Top games to watch this week
Friday, September 3
Nigeria vs Liberia (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Cameroon vs Malawi (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Ghana vs Ethiopia (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Saturday, September 4
Ukraine vs France (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Slovakia vs Croatia (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Netherlands vs Montenegro (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Qatar vs Portugal (Friendly)
Sunday, September 5
England vs Andorra (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Spain vs Georgia (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Germany vs Armenia (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Switzerland vs Italy (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Belgium vs Czech Republic (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Brazil vs Argentina (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Ecuador vs Chile (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Paraguay vs Colombia (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Costa Rica vs Mexico (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
USA vs Canada (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Peru vs Venezuela (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Monday, September 6
South Africa vs Ghana (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Cote d'Ivoire vs Cameroon (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Tuesday, September 7
China vs Japan (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Azerbaijan vs Portugal (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Cape Verde vs Nigeria (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
France vs Finland (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Netherlands vs Turkey (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Wednesday, September 8
Kosovo vs Spain (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Poland vs England (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Iceland vs Germany (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Italy vs Lithuania (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Costa Rica vs Jamaica (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Panama vs Mexico (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Honduras vs USA (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Thursday, September 9
Uruguay vs Ecuador (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Colombia vs Chile (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Argentina vs Bolivia (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Brazil vs Peru (2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers)
Most-watched soccer games on US TV: August 24-30
Univision's sports programming division showed a total of seven broadcasts. The action kicked off on Tuesday with the 2021 MLS All-Stars Skills Challenge, where MLS All-Stars fell to Liga MX All-Stars. The main event arrived on Wednesday, when MLS All-Stars bounced back from their Skills Challenge defeat against the Liga MX side. The match was the third most-watched game of the week with 366,000 viewers. The two broadcasts garnered a total of 508,000 viewers.
Five Liga MX clashes closed TUDN's superb week of soccer broadcasts in the USA. Out of the five broadcasts, Leon and Club America's one-all draw was the most-watched with 328,000 viewers. The five broadcasts added up to 1,045,000 viewers.
Next in line was NBC's soccer coverage across numerous of its platforms. NBC Sports Network recorded the highest number of viewers for a single broadcast this week – 653,000 – in the shape of Manchester United's 1-0 win over Wolves. NBCSN's other two Premier League broadcasts – Brighton 0-2 Everton, Leeds 1-1 Burnley – totaled 632,000 viewers, bringing the total viewers between the three broadcasts to 1,285,000.
NBC's Universo and CNBC each broadcasted a soccer game this week. Chivas' 2-1 win over Necaxa on Universo and CNBC's Premier League broadcast of Aston Villa and Brendtford's one-all draw drew a total of 194,000 viewers.
Lastly, ESPN's broadcast of the Cascadia Rivalry game between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers was the second most-watched soccer game on U.S. TV last week with 420,000 viewers. The Timbers ended up winning the Major League Soccer clash 2-0.
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What are the must-watch games this week?
Switzerland vs Italy this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET live on ESPN+, TUDN, and fuboTV
The Euro 2020 champions take on one of the surprise packages of the recent tournament as Italy look to strengthen their lead at the top in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The Azzurri currently boast a four-point advantage over Group C's second-placed nation, which is Nati. All eyes will be on Roberto Mancini's side as the footballing world looks to see how the champions of Europe will get on in their first game since lifting the Euro 2020 title at Wembley. As for Switzerland, they will aim to take down another continental giant, having beaten France in the round of 16 in the European Championship. Unfortunately, they will be without influential midfielder Granit Xhaka after the Arsenal man tested positive for COVID-19.
Brazil vs Argentina this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET live on fuboTV
Just months after battling it out in the 2021 Copa America final, Brazil and Argentina, the two powerhouses of South America, are set to reignite their rivalry this weekend in their World Cup qualifier. These two nations sit top of the table in the race to qualify for Qatar 2022, with the Selecao holding the no.1 spot thanks to a six-point advantage over La Albiceleste. However, Lionel Scaloni's men enter this clash on the back of their 1-0 triumph over Neymar and Co. in the Copa America final, a result which saw them end their 28-year wait for silverware. Will Messi and Co. make it back-to-back wins over Brazil or will Tite's men restore their dominance over La Albiceleste? Tune in to find out the answer!
USMNT vs Canada this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports, TUDN, Univision, UniMas, fuboTV, and Sling TV
The CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers are underway, with matchday 2 handing the USMNT a tough test. The Gold Cup champions will face rivals Canada this weekend as Gregg Berhalter's men go in search of their first win of this tournament. The Stars and Stripes failed to qualify for the 2018 edition in Russia and must avoid repeating this embarrassment this time around. Unfortunately, the road to Qatar 2022 began with a slip-up as McKennie and Co. were held to a goalless draw by El Salvador in the opening round. Will they bounce back against Canada or will they drop points for the second consecutive game? Do not miss this fixture.
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This Week introduces the 2021-22 FA Women's Super League season, which kicks off with Manchester United hosting Reading on Friday, Sept. 3. Learn how to watch this game along with a plethora of other women's football matches across the world.
How to watch 2021-22 FA WSL Matchday 1 games
FA WSL action kicks off on Friday with Manchester United taking on Reading at Leigh Sports Village. The Red Devils will be looking to start the 2021-22 campaign with a win at home against the ever-so-difficult to beat Reading. The rest of the games will unfold on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday will see Leicester City make its FA WSL debut against Aston Villa. After that, Manchester City will visit Merseyside to play Everton at Goodison Park.
Lastly, Matchday 1 will culminate on Sunday with the biggest London rivalry in women's football. Arsenal will host Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 5, at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Friday, Sept. 3
Manchester United vs. Reading at 2:45 a.m. ET
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Internationally – The FA Player
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USA – ATA Football
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UK – Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Showcase, Sky Sports Main Event, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD
Saturday, Sept. 4
Aston Villa vs. Leicester City at 7:30 a.m. ET
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Internationally – The FA Player
Everton vs. Manchester City at 8:30 a.m. ET
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Internationally – The FA Player
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USA – ATA Football, NBC Sports App, NBCSN, nbcsports.com
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UK – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sports Web
Tottenham vs. Birmingham City at 10 a.m. ET
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Internationally – The FA Player
Sunday, Sept. 5
Arsenal vs. Chelsea at 7:30 a.m. ET
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Internationally – The FA Player
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USA – ATA Football
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UK – Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Showcase, Sky Sports Main Event, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD
Brighton vs. West Ham at 9:00 a.m. ET
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Internationally – The FA Player
NWSL games on Sept. 4-5
The National Women's Soccer League is back with more games this weekend. Two of the most exciting matchups this weekend are Racing Louisville taking on OL Reign on Saturday and the Space Race between Orlando Pride and the Houston Dash at Exploria Stadium on Sunday.
All the games will be streamed exclusively on Paramount+ in the USA and free on Twitch internationally.
Saturday, Sept. 4
Gotham FC vs. Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. ET
Racing Louisville vs. OL Reign at 7:30 p.m. ET
Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit at 10:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 5
Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash at 4 p.m. ET
Kansas City vs. NC Courage at 7 p.m. ET
Division 1 Feminine Matchday 2 games on ATA Football
Two Matchday 2 Division 1 Arkema games will stream live on ATA Football for free this weekend.
League leaders PSG will visit Montpellier on Friday, Sept. 3, at 12:30 p.m. ET. On the other hand, Lyon will take on Saint-Etienne on Sunday, Sept. 5, at 7 a.m. ET.
Three must-watch Liga MX Femenil games
Three Matchday 8 Liga MX Femenil Apertura matches will be screened live in the USA.
Saturday, Sept. 4
Chivas Guadalajara vs. Atlas at 7:10 p.m. ET
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USA: Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
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Mexico: Fanatiz Mexico, Fox Sports 2 Cono Norte, Fox Sports App, Chivas TVMonday, Sept. 6
Monday, Sept. 6
Toluca vs. Necaxa at 6 p.m. ET
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USA: TUDN.com, TUDN App, TUDN USA
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Mexico: TUDN En Vivo, Blim TV, TUDN
Tijuana vs. Leon at 10 p.m. ET
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USA: ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes+ and ESPN
Biggest stories of the week
INCREDIBLE reason BuLi club claim player's transfer didn't go through
This has to be one of the most bizarre transfer stories coming out during this summer's market.
Serie A side Lazio had made no secret in looking to bolster their squad with the signing of Serbian international Filip Kostic, and so the Biancocelesti had been trying to put together an offer for his current club, Eintracht Frankfurt.
Unfortunately, the transfer to Lazio never came to fruition, despite the 28-year-old going on strike last month to try to force a move to the Stadio Olimpico.
The reason? It's pretty incredible, in fact. Italian reports had initially claimed that Eintracht deliberately gave Lazio a fake email address in a bid to block the transfer, but in actuality that never happened.
Rather, Lazio were the ones to make a mistake in their electronic correspondence. Eintracht Frankfurt's email address is eintrachtfrankfurt.de. And according to other reports, the Italian side instead sent their offer to eintrachtfranfurt.de. And it's that spelling mistake, coupled with time running out to explain the situation - apparently they were having issues with putting together their package - that resulted in Kostic's transfer falling through.
Barcelona reveal who will inherit Messi's iconic no.10 jersey this season
Since Lionel Messi's shocking departure from Barcelona was announced, many began wondering what would happen to his iconic no. 10 jersey. Some demanded the number be retired as not many can replicate what the Argentine did at the Camp Nou, but due to La Liga rules, this proved impossible.
Soon after, speculations emerged that the no. 10 shirt would be handed to Philippe Coutinho, which would have been surprising given that the Brazilian talent has failed to impress since sealing his mega-money move to Catalonia for Liverpool. However, those claims were quickly proven to be false.
So who will wear the no.10 jersey, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo, just to name a few? The Spanish giants revealed this in the early hours of Wednesday, announcing that the honor will go to none other than Ansu Fati.
This is just another huge step in what has been a meteoric rise for the young Spaniard. A serious injury might have prematurely ended his 2020/21 season, but no one has forgotten how special the 18-year-old is, hence this decision.
"Ansu Fati has a new shirt number. After wearing the number 22 then 17, the young Barça striker will proudly wear the number 10 shirt - a famous jersey previously worn by legends such as Leo Messi, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo," Barcelona said in an official statement.
"Despite being just 18 years of age and still recovering from injury, Ansu Fati forms part of Barça's history as a record breaker and also with the Spanish national side.
"Since his debut in August 2019, the youngster has set records in the league and Champions League. Just six days after his debut for the first team he became the youngest ever player to score in the league for FC Barcelona."
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes all-time international top scorer
The day when Cristiano Ronaldo broke an international record had to come, and the Portuguese ace made the most of his performance against Ireland on Wednesday by scoring the record-breaking brace.
The Portuguese superstar was level with Ali Daei as the top scorers in international football with 109 goals, and it seemed that the footballer was not going to be able to break that tie after missing a penalty during the first half of the clash. However, he "chose" to save the best for the final minutes of the game.
CR7's first goal came after 89 minutes, when he put to good use a cross by Gonçalo Guedes to level the clash. If that was not enough, one more cross by Joao Mario in the dying seconds of the match concluded with one more header by the 36-year-old and the game-winning goal.
Unfortunately for Portugal, the striker, who recently sealed a shock return to Man United, will not be around for the next World Cup Qualifying match, as he was booked right after the second goal for taking his shirt off while celebrating.
Speaking of his transfer move back to Old Trafford…
Cristiano posts touching message to Sir Alex Ferguson after securing Man Utd return
One of the biggest and craziest transfers of the recent summer window was the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United. After months and months of speculation, the Portuguese icon left Juventus, bringing an end to his three-year stay in Turin, but it is where he ended up – and how he got there – that shocked everyone.
Initially, a move to Man City was tipped, but the Red Devils quickly threw their hat into the ring and within the blink of an eye, they wrapped up a deal for their former no.7. Their announcement sparked much fanfare as the Old Trafford supporters burst with joy at the prospect of seeing the iconic attacker back in the Theatre of Dreams.
The five-time Ballon d'Or initially agreed a deal in principle before completing his move a few days later, undergoing a medical and signing a two-year deal – with an option for a third year – for Solskjaer's side. Upon wrapping up the formalities, the 36-year-old took to social media to express his joy over returning to Old Trafford.
"Everyone who knows me, knows about my never ending love for Manchester United," the Portuguese ace wrote on Facebook.
"I can't even start to explain my feelings right now, as I see my return to Old Trafford announced worldwide. It's like a dream come true, after all the times that I went back to play against Man. United, and even as an opponent, to have always felt such love and respect from the supporters in the stands. This is absolutely 100% the stuff that dreams are made of!
CR7 wrapped up his note with a lovely message dedicated to former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who played a part in the player's decision to return, writing "PS - Sir Alex, this one is for you…"
Cristiano sent out this lovely message after sealing his return to Man United
Other key headlines from the world of football
Cristiano Ronaldo receives EURO 2020 Top Scorer award, misses penalty moments after in Portugal-Ireland clash
Cristiano Ronaldo was presented the EURO 2020 top scorer award ahead of Wednesday night's FIFA World Cup qualifier. The 36-year-old forward won the gong at this summer's tournament by scoring five goals and providing an assist from just 391 minutes of action.
Although the Seleccao were eliminated from the European championship in the Round of 16, only Czech Republic attacker Patrik Schick managed the same number of goals as the Manchester United striker. However, the fact that he provided a single assist won him the tie-breaker to win the Golden Boot. Three of his goals came from the penalty spot, whereas the other two came from open play against Hungary and Germany.
In what was Portugal's fourth game of their UEFA World Cup qualifying campaign, the striker was handed the award. However, his night started off on a rather bad note after he missed a penalty-kick which was won by his new club teammate Bruno Fernandes. Ireland's goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu guessed the right way to stop the former Juventus star's effort before John Egan put the underdogs ahead by opening the scoring on the stroke of half time.
AC Milan given major boost ahead of season restart
Although they were unable to win the Scudetto last season, AC Milan nonetheless managed to finish in second place, thus qualifying the Rossoneri for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in eight seasons.
And ahead of their first ever appearance in European club football's premier tournament, Milan have been given a huge boost. According to reports, veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who missed out on playing for Sweden at this summer's EURO 2020 tournament, is now back in full training. The highly experienced attacker, who's soon set to celebrate his 40th birthday, even got on the scoresheet during a training match, netting a brace and chipping in with an assist.
This will be great news for Diavolo fans, especially as new signing Olivier Giroud has unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19. The former Chelsea and Arsenal man has taken to Italian football like a proverbial duck to water, scoring twice during Milan's 4-1 rout of Cagliari shortly before the international break.
New study reveals the highest-spending clubs in the COVID-19 transfer windows
A recent study by the CIES Football Observatory revealed how much clubs have spent during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus taking into consideration the 2020 and 2021 summer transfer windows as well as the 2021 January winter market. One clear trend emerged: Premier League clubs outspent their fellow top-five European leagues by a mile. In fact, the top six clubs with the highest net expenditure were all from the English top-flight. As a whole, from the start of the pandemic to the recently-closed summer transfer window, Premier League teams have spent a combined £1.6BN ($2.2BN). To put this into perspective, Serie A came second on this list with an expenditure of £255M ($253M).
The difference only widens when Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga are brought into the equation, with the French and German top-flights' net spending being £109M ($151M) and £6.8M ($9.4M) respectively. La Liga, on the other hand, made a net profit of £171M ($236.4M).
Man Utd top the list, having an unmatched net spending of £187M ($258.5M), having recruited the likes of Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Donny van de Beek over the last three transfer windows. While Chelsea have spent the most in terms of signings, having splashed a whopping £346M ($478.4M), they've offset a huge portion of that thanks to the sales of Tammy Abraham, Kurt Zouma, and Fikayo Tomori. Arsenal (3rd), Leeds (4th), Tottenham (5th), Man City (6th) and Aston Villa (9th) are the other Premier League clubs to make the top 10. Seventh-placed Juventus (£119.3M/$165M) are the biggest net spenders outside of England while PSG (8th) and Roma (10th) are the only non-Premier League teams – alongside the Old Lady – to make the top 10.
