Top games to watch this week
Friday, October 8
Turkey vs Norway (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Germany vs Romania (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Latvia vs Netherlands (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Czech Republic vs Wales (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Saturday, October 9
Sweden vs Kosovo (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Finland vs Ukraine (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Andorra vs England (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Moldova vs Denmark (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Switzerland vs Northern Ireland (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Sunday, October 10
Italy vs Belgium (UEFA Nations League - 3rd place game)
Spain vs France (UEFA Nations League Final)
Bolivia vs Peru (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Venezuela vs Ecuador (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Colombia vs Brazil (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Panama vs USA (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Jamaica vs Canada (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Mexico vs Honduras (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Argentina vs Uruguay (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Chile vs Paraguay (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Monday, October 11
Mozambique vs Cameroon (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Latvia vs Turkey (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Slovenia vs Russia (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Netherlands vs Gibraltar (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
North Macedonia vs Germany (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Tuesday, October 12
Japan vs Australia (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Sweden vs Greece (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Albania vs Poland (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Denmark vs Austria (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
England vs Hungary (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Portugal vs Luxembourg (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Wednesday, October 13
USA vs Costa Rica (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Canada vs Panama (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Honduras vs Jamaica (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
El Salvador vs Mexico (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Thursday, October 14
Bolivia vs Paraguay (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Colombia vs Ecuador (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Argentina vs Peru (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Chile vs Venezuela (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Brazil vs Uruguay (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Most-watched soccer games on U.S. TV: Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2021
The Premier League's blockbuster two-all draw between Liverpool and Manchester City televised on NBC Sports Network was the most-watched soccer game in the USA last week. The broadcast received a 0.44 viewership rating for the 774,000 average viewers it attracted. Three other Premier League games screened on NBCSN made it to the top ratings, including a one-all draw between Manchester United and Everton that averaged 325,000 viewers. The four games on NBCSN averaged 418,500 viewers.
NBC's broadcast of the Premier League's goalless draw between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal was the second most-watched game of the week. The game attracted an average of 678,000 viewers.
Pachuca's one-all home draw against Club America in Liga MX was the third most-watched game last week. TUDN's broadcast received a 0.16 viewership rating after the game averaged 345,000 viewers. TUDN broadcasted 13 other games, averaging 194,600 viewers per broadcast.
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What are the must-watch games this week?
Spain take on France in the UEFA Nations League final this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET live on ESPN, TUDN, Univision, fuboTV, and Sling
The second edition of the UEFA Nations League has reached its climax! This weekend will see the final for the 2020/21 campaign take place, with Spain set to face off against France on Sunday in a highly-anticipated San Siro battle. Neither side had an easy route to the final, with La Furia Roja overcoming Italy in the semifinals while Les Bleus had to fight past the almighty Belgium.
Spain's clash with the Azzurri was the first of those two fixtures, with two sucker-punch goals from Ferran Torres giving Luis Enrique's side a 2-0 lead by half time. Bonucci's sending off right before the break all but killed the Euro 2020 champions' hopes of fighting back and while they did pull one back, that amounted to little as the game ended 2-1 in Spain's favor. France, on the other hand, found themselves 2-0 down by half time. However, goals from Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe, and Theo Hernandez saw the FIFA World Cup champions pull off a thrilling comeback, dumping out FIFA's no.1 ranked nation out of the tournament. Do not miss their clash with La Furia Roja!
Colombia vs Brazil this Sunday at 5 p.m. ET live exclusively on fuboTV
The FIFA World Cup qualifiers continue through the weekend, with the action in South America getting more heated. Brazil, the runaway leaders in CONMEBOL, look to continue their excellent campaign but will face one of their trickiest tests so far: a clash with Colombia. The Selecao are yet to drop a single point, winning all of their nine outings. Given Argentina's recent slip-up at the hands of Paraguay, where they drew 0-0, Tite's men have moved eight points clear at the top and will thus be keen on adding to their lead. However, Los Cafeteros have not lost a game since crashing out of the Copa America semifinals on penalties and will thus be no walk in the park for the five-time World Cup champions.
Panama vs USMNT this Sunday at 6 p.m. ET live on Paramount+, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, Universo, fuboTV, and Sling
The CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament is shaping up nicely, with the USMNT drawing level with bitter North American rivals Mexico at the top of the table. Next up for the Stars and Stripes is an interesting trip to Panama, with Gregg Berhalter's side looking to build on their 2-0 midweek victory over Jamaica. The USA hold the no.1 spot over El Tri thanks to a superior goal difference and must put in another clinical display this weekend in order to continue topping the table.
Argentina vs Uruguay this Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET live exclusively on fuboTV
Argentina will be in for a rough test this Sunday, with the Copa America champions set to host Uruguay in this weekend's standout showdown. Having recently drawn 0-0 with Paraguay in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, La Albiceleste will be keen on returning to winning ways, especially given that third-placed Ecuador and fourth-placed La Celeste are only three points behind the two-time World Cup champions. Similarly, Oscar Tabarez's men also enter this clash on the back of a 0-0 draw, sharing the points in their clash with Colombia, and will thus be aiming to end their eight-year winless run against Argentina.
Watching women's football becomes more accessible as time passes. Learn how to catch some of the biggest European and North American teams in action from Friday, Oct. 8, through Thursday, Oct. 14.
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FA WSL, Division 1 Feminine, Primera Division & Serie A on ATA Football
ATA Football subscribers will be able to enjoy six games from some of Europe's best football leagues, including the FA WSL's Manchester Derby. The derby will also be available in the USA on NBCSN, nbcsports.com and NBC Sports App. Division 1 Feminine, Primera Division and Serie A games will stream exclusively on ATA.
Primera Division
Saturday, Oct. 9
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Deportivo Alaves vs. Sporting Huelva at 5 a.m. ET
FA WSL
Saturday, Oct. 9
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Manchester United vs. Manchester City at 8:30 a.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 10
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Chelsea vs. Leicester City at 7:30 a.m. ET
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Arsenal vs. Everton at 10 a.m. ET
Serie A
Saturday, Oct. 9
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Juventus vs. Napoli at 8:30 a.m. ET
Division 1 Feminine
Sunday, Oct. 10
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PSG vs. Guingamp at 8:15 a.m. ET
Five NWSL games on Paramount+ & Twitch
The 2021 NWSL regular season has reached its apex as five teams fight for a spot in the playoffs. The five clubs are the Houston Dash, Chicago Red Stars, Orlando Pride, Washington Spirit and Gotham FC. The Portland Thorns, OL Reign and NC Courage are in the safe zone. League newbies Kansas City and Racing Louisville will have to wait until next year to have another try at qualifying for the playoffs.
Houston and Chicago will enter weekend play having beaten league-leaders Portland in their last game. The Pride will look to avenge their 3-0 loss to OL Reign last time out when they take on Gotham FC, who are coming off a frustrating goalless draw against the Spirit.
Saturday, Oct. 9
Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC at 7 p.m. ET
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International: Twitch
Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville at 7:30 p.m. ET
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
Sunday, Oct. 10
Kansas City NWSL vs. Portland Thorns at 5 p.m. ET
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
Houston Dash vs. North Carolina at 7 p.m. ET
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
OL Reign vs. Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. ET
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USA: Paramount+
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International: Twitch
Liga MX Femenil games available in the USA
Two Liga MX Femenil Apertura matches will stream live in the USA on Monday, Oct. 11, at 10 p.m. ET:
Chivas Guadalajara vs. Club America at 10 p.m. ET
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International: Eleven Sports
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USA: UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO
Tijuana vs. Puebla at 10 p.m. ET
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USA: ESPN+
UWCL group stage – Matchday 2
Matchday 2 of the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage continues next week. Women's soccer fans around the globe can tune into DAZN's YouTube channel to watch all the games for free.
Wednesday, Oct. 13
PSG vs. Zhytlobud-1 at 12:45 p.m. ET
Wolfsburg vs. Servette FCCF at 12:45 p.m. ET
Juventus vs. Chelsea at 3 p.m. ET
Real Madrid vs. Breidablik at 3 p.m. ET
Thursday, Oct. 14
Bayern vs. Hacken at 12:45 p.m. ET
HB Koge vs. Barcelona at 12:45 p.m. ET
Arsenal vs. Hoffenheim at 3 p.m. ET
Lyon vs. Benfica at 3 p.m. ET
Biggest stories of the week
Inter post worst ever fiscal loss for a Serie A club in league history
The 2020/21 season was certainly one to be celebrated by Inter fans worldwide, as it marked the first time the Nerazzurri had won the Scudetto since 2010.
However, despite it being a very successful year, the cracks quickly began to show, and indeed, Inter's financial woes have been no secret as in May, the Nerazzurri linked up with American investment firm Oaktree Capital in order to secure an emergency influx of new capital to the tune of €275 million ($318 million).
That came on the heels of posting losses of about €102.4 million ($118.7 million) during the 2019/2020 season, but if fans thought that was bad, they will be really uncomfortable with these new numbers.
According to new reports, Inter ended up losing a whopping €245.6 million ($284.6 million) over the course of the 2020/2021 campaign. That's now the largest ever loss for a club in Serie A history, topping the eye-popping €210 million ($243 million) loss posted by Juventus in September.
Gavi enters the history books as Spain end Italy's record unbeaten run to reach final
At the age of just 17 years and 62 days old, Barcelona starlet Gavi became the youngest debutant in the history of the Spanish national team as La Roja reached the final of the UEFA Nations League at the expense of Italy's incredible unbeaten run. Luis Enrique's men put together a remarkable performance to secure a 2-1 win over the 10-men Azzurri, ending the European champions' world-record unbeaten run of 37 matches inside San Siro on Wednesday night. Gavi's inclusion meant that he has now overtaken Angel Zubieta as the youngest-ever starter for Spain. The latter made his debut with La Roja in 1936 at the age of 17 years and 284 days.
Huge Premier League blow: Brazil, Argentina refuse to release players early from international break
The international break is currently underway, with Brazil and Argentina being two top national teams gearing up for crucial 2022 World Cup qualifiers, playing three games each. The quarantine rules that brought these South American nations and the Premier League at loggerheads have been relaxed, meaning several of the English top-flight's biggest names have been called up and will thus be present for the CONMEBOL fixtures. However, a new issue has arisen for the world's most popular league.
Some of these South American nations will be in action less than two days before the Premier League season resumes, with the likes of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia taking to the field in the early hours of Friday in British Summer Time. With Matchweek 8 in the English top-flight kicking off at 12:30 BST, there was hope that the players would be released early by their international teams in order to be available for the upcoming round.
Unfortunately, both the Selecao and La Albiceleste announced that everyone called up will participate in all three qualifiers. Brazil have called up nine Premier League players – Man City's Ederson and Gabriel Jesus, Liverpool's Allison and Fabinho, Chelsea's Thiago Silva, Man United's Fred, Tottenham's Emerson Royal, Leeds' Raphinha, and Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz – and they could all miss the next EPL round.
Argentina, meanwhile, have called up Tottenham duo Giovani Lo Celsa and Cristian Romero as well as Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez. Speaking ahead of their clash with Paraguay, La Albiceleste head coach Lionel Scaloni stressed that unlike last time, those three would not be permitted to leave early.
Other key headlines from the world of football
Transfer Talk: Real Madrid eye January move for Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has suggested that the Spanish club could sign Kylian Mbappe in the upcoming winter transfer window. The 22-year-old Frenchman's contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season and risks leaving for free having refused to extend his stay at the club.
Mbappe was the subject of several bids from Real Madrid during the summer transfer window and at one instance, had the Spanish club bidding in the excess of $232M (€200M/£172M) for his signature. However, the player was denied his dream move to the Bernabeu outfit as PSG regard him as an integral member of their squad for the ongoing season's campaign even with Lionel Messi arriving.
Nevertheless, there could be a twist in the saga with Real Madrid president Fiorentino Perez hinting at a move for the French sensation. As Mbappe will be entering the final months of his contract with the turn of the year, the situation means he can negotiate with other clubs from January 1, 2022. Speaking to Spanish paper El Debate, Perez said: "In January we will have news on Mbappe. Hopefully, everything can be sorted on January 1."
Juventus reportedly looking to sell star player...just months after offering him long-term deal
While Weston McKennie has been a solid performer, namely under Andrea Pirlo, he hasn't nailed down a permanent spot in Massimiliano Allegri's starting XI. And, according to reports, Juventus may be looking elsewhere for someone else to fill his position. Since arriving, the American talent has been involved in a bit of controversy, first being suspended by his club for hosting a party in violation of COVID-19 protocol and then being sent home early from the USMNT camp after again reportedly violating COVID-19 regulations.
As per Tuttosport, Juventus have turned their eyes to 21-year-old French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who currently plays his club football for Monaco. The same report claims that McKennie has been on the radar of Tottenham for some time and that the Bianconeri could look to move him on this January in order to raise funds for the acquisition of Tchouameni.
Manchester United extend under-fire coach's contract until 2024
Assistant Manager of Manchester United, Mike Phelan, has signed a contract extension at the club in what could be regarded as the Premier League side's latest show of support for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. According to a statement by the club, the 59-year-old English football coach's renewal will see his contract extended until the summer of 2024, the same year in which Solskjaer's current deal ends.
Phelan returned to the Old Trafford outfit as a first-team coach when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed caretaker manager in December 2018 following the sack of Jose Mourinho. The Englishman who made 146 appearances as a player for the Red Devils between 1989 and 1994, was previously a key member of Sir Alex Ferguson's coaching team from 2008 to 2013. After the appointment of Solskjaer was made permanent, he was promoted to the post of assistant manager.
