizards hold this spot only through a superior goal difference and will thus aim to beat LAFC to gain some breathing space over their nearest rivals.
Nashville vs St. Louis City live this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on MLS Pass on TV
The Western Conference leaders will lock horns with the Eastern Conference's second-placed club in what should be an exciting weekend showdown. St. Louis City, who currently are no.1 in the West, are only a point ahead second-placed Seattle Sounders while LAFC are only three points behind in third. However, despite their lovely form this season, the visitors have failed to win their last two games, losing at FC Dallas before drawing at home to LA Galaxy. Meanwhile, Nashville trail Eastern Conference leaders Cincinnati by a hefty eight points but have lost only once in their last 12 matches across all competitions.
Croatia face Spain in the UEFA Nations League final live this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET on FS1, VIX+, and fuboTV
The 2022/23 edition of the UEFA Nations League will come to an end this weekend. A new champion will be crowned on Sunday as Croatia and Spain look follow in the footsteps of Portugal and France in lifting this trophy. For Modric and Co., this final presents them with an opportunity to win a first major title for their nation. La Furia Roja, on the other hand, have enjoyed success before but are trophyless since their Euro 2012 victory. Will the 2010 World Cup champions end their 11-year drought or will Croatia finally overcome the final hurdle? Don't miss this showdown.
Although all of Europe's major leagues have now concluded, there are still plenty of games to follow, including even in Europe. For example, the leagues in Scandinavia, namely in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, are still in full swing, while over in North America, the NWSL season is fully underway with a very closely-contested title race that has seen the league leaders change several times already.
Here's all you need to know ahead of another week of women's soccer.
NWSL
Matchday 11 starts on Friday, June 9th, as San Diego Wave travel to face Racing Louisville. The Wave presently sit in second place on 19 points, only behind current league leaders Portland Thorns on goal difference, and given that their match will be the first of this round, could move into top spot.
Meanwhile, the Thorns will be wrapping up matchday 11 with a road game against Orlando Pride, who were beaten 2-0 by Houston Dash last time out. Elsewhere, Gotham FC, who started matchday 10 on top of the table, have slid into fourth place following their 1-0 defeat to San Diego last time out, but could technically re-claim top spot if they defeat the aforementioned Houston Dash on Sunday and Portland, San Diego, and Washington Spirit all fail to win their respective ties.
Washington Spirit, who dropped points in a one-all draw against Louisville, presently sit in third spot on 17 points and will aim to keep up pressure on the teams ahead of them in the table when they host floundering Angel City on Saturday. And OL Reign, who have slid to fifth, will seek to pick up a crucial victory when they welcome struggling Kansas City Current this weekend.
Damallsvenskan, Toppserien, and Elitedivisionen
In Scandinavia, the top leagues in women's soccer are all still in process, with ongoing title races in Sweden's Damallsvenskan, Denmark's Elitedivisionen, and Norway's Toppserien. In Sweden, BK Häcken have a narrow lead over the chasing pack, but will certainly fancy their chances at possibly pulling further ahead given they will be facing relegation-threatened Brommapojkarna. Over in Denmark, reigning champions HB Køge still continue to lead the way as they aim to win a third consecutive title, but will still be wary of Brøndby, who are the league's most decorated side with 12 titles to their name.
And in Norway, who changed their league format to have all 10 teams play each other three times (as opposed to having championship and playoff matches), Vålerenga hold a commanding lead over the chasing pack.
Didn't find your favorite women's league on this list? No worries, as this is just a highlight of some of the exciting games coming up this week. Make sure to check out our special women's soccer page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
Biggest stories of the week
Report: Saudi Arabian league tempts Neymar with massive offer
A couple of years ago, PSG seemed to be on top of the world by creating the trio that included Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Neymar. Now, the French side has seen Messi leave the club, Mbappé is about to follow suit, and Neymar could follow their footsteps thanks to a recent offer.
Reports coming in from Saudi Arabia hint that the Brazilian ace could be the next superstar in line to join the Saudi Pro League, as a mammoth offer could lure him to the league in similar fashion as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema did.
According to CBS and RMC, Al Hilal have presented an offer to Neymar, who would earn over $215M dollars per season in his new club, similar to CR7's wages. Added to that, PSG would be compensated with over $48M as a transfer fee.
Neymar's initial intention had him interested in signing for another European club, but his big wages made the search for a suitor almost impossible. Now, with this new bid, PSG could consider a transfer even if the amount they would get for his services is nowhere near what they paid to sign him off Barcelona. However, their desire to let the player go could be enough to cut their losses after six years since his arrival.
The Brazilian superstar is currently recovering from an ankle surgery, and while he is expected to be back in July, his inner circle would be keen on letting him know what will be the next step for his career. Will we see him joining Benzema and CR7 in the Saudi Pro League? We shall know in a matter of weeks.
All records set by Guardiola after first Champions League title with Man City
Pep Guardiola had his legacy questioned since he was not able to win a UEFA Champions League title without Lionel Messi. However, on Saturday, the Cityzens gave the Spaniard boss a chance to brag about his accomplishments and to earn quite a few records with the weekend win at Ataturk Stadium.
The English team's tactician led the club to their first-ever UEFA Champions League crown, and while the game was not as impressive as other iterations of his team, his players got the job done to keep the other half of Manchester celebrating.
Back to Guardiola's accomplishment, the former Bayern and Barcelona coach will now call himself taller than any other European coach in history, as he has led his teams to something no one in the world had done before: winning the treble on multiple occasions.
The list of trophies goes on and on for Guardiola, but this recent crown seems to have a better flavor after struggling so hard to earn it.
PSG and Kylian Mbappe enter into public war of words following the Frenchman's refusal to extend his deal
Things are getting ugly between Kylian Mbappe and PSG as the player and club have engaged in a public back-and-forth following the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner's decision to not extend his Parc des Princes past 2024.
The French sensation signed a three-year deal with the Ligue 1 champions back in 2022 but it was later revealed that the third year was an option only Kylian could exercise, meaning he had only two mandatory years to serve at the Parc des Princes.
And now, the highly-rated attacker wrote a letter to his employers informing them that he will not be activating this one-year extension clause, which means he could leave PSG for free in 12 months. Les Parisiens are said to be angered by this decision, and for two key reasons, and are now plotting to sell the former Monaco ace this summer.
The reasons behind PSG's anger stem from this story leaking to the press, with Mbappe's camp allegedly informing L'Equipe of his decision prior to letting the club know. Additionally, the deadline date for that one-year extension clause is July 31, which means this announcement was unnecessarily early, which caught the Ligue 1 champions off guard.
However, Mbappe has gone public with his side of the story. The 24-year-old refuted the claim that he caught his club off guard, telling AFP that he had never entered into contract negotiations and that he informed the board of his intention to leave in 2024 way back on July 15th, 2022.
The player also added that his letter to the PSG board was simply to reiterate his decision to leave the French capital in a year's time. Additionally, Mbappe quote retweeted an article from Le Parisien which claims the attacker is eyeing a move to Real Madrid this summer. Kylian labelled this story a lie, tweeting that he is currently happy at the Parc des Princes and intends on playing there next season and honoring his contract.
However, PSG have hit back at Mbappe's narrative. As revealed by Tariq Panja of the New York Times, a spokesperson at the club refuted the 24-year-old's claim, revealing that the World Cup winner was indeed in contract negotiations with the French giants prior to this bombshell.
"It is emphatically untrue to say Mbappe's team have not been involved in renewal discussions," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Kylian's desire to stay at the Parc des Princes next season might not be seen as a positive as it would allow him to leave the club for nothing in a year, which Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Co. are keen to avoid. One interesting aspect is Real Madrid and their ability to sign the deadly forward this summer.
The Spanish giants have agreed a deal for Jude Bellingham worth just over $110M, leading many to question whether Los Blancos can sanction another $100M+ deal this window. Mbappe's desire to see out his contract in Paris means that Real Madrid can still get their man, albeit after 12 months, without breaking the bank.
Dortmund, Bayern Munich apparently threatening to leave Bundesliga
Given the bitter rivalry between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, it is truly a rare occurrence when the two teams actually agree on something.
However, die Roten and die Schwarzgelben, who were locked in an intense battle for the 2022/23 Bundesliga title earlier this season, have come together following some surprising developments in Germany. In May, it was reported that several private equity entities had wanted to invest in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga, only to be rejected many of the 36 members that make up the DFL.
Many of the clubs that rejected this were smaller teams, while by contrast Borussia Dortmund were clearly in favor of it based on statements made by CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, who noted that "The majority of the clubs voted in favor of the project, but it was four votes less than the two-thirds majority desired by the DFL executive committee".
Fast-forward a few weeks later, and now there have been new reports of more rumblings taking place in Germany. In addition to Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich have also been vocal about their displeasure in the DFL voting against outside investment. Both teams have opted to skip a crucial media-related meeting which was to focus on media rights for both the Bundesliga and the 2.Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are apparently keen on exploring new options regarding TV rights and corresponding revenues, leading some to speculate that two of Germany's biggest clubs are keen on eventually breaking away from the Bundesliga entirely. This is quite similar to what happened in England back in the early 1990's, when several clubs banded together to form the Premier League as they were tired of having to remain tied to smaller, less profitable clubs and thus sharing the corresponding TV rights revenues.
Of course, Bayern and Dortmund will need more than just themselves to make a serious case for forming a different league. Currently, there are 36 teams in both the Bundesliga and the 2.Bundesliga. Will German football fans see the formation of a new competition, over 30 years after 22 clubs in England decided to create what is now known as the Premier League today?
Only time will tell, but it could shape up to be a very interesting summer for fans of German soccer.
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
New era at Real Madrid begins with Vinicius' new jersey number
Fans tend to favor the top players by becoming their fans and wearing a jersey of their favorite team with their number printed on them, and Real Madrid fans who have come to love Vinicius will have to make a major change if they want to wear one with his name and number starting next season.
The club announced today their shirt list for next season with four major gaps in it. The coveted number 9 (which belonged to Karim Benzema), number 14 (not used last season), number 21 (last used by Rodrygo), and number 24 (previously worn by Mariano) are the numbers that do not have an owner prior to the start of their new campaign. But why did Rodrygo change his number? The club gave him and Vinicius a major upgrade.
Both Brazilian players are seen as key to the team's future, and to honor that, the duo was presented with the chance to select a new number. Rodrygo left number 21 behind and chose the mythical number eleven, which belonged to players such as Arjen Robben or Gareth Bale. But if Rodrygo chose one of the top numbers out there, Vinicius Jr. took it a step further by claiming the no.7 jersey, which once belonged to Los Blancos' all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
When Pep Guardiola will leave Man City has been revealed following the Premier League giants' treble
It has only a few days since Manchester City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League final to not only win their first European Cup but also join Manchester United as the only English clubs to have won the illustrious treble – the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup. However, a worrying update on Pep Guardiola's future has been revealed.
According to the Guardian, Pep will only remain with Manchester City for another two years before leaving the Etihad Stadium when his current contract ends in the summer of 2025. That will take his time with the Manchester giants to nine-years.
The report from the reliable British news outlet claims that Guardiola has "all but decided" to leave at the end of his current deal, which he signed back in November. This means Haaland and Co. will have two more seasons with the Spaniard before bidding farewell to one of the most dominant managers the Premier League has ever seen.
Jose Mourinho makes final decision on future after receiving massive offer
The ongoing summer transfer window has brought a lot of temptations for some of the biggest names in soccer, and Jose Mourinho recently joined those to be offered big deals to join the Saudi Arabian league.
According to reports by the Corriere Dello Sport, the Portuguese coach had a meeting with representatives for Al Ahli in London, who offered him a massive deal to leave the giallorossi and become not only Al Ahli's boss, but also an ambassador for Arabian football.
The Italian media outlet revealed that there could be more discussions about this in coming weeks, but it also added that even if those numbers are tempting, Mourinho will stick to his word and see the end of his current deal with Roma...or even more.
