Top games to watch this week
Friday
Japan vs Sweden (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Burnley vs Manchester City (English Premier League)
Sevilla vs Valencia (La Liga)
Nice vs Lille (Ligue 1)
Sporting Braga vs Famalicao (Primeira Liga)
Philadelphia Union vs Querétaro (Leagues Cup)
Inter Miami vs Charlotte (Leagues Cup)
Nashville vs Minnesota United (Leagues Cup)
Los Angeles FC vs Monterrey (Leagues Cup)
Saturday
Australia vs France (FIFA Women's World Cup)
England vs Colombia (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Arsenal vs Nottingham (English Premier League)
Newcastle vs Aston Villa (English Premier League)
Athletic Club vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
Sporting CP vs Vizela (Primeira Liga)
Bayern vs RB Leipzig (DFL-Supercup)
Marseille vs Reims (Ligue 1)
PSG vs Lorient (Ligue 1)
Sunday
Brentford vs Tottenham (English Premier League)
Chelsea vs Liverpool (English Premier League)
Getafe vs Barcelona (La Liga)
Clermont vs Monaco (Ligue 1)
Strasbourg vs Lyon (Ligue 1)
Monday
Manchester United vs Wolves (English Premier League)
Cádiz vs Deportivo Alavés (La Liga)
Atlético Madrid vs Granada (La Liga)
Moreirense vs Porto (Primeira Liga)
Boavista vs Benfica (Primeira Liga)
Tuesday
FIFA Women's World Cup - Semifinal 1
Leagues Cup - Semifinal 1
Leagues Cup - Semifinal 2
Sparta Praha vs Kobenhavn (UEFA Champions League)
Dinamo Zagreb vs AEK (UEFA Champions League)
Galatasaray vs Olimpija (UEFA Champions League)
Sturm Graz vs PSV (UEFA Champions League)
Servette vs Rangers (UEFA Champions League)
Marseille vs Panathinaikos (UEFA Champions League)
Wednesday
FIFA Women's World Cup - Semifinal 2
Manchester City vs Sevilla (UEFA Super Cup)
QPR vs Norwich (Carabao Cup)
Thursday
Ludogorets vs Astana (UEFA Europa League)
BATE vs Sheriff (UEFA Europa League)
Genk vs Olympiakos (UEFA Europa League)
Nordsjaelland vs FCSB (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Besiktas vs Neftci (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Riga vs Twente (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Dynamo Kyiv vs Aris (UEFA Europa Conference League)
KA vs Club Brugge (UEFA Europa Conference League)
AZ vs Santa Coloma (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Hearts vs Rosenborg (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: July 31-August 6, 2023
The numbers are in, and for another week running, the FIFA Women's World Cup dominated the viewership numbers for soccer games in the USA, highlighting the ever-growing popularity of the women's game.
And to no one's surprise, the top two fixtures on the podium involved the USWNT. Sadly, the most-watched game just so happened to be the Stars and Stripes' defeat to Sweden in the round of 16, with the reigning champions crashing out on penalties after drawing nil-nil. Just over 2.5 million average viewers tuned in to FOX's coverage of this fixture, which sparked anger and heartbreak from their loyal fan base.
In second place was another USWNT game, this time their 0-0 group-stage draw with Portugal. Alex Morgan and Co. nearly conceded in stoppage time, which would have dumped them out of the competition, but fortunately survived that embarrassment. FOX once again benefited, with their coverage garnering 1.35 million average viewers and a viewership rating of 0.8.
Securing the clean sweep for FOX is Netherlands' 2-0 win over South Africa in the round of 16, with 1.3 million people tuning in for that clash. The 2019 runners-up booked their ticket to the quarterfinals, as expected, and will now aim to lift the trophy for the first time in history.
What are this week's must-watch games?
The 2023-24 Premier League seasons kicks off as Chelsea vs Liverpool and Man United vs Wolves headline Matchday 1
The wait is finally over! The Premier League, the world's most popular championship, is finally back, with the 2023-24 campaign kicking off this Friday with Manchester City's trip to Burnley at 3 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, Manchester's other heavyweights Manchester United will be in action on Monday, hosting Wolves at Old Trafford in a game that will see Mason Mount and Andre Onana make their Premier League debuts for their new club.
Arsenal, who beat Guardiola's side over the weekend in the Community Shield, take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday as they aim to improve on last season's performance while Tottenham, who are set to lose talisman forward Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, commence their campaign with a trip to Brentford. Both games will be aired exclusively on Peacock.
However, the standout game is Sunday's highly-anticipated showdown between Chelsea and Liverpool. The Blues will host Jurgen Klopp's men at Stamford Bridge at 11:30 a.m. on Peacock and having just lost the Moises Caicedo race to the Merseyside giants, the Blues will want to get revenge on the Reds on the pitch.
La Liga is finally back! 2023-24 Primera Division kicks off with Athletic Club vs Real Madrid and Getafe vs Barcelona leading the way
Premier League isn't the only major European league returning on Friday as the 2023-24 La Liga campaign commences on August 11 with Almeria vs Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla vs Valencia.
However, all eyes will be on the weekend action as Real Madrid take to the field on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET to face Athletic Club. Last season, Los Blancos missed out on the title after finishing 10 points behind Barcelona. It will be interesting to see whether the addition of Jude Bellingham will help offset the loss of goalscoring machine Karim Benzema.
Reigning champions Barcelona will also take to the field at 3:30 p.m. ET but on Sunday, with the Catalan giants visiting Getafe. Xavi's men beat their Clasico rivals in a heated preseason showdown in the USA and will hope to repeat that in this season's title race. Both games will be aired live in the USA on ESP+, ESPN Deportes, and the ESPN App.
France take on co-hosts Australia in stellar FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal this Saturday at 3 a.m. on FOX Network, FOX Sports App, Foxsports.com, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Peacock, UNIVERSO, and UNIVERSO NOW
The FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinals are underway. With the USWNT having crashed out, a new champion will be crowned. Two heavyweights will face off on Saturday as France prepare to do battle with Australia. Les Bleues, led by Kadidiatou Diani, thrashed Morocco 4-0 in the round of 16 to get here. Meanwhile, the co-hosts overcame Denmark 2-0 in a game that saw Sam Kerr make her much-awaited return. Do not miss this clash.
Other key games to watch: the 2023 DFL-Supercup and the Man City vs Sevilla UEFA Super Cup
Wrapping up our list are two non-league games. The first involves Bayern Munich, who face RB Leipzig this Saturday at 2:45 p.m. in the DFL-Supercup live on ESPN+. The Bavarians, who have reportedly agreed a deal for Harry Kane, do not kick off their Bundesliga title defense until next Friday and can focus on overcoming their bitter German rivals.
On Wednesday, Manchester City return to action, taking on Sevilla at 3 p.m. in the UEFA Super Cup live on Paramount+, TUDN USA, TUDN App, TUDN.com, Univision, Univision NOW, and ViX. While the Cityzens recently lost the Community Shield to Arsenal, denying Guardiola's men the opportunity to win the sextuple, Haaland and Co. can still add to last season's impressive treble. Can Sevilla, who beat Roma on penalties to lift the UEFA Europa League title, halt Pep's all-conquering side? Make sure to catch this game live.
Biggest stories of the week
Telemundo seals agreement to broadcast final stages of U.S. Open Cup
Spanish-speaking fans in the United States will be treated to one of the most interesting and anticipated definitions of the season in that country, as Telemundo and U.S. Soccer have signed a deal to see the final stages of the U.S. Open Cup being covered in Spanish by the network's linear channels and streaming platforms.
Telemundo's coverage of the competition will kick off on August 23 in an electric clash between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami. The Orange and Blue are the best team in the current MLS season, while Inter Miami are the hottest team in the U.S. thanks to Lionel Messi's arrival. Starting at 7 p.m. ET, this will be the first game to be covered by this deal, with Telemundo and Peacock airing and streaming the clash.
Hours later, the game between Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake will hand out the second ticket to the 2023 US Open Cup final. The clash is set to take place in Houston, with Universo and Peacock handling coverage of the game starting at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The teams that go through to the final will have to mark September 27 on their calendars, the date on which the title clash has been scheduled to be played. Peacock will be in charge of streaming the game live, while broadcast information for the game on Telemundo is set to be released at a later date.
Telemundo and its platforms ready to cover 2023-24 Premier League season
Once again, Spanish-language coverage of the Premier League will be handled by Telemundo in the United States, with the network and its sister platforms Universo and Peacock offering detailed coverage of one of the most anticipated seasons in the history of this tournament.
The first match of the year will include a meeting between two familiar faces, as Pep Guardiola's Manchester City prepare to lock horns against Burnley, who are coached by former Cityzen Vincent Kompany on Friday, August 11 at 3 p.m. ET via Universo and the Telemundo app.
Manchester City will want to get off to a great start in what will be their search for a sixth EPL title in the past seven seasons, which would include a record-breaking four in a row. Their first step in that path will see them face Burnley, who return to the English top flight after one season in the EFL Championship under Kompany, who played eleven seasons with the Sky Blues.
The 2023-24 season will feature on Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock with host Carlota Vizmanos leading the pre- and post-match shows, La Liga Premier: Extra and Tercer Tiempo. Telemundo will have eyes on all Hispanic players and managers with in-depth stories, reports, interviews, and more.
To help fans prepare for what will be a historic coverage, Telemundo has already shared its plans for the first month of action in the English top flight. Here is the list of games as scheduled by the Spanish-speaking network.
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Friday, August 11 - 3 p.m. Burnley v. Manchester City, on Universo
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Saturday, Aug. 12 - 12:30 p.m. Newcastle v. Aston Villa, on Universo
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Sunday, Aug. 13 - 11:30 a.m. Chelsea v. Liverpool, on Peacock
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Mon., Aug. 14 - 3 p.m. Manchester United v. Wolverhampton Wanderers, on Universo
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Saturday, Aug. 19 - 10 a.m. Liverpool v. Bournemouth, on Telemundo
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Saturday, Aug. 19 - 12:30 p.m. Tottenham v. Manchester United, on Telemundo
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Sunday, Aug. 20 - 11:30 a.m. West Ham v. Chelsea, on Telemundo
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Friday, Aug. 25 - 3 p.m. Chelsea v. Luton Town, on Peacock
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Saturday, Aug. 26 - 7:30 a.m. Bournemouth v. Tottenham, on Universo
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Saturday, Aug. 26 - 10 a.m. Arsenal v. Fulham, on Universo
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Saturday, Aug. 26 - 12:30 p.m. Brighton & Hove Albion v. West Ham, on Universo
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Sunday, Aug. 27 - 9 a.m. Sheffield United v. Manchester City, on Telemundo
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Sunday, Aug. 27 - 11:30 a.m. Newcastle v. Liverpool, on Telemundo
*All times Eastern.
Huge blow: Real Madrid superstar tears ACL in training just days before 2023-24 La Liga season kicks off
Real Madrid's hopes of reclaiming the Spanish top-flight title from Barcelona have taken a huge blow as one of their star players has suffered a major injury just days before the 2023-24 season kicks off.
That player is none other than Thibaut Courtois, regarded by many as one of the best goalkeepers in world football. The Belgian, who was named Man of the Match in the 2022 UEFA Champions League final which Los Blancos won, picked up this injury during training.
This incident leaked to the press, with COPE reporting that the Belgian shot-stopper left in tears following this gutting moment.
Then came the official confirmation from Real Madrid. Not only was this a knee injury, but this was also an ACL tear in his left knee, with Los Blancos announcing that the goalkeeper is now scheduled to undergo surgery after tests revealed the extent of this injury.
"Following tests carried out on Thibaut Courtois, the player has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee," the club wrote in an official statement. "The player will undergo surgery in the coming days."
And as later revealed by Fabrizio Romano, Ancelotti's side have now been forced to enter the market to sign a new goalkeeper. The first name being linked with Los Merengues is an obvious one and that is David de Gea, the Spanish goalie who came achingly close to moving to Santiago Bernabeu back in 2015.
The 32-year-old is no longer at the peak of his powers but he is a free agent after leaving Manchester United over the summer. A move to Saudi Arabia appeared to be on the horizon but that could change if Real Madrid make an offer.
While the 2023-24 La Liga season kicks off this Friday, Real Madrid's campaign commences on Saturday with their trip to Athletic Club. For a comprehensive preview of the upcoming Spanish top-flight season and where to watch the games lives, check out our detailed broadcast guide.
Man City eyeing $90M move for Premier League attacking midfielder following Community Shield defeat
Manchester City's recent Community Shield defeat to Arsenal highlighted the club's need for reinforcements. While the addition of Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol has been great, the Cityzens are yet to fill the void left by Ilkay Gundogan's departure to Barcelona.
As a result, Guardiola's side have identified one Premier League ace as the ideal man to bolster their team. That player is none other than Lucas Paqueta, the West Ham attacking midfielder who remains highly rated irrespective of his inconsistent debut season.
As revealed by Brazilian news outlet Globo, the treble winners reached out to the Hammers over the Selecao ace. The likes of Fabrizio Romano and the Athletic later corroborated this story, thus adding more weight to the report.
While Paqueta isn't a like-for-like replacement for Gundogan, the former Lyon ace can add quality in the final third from midfield, which is something that made Ilkay extremely valuable, especially during the business end of the season. However, the Premier League champions have run into a few roadblocks.
First of all, Manchester City were exploring a deal in the region of £70M (roughly $90M). However, that figure will not be accepted. The player has a £85M (approximately $108M) release clause but that does not come into effect until next summer.
Furthermore, Sky Sports report that the Hammers will not sell even if City were to match his release clause as they won't have enough time to sign a replacement ahead of the 2023-24 Premier League season, which kicks off this Friday.
Fortunately for the Cityzens, the player favors a move to the Etihad Stadium, and for obvious reasons. Despite West Ham's UEFA Europa Conference League success last term, the future looks bleak for David Moyes' side following the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
The London club have agreed deals for James Ward-Prowse and Manchester United center-back Harry Maguire but many predict another relegation battle on the horizon for West Ham.
Manchester City, on the other hand, recently won the treble and are one of the favorites — if not the favorites — for the Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles. While the club recently lost to Arsenal in the Community Shield, it was only due to a deflected equalizer deep into added time — though, the Gunners were the better team in the eyes of many.
Guardiola would ideally want a winger as well before the season starts following the exit of Riyad Mahrez, with Michael Olise and Jeremy Doku being targetted. However, City kick off their Premier League title defense this Friday away to Burnley live on USA Network and Universo, and will thus have to make do with what they got for the start of the campaign.
From hero to zero: England star Lauren James sent off for stamping on Nigerian player in FIFA Women's World Cup round of 16
England returned to action on Monday in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, taking on Nigeria in the round of 16. Unfortunately, a moment of madness from star attacker Lauren James left the Lionesses with a huge disadvantage in this crucial tie.
All eyes were on the Chelsea attacker and whether she could inspire her nation to reach the quarterfinals following her historical performance in England's 6-1 win over China.
Instead, the 21-year-old sensation disappointed her coach, teammates, and fans after being sent off for outrageously stamping on an opposition player. This occurred late in the second half, in the final few minutes of normal time, with James stepping on Michelle Alozie after fouling the defender.
This initially went unnoticed by the referee, but everyone knows nothing escapes VAR as the match official was called over to review the incident on the screen. After witnessing the replay, the result became obvious: Lauren was shown a straight red card which reduced Sarina Wiegman's side to 10 women.
Fortunately for the UEFA Women's Euro champions, this did not end up costing them. The Lionesses were unable to win but they held on until the end of extra time before triumphing on penalties.
However, this did not spare James from backlash on social media. Many slammed the FA Women's Super League sensation for losing her head, with some comparing this incident to David Beckham's in the 1998 men's FIFA World Cup quarterfinal vs. Argentina — the Three Lions went on to lose that game on penalties, however.
Furthermore, Lauren was at risk of missing the rest of the tournament had the FIFA disciplinary panel decided to increase her punishment to a three-game suspension. Fortunately, she was slapped with a two-game ban, meaning she can return for the final should the Lionesses make it all the way.
Bayern reach deal with Spurs to sign Kane: reports
Bayern Munich have reached an agreement to sign England captain Harry Kane from Tottenham, for a Bundesliga record fee of over 100 million euros ($110 million), reports said Thursday.
Talks between the two clubs had been ongoing for several weeks, as Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy pushed for a higher fee, aware that Kane could leave on a free at the end of his deal in 2024.
Bayern have reportedly submitted their final bid for the 30-year-old striker, breaking through the 100-million-euro barrier for the first time.
The Athletic reported the deal between the two clubs first, and was followed by Sky Sports and several other British and German media.
Six-time European champions Bayern have been historically more reluctant to spend big on transfer fees than many of their European rivals.
The reported figure of over 100 million euros well exceeds their club record transfer outlay of 80 million euros paid in 2019 for French defender Lucas Hernandez. Hernandez left Bayern for Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 for 45 million euros.
Bayern had been on the lookout for a striker since the departure of star forward Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Bayern won the Bundesliga in each of the Pole's eight seasons in Munich, with Lewandowski scoring 344 goals in 375 appearances.
The Bavarians struggled in Lewandowski's absence last season.
During his eight years in Munich, Lewandowski averaged 30 goals per season. In 2022-23, not one Bayern player hit the 15 league goal mark.
They were eliminated by eventual winners Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and won the Bundesliga title on goal difference after a final-day capitulation from Borussia Dortmund.
Kane has scored more than 20 league goals in all but three of the past nine Premier League seasons, winning the golden boot on three occasions.
Despite finishing second in last season's Premier League scoring charts behind Erling Haaland (36), Kane netted 30 league goals in 2022-23, equalling his best mark.
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
Netherlands striker Beerensteyn glad 'big-mouth' US out of World Cup
Netherlands forward Lineth Beerensteyn said Thursday she celebrated the United States crashing out of the Women's World Cup, saying the beaten holders had "a really big mouth".
The United States defeated the Dutch 2-0 in the final in 2019 but their bid for an unprecedented third World Cup title in a row ended on penalties to Sweden in the last 16.
"The first moment when I heard that they were out, I was just thinking, 'Yes! Bye!'
"Because from the start of this tournament they had already a really big mouth," Beerensteyn said on the eve of the Netherlands' quarter-final against Spain in Wellington.
"They were talking already about the final and stuff.
"I was just thinking: you first have to show it on the pitch before you are talking."
The US opened their World Cup defence with a 3-0 win over Vietnam but failed to win another game, including drawing 1-1 with the Netherlands in the group phase.
The Americans' exit in the last 16 was their worst performance ever at the World Cup.
"I am not being rude in that way. I mean, I have still a lot of respect for them, but now they are out of the tournament," added Beerensteyn.
"For them, it's a thing that they have to take with them in the future -- don't start to talk about something that's far away.
"I hope that they will learn from that."
UEFA postpones AEK Athens-Dinamo Zagreb match after fatal stabbing
A Greek football fan was fatally stabbed during a brawl near Athens between rival fans, leading UEFA to postponed Tuesday's match between Greek hosts AEK Athens and Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.
The fight broke out on Monday evening ahead of the UEFA Champions League third-round qualifying match between AEK and Dinamo at the Nea Filadelfeia stadium on the outskirts of the Greek capital.
The 29-year-old man died in hospital, police said on Tuesday. His age had initially been put at 22.
Seven people were being treated in hospital for injuries. The casualties included a minor admitted to hospital after being hit on the head by a stone, public television channel ERT said.
Police said they had arrested 98 people, 84 of them Croatians.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic telephoned his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, "to send his condolences and condemn the violence", the country's official news agency Hina reported.
UEFA condemned "in the strongest possible terms the appalling incidents" and expressed sympathy to the victim's family.
"Following yesterday's violence and in consultation with the local authorities, UEFA has decided that the conditions for the match between AEK Athens FC and GNK Dinamo to go ahead tonight are not met," UEFA said on Tuesday.
An alternative date will be found for the postponed match -- August 18 or 19 being the suggested possibilities.
Women's World Cup run on a par with Morocco's men in Qatar - coach
Morocco coach Reynald Pedros said Tuesday his team reaching the Women's World Cup last 16 was as impressive as the country's men getting to the semi-finals of the Qatar World Cup.
Their run ended with a 4-0 loss to France in Adelaide but Morocco exceeded all expectations by getting to the knockout rounds at their debut Women's World Cup.
"Being in a World Cup last 16 for Morocco is exceptional. It has been a remarkable adventure," said Pedros, the former French international midfielder.
His team bounced back from losing 6-0 to Germany in their first game in Australia to beat South Korea and Colombia, both by a 1-0 scoreline, and advance to the knockout stage.
"We have been together as a team since the 12th of June, working for and preparing for this World Cup," added Pedros, who became coach in 2020 and took the team to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations last year.
"I don't think we could have imagined going into our last group game with a chance of getting to the last 16.
"I sincerely believe that getting to the last 16 with this team, for the first time, is the equivalent of the guys getting to the semi-finals.
"It is beyond fantastic. We only started building this team three years ago. There are so many things that make us proud even though we have been knocked out."
Morocco's men lost 2-0 to France in the semi-finals of the Qatar World Cup and ended up finishing fourth, the best performance by an African team at the tournament.
Pedros and his side will now regroup to try to qualify for next year's Paris Olympics, with Morocco's women never having featured at the Games before.
