Top games to watch this week
Friday
England vs Denmark (FIFA Women's World Cup)
China vs Haiti (FIFA Women's World Cup)
PSG vs Cerezo Osaka (Friendly)
Real Betis vs Burnley (Friendly)
Brighton vs Newcastle (Friendly)
Saturday
Sweden vs Italy (FIFA Women's World Cup)
France vs Brazil (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Panama vs Jamaica (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Cruz Azul vs Atlanta United (Leagues Cup)
Santos Laguna vs Orlando City (Leagues Cup)
Necaxa vs Charlotte (Leagues Cup)
Pumas UNAM vs DC United (Leagues Cup)
Austin vs Juárez (Leagues Cup)
LA Galaxy vs Vancouver Whitecaps (Leagues Cup)
Atlético Mineiro vs Flamengo
Kawasaki Frontale vs Bayern (Friendly)
Sporting Braga vs Nice (Friendly)
Porto vs Rayo Vallecano (Friendly)
Real Madrid vs Barcelona (Friendly)
Sunday
Korea Republic vs Morocco (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Switzerland vs New Zealand (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Norway vs Philippines (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Germany vs Colombia (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Tijuana vs Querétaro (Leagues Cup)
Atlas vs Toronto FC (Leagues Cup)
New York RB vs Atlético San Luis (Leagues Cup)
Monterrey vs Seattle Sounders (Leagues Cup)
Tigres UANL vs SJ Earthquakes (Leagues Cup)
Liverpool vs Leicester (Friendly)
Manchester City vs Atlético Madrid (Friendly)
Chelsea vs Fulham (Friendly)
Borussia Dortmund vs Manchester United (Friendly)
Monday
Japan vs Spain (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Costa Rica vs Zambia (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Canada vs Australia (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Ireland Republic vs Nigeria (FIFA Women's World Cup)
América vs Columbus Crew (Leagues Cup)
Puebla vs Chicago Fire (Leagues Cup)
Toluca vs Colorado Rapids (Leagues Cup)
Guadalajara vs Sporting KC (Leagues Cup)
Tuesday
Vietnam vs Netherlands (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Portugal vs USWNT (FIFA Women's World Cup)*
China vs England (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Haiti vs Denmark (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Panathinaikos vs Dnipro-1
BATE vs Aris
Olimpija vs Ludogorets (UEFA Champions League)
Slovan Bratislava vs Zrinjski (UEFA Champions League)
Zimbru vs Fenerbahce (UEFA Europa Conference League)
Argentinos Juniors vs Fluminense (Copa Libertadores)
Bolívar vs Athletico-PR (Copa Libertadores)
River Plate vs Internacional (Copa Libertadores)
PSG vs Inter (Friendly)
Milan vs Barcelona (Friendly)
Wednesday
Argentina vs Sweden (FIFA Women's World Cup)
South Africa vs Italy (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Jamaica vs Brazil (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Panama vs France (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Astana vs Dinamo Zagreb (UEFA Champions League)
Genk vs Servette (UEFA Champions League)
Galatasaray vs Zalgiris (UEFA Champions League)
Nacional vs Boca Juniors (Copa Libertadores)
Deportivo Pereira vs Independiente del Valle (Copa Libertadores)
Atlético Mineiro vs Palmeiras (Copa Libertadores)
Liverpool vs Bayern München (Friendly)
Marseille vs Bayer Leverkusen (Friendly)
Juventus vs Real Madrid (Friendly)
Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund (Friendly)
Sevilla vs Real Betis (Friendly)
Thursday
Korea Republic vs Germany (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Morocco vs Colombia (FIFA Women's World Cup)
Atlético Nacional vs Racing (Copa Libertadores)
Flamengo vs Olimpia (Copa Libertadores)
Jeonbuk Motors vs PSG (Friendly)
Aston Villa vs Lazio (Friendly)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: July 17-23, 2023
Wonder what the most-watched soccer games were in the USA last week? Worry no more as we have got the answer for you, with the USWNT unsurprisingly garnering the largest average viewers for the week of July 17-23, 2023.
The Stars and Stripes kicked off their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign, taking on Vietnam in their opener and triumphing 3-0. Just over five million people tuned in to FOX to catch the defending champions in action as they aim to successfully defend their crown.
The second spot on this list was clinched by Inter Milami as roughly 1.75 million average viewers tuned in to Univision to watch Lionel Messi's debut. Fortunately, La Pulga did not disappoint as he led his MLS side to a breathtaking 2-1 win over Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, with the Argentine netting the winner with the final kick of the game.
And last but not least, we have Canada's FIFA Women's World Cup opener. The North American nation took on Nigeria but were unable to beat the Super Falcons, drawing 0-0 instead in a game that saw the African powerhouses have a player sent off.
What are this week's must-watch games?
The preseason El Clasico! Real Madrid vs Barcelona live this Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and the ESPN App
The Summer Soccer Series continues live on ESPN, with Real Madrid locking horns with Barcelona in a highly-anticipated El Clasico at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Los Blancos enter this clash on the back of their brilliant win over Real Madrid, winning 2-0 thanks to outstanding goals from Jude Bellingham and Joselu. Meanwhile, Xavi's men were beaten 5-3 by Arsenal, with the manager complaining about the Gunners' physicality. Lewandowski and Co. will look to be sharper in El Clasico.
And it doesn't end there for the Spanish powerhouses. The Catalan giants face Serie A powerhouse AC Milan on Tuesday live on ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes while the Merengues take on fellow Italian heavyweights Juventus at the Camping World Stadium on Wednesday.
Manchester City vs Atlético Madrid live this Sunday at 7 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+
Premier League champions Manchester City are back in action, with Guardiola's men taking on Atletico Madrid in what should be an interesting tie. The Cityzens recently beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in a friendly and will want to maintain this record ahead of their Community Shield clash with Arsenal on August 6. Don't miss this weekend's matchup with Simeone's men.
Dortmund vs Manchester United live this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, and the ESPN App
>Manchester United wrap up their USA tour this weekend as the Red Devils look to bounce back from their defeat against Real Madrid recently. Andre Onana made his debut in that game and while the Cameroonian was impressive, he was at fault for Los Blancos' opener and will want to improve. Dortmund, meanwhile, have won three in a row since returning to the pitch in mid-July but will face a tough test against Ten Hag's high-flying side.
Biggest stories of the week
MLS Season Pass closing in on one million subscribers mark
The first year of the deal between Apple and the MLS via MLS Season Pass has hauled in more good news than initially expected, as the streaming platform is already close to exceeding the expectations set on it for its first twelve months.
According to recent reports, the streaming service available on Apple TV+ is nearing its 1,000,000th subscription. While the service was boosted initially by giving all season ticket holders for every MLS club an account, the number is getting closer to exceeding the initial projections made by the company.
While the number is yet to be reported by official MLS sources or Apple employees, MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke candidly of the deal and its effects on soccer in North America.
"It's truly a partnership. It's not a rights deal where it's just about 'we have these available windows, we'll pay you to put your product on in those available windows, we'll promote them to our audiences.' It's more about how can we be integrated within the entire Apple ecosystem and create a global offering for fans in a very easy and accessible way," Garber stated.
Some key moves to facilitate a growth in audiences may have to do with the fact that the league decided to have all games played between Saturday and Sunday, which has made it easier for fans to plan their schedules.
Added to this, the arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami is expected to boost the number of subscriptions across the globe. While the main goal for MLS Season Pass focuses on U.S.-based users, watching numbers increase in other regions does not deter the league from its main goal: making the MLS one of the most appealing leagues to watch anywhere in the world
Saudi club Al Hilal offer record-breaking €300M bid for wantaway PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe
The Kylian Mbappe saga has taken a new twist as Saudi giants Al Hilal have entered the race for the Frenchman with the most ridiculous offer soccer has ever seen – and likely will ever see.
The PSG superstar has been put up for sale after refusing to extend his deal, which currently runs out in 2024, meaning he has one more year left on his contract. The Ligue 1 giants, who believe the player has already agreed to join Real Madrid for free next summer, are enraged by the attacker and have omitted the World Cup winner from their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea.
Several clubs have reportedly reached out to the Qatari-owned side in hopes of securing a deal, including Premier League teams and, as per L'Equipe, Barcelona. However, Al Hilal have tabled an offer that no non-Saudi Pro League club will be able to match.
As first reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Blue Waves, one of four Saudi clubs under the control of the nation's Public Investment Fund (PIF), have offered a world-record €300M ($333M) bid for the goalscorer. It is believed PSG have accepted this offer and have given the club permission to talk to the player.
And to make things even worse, CBS Sports and Relevo added even crazier details to this story. The biggest issue surrounding Mbappe and any team's pursuit of the player is his desire to join Real Madrid. As a result, convincing the player to move to Riyadh on a long-term deal would be difficult.
However, Al Hilal's offer is for one year only. Additionally, the Saudi giants are willing to hand the Frenchman a salary package worth a mouth-watering €700M ($776M) for that one year and would allow him to join Real Madrid on a Bosman transfer next summer as he always planned.
This could be a win-win situation for everyone. PSG get an exuberant transfer fee for the wantaway attacker. The Saudi Pro League will enjoy one of, if not the, best players in the game. Meanwhile, Mbappe will pocket nearly a billion euros over the next 12 months and will still get his dream move to the Santiago Bernabeu as Al Hilal are willing to facilitate that free transfer in 2024.
However, much to the frustration of the Saudi club, the player has reportedly refused to enter into talks with Al Hilal. This has only further strengthened PSG's belief that the player has an agreement in place with Real Madrid.
French Players' Union puts pressure on PSG after Mbappé decision
With PSG's first team in Japan and Kylian Mbappé left behind in France, the players' union in that country has stepped up to have its say on the player's matter.
In a strong-worded letter, the Players' Union has urged PSG to re-think their strategy when it comes to Mbappé's future, as "freezing out" a player under contract is not the right way to go in both legal and humanitarian terms.
"Labeling players as 'undesirable' or having the club wishing their exit at all costs despite having a contract with them. Contracts that were signed by mutual agreement between club and player. This time, we are not talking just about ten of PSG's players, we have to let everyone know there were more, if we consider the first professional contracts!" the first part of the statement reads.
The union then went on to name those players who have been forced out of the French club despite their desire to see their contracts running to an end.
"Timothée Pembélé, Colin Dagba, Ismaël Gharbi, Abdou Diallo, Layvin Kurzawa, Leandro Paredes, Georginio Wijnaldum, Keylor Navas, Édouard Michut, many more, and now Kylian Mbappé, all of them facing the same battle," the document adds.
Later in the text, the union demanded president Nasser Al-Khelaifi honor the contracts signed by the club, including Mbappe's, even if he is not willing to extend his stay at Parc des Princes.
"There is nothing Nasser (Al-Khelaifi), can do about it. Dear president, they are still under contract with PSG. Speaking properly, they are surplus to the coach's plans, which may seem as a mistake if you consider one of those left out is the best striker in club history and the best player in the world, don't you think," the press release adds.
As things stand, Mbappé will have to sort his future out before the start of next month, as PSG want to know if he will be around beyond the 2023-24 season or if they choose to transfer him to another club.
Haaland awarded strange Man of the Match prize following Man City's pre-season comeback win vs. Yokohama
Manchester City returned to action for the first time since their UEFA Champions League final victory over Inter Milan, taking on Japanese outfit Yokohama in a pre-season friendly ahead of the highly-anticipated 2023/24 campaign.
However, the treble winners went 2-0 down against the J1 League side. Guardiola's men conceded twice inside 37 minutes and had to fight back to get a result, with John Stones and Julian Alvarez scoring to equalize before the break.
Then came on Erling Haaland. The Norwegian started on the bench but was introduced right after the break. And to no one's surprise, the striker tore Yokohama F. Marinos apart and scored twice to end their hopes of beating the Cityzens.
The Premier League Golden Boot winner needed only seven minutes to get on the scoresheet and completed his brace in stoppage time to seal the Man of the Award title.
However, the 23-year-old was awarded a strange gift due to his brilliant performance. While players in Europe's top league are simply awarded a small trophy for this, Haaland was given a cheque worth one million yen (¥1M).
That translates to just over $7000, which is a drop in the ocean for Haaland given his extravagant wages at the Etihad Stadium. The player earns a rumored £850,000 (just over $1M) per week, though these numbers have not been confirmed.
Asisat Oshoala sets unique record in Nigeria's stunning win over Australia
They say, cometh the hour, cometh the player. And on matchday two, Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala proved that statement to ring true once again thanks to her impactful performance for the Super Falcons against Australia.
Nigeria, who were frustrated during a scoreless stalemate against Canada, came into their matchday two tie against the Matildas knowing that they needed a win in order to keep their round of 16 hopes alive.
After a tense 45 minutes, however, Randy Waldrum's team were 1-0 down but quickly responded five minutes later in stoppages and headed into the half-time break knowing they needed to do something quickly in order to salvage their fortunes.
Whatever speech Waldrum gave in the locker room clearly had an effect, as Nigeria came roaring back in the second half, scoring two goals to turn the tie on its head. Notably, the third was netted by Oshoala, who came off the bench in the 63rd minute to replace fellow goal-scorer Uchenna Kanu. It took her just nine minutes to find the back of the net, and in doing so, she becomes the first African player to score at three different Women's World Cups.
Oshoala, who plays for Barcelona, is no stranger to achieving huge milestones. In 2022, she became the first ever African player to win the Pichichi trophy after scoring 20 goals for Barcelona, and as a result of her efforts, was nominated for the Ballon d'Or later that year - making her, again, the first African female player to do this.
With a round of 16 spot within touching distance, Nigeria will certainly fancy their chances at finishing top of Group B as their final group stage match will be against debutants Ireland - who have yet to win a game so far at this year's competition.
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
Messi scores twice as Miami crush Atlanta
The Argentine World Cup winner was handed his first start for his new club after coming off the bench and grabbing a 94th-minute winner in Friday's game against Mexican club Cruz Azul.
In his first game against a Major League Soccer club, Messi was simply too much for Atlanta to cope with and he struck up a fruitful understanding with Finnish winger Robert Taylor, who helped himself to Miami's other two goals.
The Leagues Cup is a tournament that brings together all the top-flight teams from MLS and Mexico's Liga MX and with two wins Miami top their group and with their new arrival looking settled so quickly, they will surely believe they can get their first-ever trophy.
Messi wasted no time in getting on the scoresheet, putting the home side ahead in the eighth minute when he was sent free by a ball over the top from his former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets.
Messi burst into the box and although his low shot struck the post, he made no mistake with the rebound, side-footing into the goal.
The seven-times Ballon d'Or winner then doubled the advantage in the 22nd minute, the first of three goals that saw him combine with Finnish winger Robert Taylor.
Messi ran at the back-pedaling Atlanta defense before switching to Taylor who slid the ball back into the path of the 36-year-old who made no mistake.
Argentina World Cup player with Ronaldo tattoo 'not anti-Messi'
Argentina's Women's World Cup striker Yamila Rodriguez has defended having a tattoo of Cristiano Ronaldo on her leg, saying: "I don't hate Messi."
The 25-year-old faced flak on social media from fans back home after they spotted the ink on her left shin of Portugal's Ronaldo -- the great rival of Argentina captain Lionel Messi.
"Please, enough, I'm not doing well. At what point did I say I'm anti-Messi?" Rodriguez wrote on social media in response.
"Messi is our great captain in the national team, but the fact that I say that my inspiration and my idol is CR7 (Ronaldo) does not mean that I hate Messi. Enough, it's tiring and it hurts."
Rodriguez, who came on as a substitute in Monday's 1-0 World Cup defeat to Italy, has numerous other tattoos, including one of Argentina legend Diego Maradona.
