Top games to watch this week
Friday, January 19
Inter vs Lazio (Supercoppa Italiana)
Benfica vs Boavista (Primeira Liga)
Mainz vs Union Berlin (Bundesliga)
Cape Verde Islands vs Mozambique (Africa Cup of Nations)
Senegal vs Cameroon (Africa Cup of Nations)
Guinea vs Gambia (Africa Cup of Nations)
Iraq vs Japan (Asian Cup)
Vietnam vs Indonesia (Asian Cup)
Hong Kong vs Iran (Asian Cup)
El Salvador vs Inter Miami (Friendly)
Saturday, January 20
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (English Premier League)
Udinese vs Milan (Serie A)
Köln vs Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
RB Leipzig vs Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
América vs Querétaro (Liga MX)
Algeria vs Burkina Faso (Africa Cup of Nations)
Mauritania vs Angola (Africa Cup of Nations)
Tunisia vs Mali (Africa Cup of Nations)
Jordan vs Korea Republic (Asian Cup)
Bahrain vs Malaysia (Asian Cup)
Ecuador vs Colombia (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Bolivia vs Venezuela (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Sunday, January 21
Bournemouth vs Liverpool (English Premier League)
Real Madrid vs Almería (La Liga)
Real Betis vs Barcelona (La Liga)
Girona vs Sevilla (La Liga)
Lecce vs Juventus (Serie A)
Bayern vs Werder Bremen (Bundesliga)
Tigres UANL vs Guadalajara (Liga MX)
Morocco vs Congo DR (Africa Cup of Nations)
Zambia vs Tanzania (Africa Cup of Nations)
South Africa vs Namibia (Africa Cup of Nations)
Oman vs Thailand (Asian Cup)
Kyrgyzstan vs Saudi Arabia (Asian Cup)
Peru vs Chile (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Argentina vs Paraguay (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Monday, January 22
Brighton vs Wolves (English Premier League)
Granada vs Atlético (La Liga)
Supercoppa Italiana final
Equatorial Guinea vs Cote d'Ivoire (Africa Cup of Nations)
Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria (Africa Cup of Nations)
Mozambique vs Ghana (Africa Cup of Nations)
Cape Verde Islands vs Egypt (Africa Cup of Nations)
Tajikistan vs Lebanon (Asian Cup)
Qatar vs China (Asian Cup)
Tuesday, January 23
Chelsea vs Middlesbrough (Carabao Cup semifinal)
Sporting Braga vs Sporting CP (Taca da Liga semifinal)
Guinea vs Senegal (Africa Cup of Nations)
Gambia vs Cameroon (Africa Cup of Nations)
Angola vs Burkina Faso (Africa Cup of Nations)
Mauritania vs Algeria (Africa Cup of Nations)
Syria vs India (Asian Cup)
Australia vs Uzbekistan (Asian Cup)
Hong Kong vs Palestine (Asian Cup)
Iran vs UAE (Asian Cup)
Bolivia vs Brazil (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Ecuador vs Venezuela (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Wednesday, January 24
Fulham vs Liverpool (Carabao Cup semifinal)
Bayern vs Union Berlin (Bundesliga)
Benfica vs Estoril (Taca da Liga semifinal)
Juárez vs América (Liga MX)
Monterrey vs Querétaro (Liga MX)
Copa del Rey Quarterfinals
South Africa vs Tunisia (Africa Cup of Nations)
Namibia vs Mali (Africa Cup of Nations)
Tanzania vs Congo DR (Africa Cup of Nations)
Zambia vs Morocco (Africa Cup of Nations)
Japan vs Indonesia (Asian Cup)
Iraq vs Vietnam (Asian Cup)
Paraguay vs Uruguay (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Peru vs Argentina (CONMEBOL Olympic Games Qualifying)
Thursday, January 25
Bournemouth vs Swansea City (FA Cup)
Korea Rep. vs Malaysia (Asian Cup)
Jordan vs Bahrain (Asian Cup)
Kyrgyzstan vs Oman (Asian Cup)
Saudi Arabia vs Thailand (Asian Cup)
Most-watched soccer games in the United States: January 8-14,2024
Everyone who has kept an eye on audience numbers for soccer games in the United States knows that Premier League and Liga MX matches have quite a following. Nonetheless, an unexpected rival emerged this time to threaten the English league's dominance.
The game between Real Madrid and Barcelona turned a few heads in the United States, giving ABC and ESPN a massive audience to celebrate. Nonetheless, their pull was not enough to claim the top spot in the battle for the ratings, which went to NBC thanks to the clash between Newcastle and Manchester City.
The thrilling match between the Magpies and Guardiola's men was followed by over 1,200,000 average viewers to nab the first place in the ratings battle considering only one channel per game.
Meanwhile, El Clásico was seen by over 1,300,000 average viewers, but only a bit over a million watched the game on ABC.
As for the third place, Liga MX claimed that spot in this ranking with the debut of defending champions América in their trip to Tijuana. Las Águilas' game was followed by 1,100,000 average users, adding up to the audiences published by Univisión and TUDN.
In terms of all leagues and competitions that earned audiences, Liga MX games were the undisputed winner, with six games being aired on TUDN, Univisión, and Telemundo.
For a full breakdown of the most-watched soccer games in the USA on January 8-14, 2024, click here.
What are this week's must-watch games?
Senegal vs. Cameroon live this Friday at 12 p.m. ET on beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Espanol, and beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Friday kicks off with an Africa Cup of Nations thriller as reigning champions Senegal take on five-time winners Cameroon in a highly-anticipated showdown. The Lions of Teranga kicked off their title defense with a convincing 3-0 win over the Gambia while the Indomitable Lions suffered a slip-up, drawing 1-1 against 10-man Guinea. As a result, Rigobert Song's men cannot afford to drop points in this tie.
Inter vs. Lazio live this Friday at 2 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo
The 2nd semifinal of the Supercoppa Italiana is also scheduled for Friday, with Serie A leaders Inter Milan locking horns with Lazio in Riyadh. The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in their last four games since crashing out of the Coppa Italia at the hands of Bologna and will aim to keep that streak running. Lazio, on the flip side, are on an impressive five-game winning run and will want revenge over Inzaghi's men after losing 2-0 to them in December. Who will win this fixture and join Napoli in the final? Do not miss this clash.
Bournemouth vs. Liverpool live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on the USA Network, NBC Sports App, Telemundo, and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Liverpool return to action in the Premier League this Sunday, taking on an in-form Bournemouth side in what should be an interesting game. The Reds are on a four-game winning streak, beating Newcastle, Arsenal, and Fulham in their last three outings. The Cherries, meanwhile, have won all but one of their last six games and will want to register a second consecutive Premier League win over Klopp's men at the Vitality Stadium.
Real Betis vs. Barcelona live this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, WatchESPN, and ESPN Deportes USA
And finally, we have a Barcelona side reeling from their recent El Clasico humiliation. The Blaugrana visit Real Betis on the back of their embarrassing 4-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final in Saudi Arabia, with Vinicius Jr. bagging a hat-trick. While Xavi's men have won every other one of their last five matches, their performances have been shaky this season and will need to drastically improve if the Catalan giants wish to defend their league title.
After several weeks off, women's soccer is back in full swing. Several big leagues, including the Women's Super League and the UEFA Women's Champions League, will be resuming action.
Here is all you need to know ahead of another week of women's soccer.
What to watch in women's soccer: January 19th to January 21st
Women's Super League
The WSL picks up on Friday, January 19th as Leicester City, who sit in eighth spot on ten points, welcome ninth-placed Aston Villa. Given that one point separates the two sides, this game could see some slight changes in the league table as both teams battle to avoid being dragged closer to the relegation zone.
On Saturday, Arsenal will hope to restart 2024 on a good note when they host Everton. The Gunners are determined to remain part of this season's title race and a victory over struggling Everton would temporarily help them to leapfrog second-placed Manchester City and pull level with league leaders Chelsea - albeit for only 24 hours as both the Cityzens and the Blues will be in action on Sunday.
Sunday will be an action-packed day in the WSL with some key fixtures taking place. First up is a mouth-watering clash starring Chelsea and Manchester United, the two teams who finished in the top two spots last season. At the moment, the Blues hold a comfortable seven-point lead over their upcoming opponents, but a win for the Red Devils surely will make things a lot more interesting as we head into the second half of the 2023/24 WSL season.
Following this, relegation-threatened Bristol City will be hoping for some redemption when they travel to face fellow strugglers Brighton. Meanwhile, Manchester City could pull level with Chelsea if they can pick up all three points against Liverpool and Manchester United do their cross-town rivals a huge favor and defeat the Blues in the earlier game. Finally, the day concludes with a London derby starring West Ham, who have failed to win their last five games, and Tottenham, who seemingly arrested their poor form with a win in their last match of 2023.
D1 Féminine
Friday also sees another round of D1 Féminine matches getting underway, starting with Paris, who sit in third place, aiming to avoid a third consecutive league defeat against a Le Havre side who have won just one of their last five games. Saturday's matches start with relegation-threatened Lille, who have lost five in a row, welcoming Dijon, who sit three points clear, and conclude with second-placed PSG needing a win over last-placed Bordeaux to avoid league leaders Lyon from slipping further ahead.
Lyon, for their part, continue to be unstoppable and will aim to extend their perfect run - which has seen them win all 12 of their league matches so far this season - when they travel to face Montpellier on Sunday.
Serie A (Women)
Over in Italy, Sampdoria will look to become the latest team to heap more misery on Napoli when the latest round of games kicks off on Saturday, January 20th. Napoli have endured a miserable run in the top flight and are still seeking their first win of the campaign. Saturday's other game includes an intriguing tie featuring Inter Milan and Roma. The Giallorosse are firmly in control of the Scudetto race as they aim to successfully defend their title, and so far, have yet to drop a single point this season with 12 wins from their first 12 games.
Sunday also features a doubleheader, with Fiorentina hoping to jump into the top two spots at the expense of Pomigliano, who are also in danger of the drop after picking up just one win so far this season. However, Juventus, who sit in second, will be the heavy favorites to reclaim second and continue their pressure on Roma when they travel to face Sassuolo. That being said, the Neroverde have been in decent form lately, with three wins from their last five, and certainly will look to try to cause an upset on home turf.
Top news in women's soccer
USWNT star Mallory Swanson makes history
Despite spending most of 2023 out due to a knee injury, Mallory Swanson is set to make a huge comeback in 2024 - and in more ways than one.
The Littleton, Colorado-born forward will make history once the 2024 NSWL season gets underway after successfully securing a multi-year extension to her current deal with the Chicago Red Stars. According to reports, Swanson's deal, which runs to 2028 with an option of an extra year, will see her net approximately over $400,000 per season.
Swanson, 25, is no stranger to setting records throughout her career. It was not too long ago that she was making waves with the USWNT as a breakout young star, starting from January 2016 when the then-17-year-old became the youngest player to be selected in an Olympic qualifying squad. That same year, she became the first-ever USWNT player to play in both the Olympic Games as well as the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
She is also the youngest player in USWNT history to reach double digits in assists and was part of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup winning squad (as the team's second youngest player). To date, she has scored 21 goals in over 40 appearances for the Chicago Red Stars, and given that her team had a miserable run last season that saw them finish dead last in the table, it is safe to say that everyone involved with the club will hope to have her hitting the ground running once the 2024 NWSL season gets underway in March.
El Clasico all one-way traffic in Spanish Women's Super Cup
Last weekend saw another installment of El Clasico in the Spanish Super Cup, which was won by Real Madrid, 4-1. Flash-forward a few days later, and another Clasico got underway in the semifinals of the women's version of the same competition, with Real Madrid hoping to make it to their first-ever final. However, it was all one-way traffic as Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 win to ensure that the Blaugrana have a chance to win what will be their fourth title and their third in a row when they face Levante this weekend.
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.
DAZN Canada secures UEFA Champions League rights for three more seasons
UEFA and the over-the-top sports platform DAZN Canada will continue their working relationship for the next three years, as football's governing body in Europe and the subsidiary to the English service have signed a new agreement that will include all UEFA club tournaments until the end of the 2026-27 season, which includes the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Conference League.
This will mean the extension of a partnership that started in 2018, following the end of UEFA's previous deal with Canadian television network TSN.
DAZN Canada will continue to add UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and Conference League matches to their soccer offer, which also includes the Bundesliga, among other premier soccer tournaments from all over the globe.
"DAZN is absolutely committed to bringing the best in sports entertainment to our customers in Canada, and the UEFA club competitions, which feature some the biggest clubs and players in world football, certainly deliver in terms of quality and drama," Pete Oliver, DAZN Chief Executive of growth markets stated.
Click here for the full article
What to watch on TelevisaUnivisión this week: Liga MX returns with ten games to watch
Liga MX fans will be able to follow all the action of their favorite tournament on Univisión and its platforms.
The Spanish-language network will be their one-stop shop for Liga MX this week, with each and every club from the competition being covered live on TV and via the network's online platform, ViX.
For the weekend, TelevisaUnivisión will offer thorough coverage of Matchday 2 in the Mexican top-flight, which will feature all Liga MX teams each day. Friday will include Pumas UNAM's match against San Luis on TUDN, while ViX will handle all the activity related to Cruz Azul's clash against Juárez.
Saturday's games will include the first home game for América in the Clausura 2024 tournament. The title holders will host Querétaro in what could be one of their final games at Estadio Azteca before it closes its doors for a much-needed upgrade, and fans in the U.S. will be able to follow this clash on Univisión and TUDN. Atlas and Tijuana will complete an interesting double-header on the same channels.
Last, but not least, Sunday will feature Tigres UANL once again, with the gold and blue side hosting the highly popular Chivas Guadalajara. The game will have exclusive coverage by TUDN, in what will be the first of two back-to-back Liga MX games on the pay-tv channel.
Click here for the full article
Biggest stories
Details of PSG's mammoth extension offer to Mbappé revealed
While most experts believe Kylian Mbappé will end up leaving PSG this summer, there are some who think that the French star will be once again seduced by the club's massive economic muscle.
The attacker has been linked to Real Madrid or to extending his stay in the French capital, and a recent insight shared by journalist Daniel Riolo dropped a huge hint on how far PSG will go to keep their all-time top scorer around.
Riolo's sources confirmed him that PSG are ready to offer Mbappé a whopping $100M in wages for the entire duration of his contract. Add-ons and other perks could see the footballer earning even more if he decides to stay. Read more…
Roma fans reduce Mourinho to tears after being sacked
Jose Mourinho's relationship with Roma fans was one of the best for the Portuguese coach, and that was proven even after the boss was canned by Roma earlier this week.
Despite not being able to turn the team's current misfortunes around, Mourinho still had quite a loyal fanbase among Roma's supporters, who had no problem showing him love right after the Portuguese tactician parted ways with the Giallorossi.
As Mourinho left Roma's training complex, fans caught up with the vehicle leading him out of the facility. Contrary to what most would expect, Mourinho lowered his window to say goodbye to those who requested him to do so, shaking their hands, sharing a few words, and even taking selfies with him.
Visibly moved by his exit from the Italian club, Mourinho had a teary-eyed look when he bid farewell to Roma's supporters. Read more…
AFCON 2023: Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue makes history with hat-trick in 4-2 win vs. Guinea-Bissau
Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue wrote his name in history following Thursday's six-goal thriller against Guinea-Bissau.
The 34-year-old footballer led the line for his national team for the second game running, having started in attack in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Nigeria. However, the CF Intercity veteran got his name on the scoresheet this time and came away with the match ball following an unforgettable hat-trick.
This is the first time a hat-trick has been scored in the Africa Cup of Nations in nearly 16 years. The last time a player scored three goals in a single game was Morocco's Soufiane Alloudi against Namibia in January 2008, which was exactly 15 years and 362 days ago. However, that was not even the standout record. With Nsue's brilliant performance, he became the oldest player in Africa Cup of Nations history to score a hat-trick. Read more…
Under-fire Barcelona manager Xavi reportedly losing the dressing room amid recent slump
Things are looking gloomy for Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez as a recent report from ESPN claims that the Spanish tactician is slowly losing his dressing room amid the club's recent slump.
Xavi is thus fighting to maintain their support. However, it should be pointed out that the entire dressing room has not lost faith in the manager but rather a section. This point was stressed by a source who claims that a few players believe Xavi has not been tough on certain figures within the dressing room.
Furthermore, while Barcelona president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco have publicly reiterated their support for Xavi, pointing to his recent contract that runs until 2025, things are different behind the scenes. Read more…
Messi beats Haaland in close race to win third-ever FIFA The Best Award
The Argentine ace, who did not even make it to the ceremony, was crowned as the Best Player in 2023 by FIFA. "La Pulga" did not even send anyone to pick up the award, causing an awkward moment in the ceremony that was only saved by Thierry Henry's reaction.
Moments later, FIFA revealed the amount of votes handed to each one of the contenders, which resulted in a draw between Erling Haaland and Messi. In the end, FIFA used a tiebreaker to determine the award, giving Messi his third prize of the sort.
Messi's win caused quite a stir on social media, mainly because most of his cherished moments in recent times came in 2022, not in 2023, when he left European football to join Inter Miami. Read more…
Casillas slams The Best FIFA Football Awards after Messi beat Haaland to The Best Men's Player prize
The gala was held on Monday, with the Argentine sensation going head-to-head with Man City star Erling Haaland for the main prize in men's football. Many felt the Norwegian deserved the gong following his remarkable debut campaign with the Cityzens but La Pulga was named the recipient.
Interestingly enough, Messi and Haaland received an equal number of points, with both finishing with 48 points following the voting process. However, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner edged out his competitor and took the prize home — figuratively, not literally, as the Inter Miami ace did not attend the event.
FIFA explained why Leo beat Haaland, revealing that "they were separated by the number of first-choice nominations which Messi received in votes from national team captains, as per the Rules of Allocation (article 12)."
Despite this, one of the most iconic names in world football was left upset by this decision. That person is Real Madrid and Spain legend Iker Casillas who took to X (formerly Twitter) to blast this move. Read more…
"Too early to say" as Egypt sweat on Salah injury
Egypt coach Rui Vitoria said it was "too early to say" whether Mohamed Salah would play again at this year's Africa Cup of Nations after he sustained an injury in Thursday's 2-2 draw with Ghana.
The Liverpool striker went off late in the first half of the Group B game in Abidjan after appearing to clutch the back of his left leg.
"We don't know yet what is the problem. I hope not a big problem...It is too early to say something," said Vitoria after his team's second successive 2-2 draw in the tournament.
"Salah is an amazing player, one of the best players in the world, so we want to have this kind of player always with us." Read more…
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
Henderson joins Ajax after controversial Saudi move
England and former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has joined Dutch giants Ajax, the club said Thursday, only six months after his move to Saudi Arabia sparked controversy over gay rights.
The 33-year-old, who played nearly 500 games for Liverpool, transferred to Al-Ettifaq in July in a deal with reported wages of up to £700,000 ($887,000) per week. Continue reading…
AC Milan's Pulisic voted US Soccer male player of the year
United States star Christian Pulisic, a forward for Italian giants AC Milan, was voted US Soccer's Male Player of the Year for a record-tying fourth time, US Soccer announced Thursday. Pulisic matched former American star Landon Donovan by capturing the 2023 award, the 25-year-old Pulisic having earlier taken the award in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Continue reading…
