Top games to watch this week
Friday, September 20
Deportivo Alavés vs Sevilla
Hellas Verona vs Torino
Augsburg vs Mainz 05
Nacional vs Sporting Braga
Nice vs Saint-Étienne
Al Ittifaq vs Al Nassr
Atlas vs Querétaro
Saturday, September 21
West Ham vs Chelsea
Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Tottenham vs Brentford
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United
Real Madrid vs Espanyol
Juventus vs Napoli
Werder Bremen vs Bayern
Vitoria Guimarães vs Porto
Reims vs PSG
Boca Juniors vs River Plate
Fluminense vs Botafogo
Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray
Necaxa vs América
Cruz Azul vs Guadalajara
New York City vs Inter Miami
LA Galaxy vs Vancouver Whitecaps
Sunday. September 22
Manchester City vs Arsenal
Villarreal vs Barcelona
Rayo Vallecano vs Atlético Madrid
Inter vs Milan
Bayer Leverkusen vs Wolfsburg
Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund
Sporting CP vs AVS
Lyon vs Marseille
Gremio vs Flamengo
Sao Paulo vs Internacional
Monday, September 23
Real Betis vs Mallorca
Atalanta vs Como
Boavista vs Benfica
Vasco da Gama vs Cuiabá
Tuesday, September 24
Real Madrid vs Alavés
Chelsea vs Barrow
Man City vs Watford
River Plate vs Colo-Colo
Corinthians vs Fortaleza
Wednesday, September 25
Bodo/Glimt vs Porto
Dynamo Kyiv vs Lazio
Galatasaray vs PAOK
Manchester United vs Twente
Nice vs Real Sociedad
Barcelona vs Getafe
Arsenal vs Bolton
Liverpool vs West Ham
Atlético Mineiro vs Fluminense
Sao Paulo vs Botafogo
Columbus Crew vs América
Los Angeles FC vs Sporting KC
RB Bragantino vs Internacional
Thursday, September 26
Fenerbahce vs Union Saint-Gilloise
Malmo vs Rangers
Tottenham vs Qarabag
Sporting Braga vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
Roma vs Athletic Club
Lyon vs Olympiakos
FCSB vs Rigas FS
Ajax vs Besiktas
Celta de Vigo vs Atlético Madrid
Peñarol vs Flamengo
Racing Club vs Athletico-PR
Cruzeiro vs Libertad
What are this week's must-watch games?
Boca Juniors vs River Plate live this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and Fanatiz USA
Boca Juniors prepare to host bitter rivals River Plate this Saturday in the first Superclásico of the season! Both sides are nine points adrift of the top spot and thus must win this tie. Xeneize are unbeaten in their last 21 home games and will look to use this home advantage in their favor. Los Millonarios, on the other hand, will want to beat their rivals for the first time in a year and will eye a return to winning ways following their recent 1-1 draw at Colo-Colo in the Copa Libertadores.
New York City vs Inter Miami live this Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami return to action this weekend, with the Eastern Conference leaders visiting New York City this Saturday. The Herons have already sealed qualification to the playoffs but will be eyeing history as the New England Revolution's record for most points in a regular season (73) is within touching distance. Messi and Co. need 11 points from their remaining five fixtures. The hosts, on the other hand, will have one eye on the playoff spots, with 10th-placed DC United sitting only seven points behind.
Manchester City vs Arsenal live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on Telemundo, USA Network, and fuboTV
All eyes will be on the Etihad Stadium as the two favorites for this season's Premier League title lock horns on Sunday. Manchester City host Arsenal on the back of their goalless draw with Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League and will be aiming to return to winning ways. The same is true for the Gunners who were held to a 0-0 draw by fellow Italian club Atalanta. Both teams will be without their main attacking midfielders (Kevin de Bruyne and Martin Odegaard). How far will this Matchday 5 showdown go in deciding this season's title race? Do not miss this box-office tie.
Inter Milan vs Milan live this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and FOX Deportes
The Milan Derby is back! Inter and AC Milan prepare to face off for the first time this season as the Nerazzurri aim to return to winning ways. Inzaghi's men have drawn their last two fixtures, being held to 1-1 and 0-0 draws by Monza and Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. The Rossoneri, on the flip were, were beaten 3-1 at home to Liverpool but won their weekend Serie A game 4-0 against Venezia.
Columbus Crew vs Club América live this Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass, TUDN USA, and fuboTV
The 2024 Campeones Cup is finally here as MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew prepare to face Liga MX's Campeón de Campeones winner Club America in Ohio. Both teams enter this tie on the back of a recent blip, with The Crew dropping points to Seattle Sounders and Cincinnati earlier this month while the Eagles lost three consecutive games from mid-August. Fortunately, both sides have returned to winning ways and should hand each other a stern test in this highly-anticipated one-off showdown.
Biggest headlines
Barca downed by Monaco as Arsenal held in Champions League stalemate
French club Monaco upset 10-man Barcelona by grinding out a 2-1 victory on Thursday in the Champions League, while a stunning David Raya double-save ensured Arsenal a goalless draw away to Europa League winners Atalanta.
Barca have started the season with a perfect record after five La Liga matches but, hindered by a red card in the 11th minute for Eric Garcia, fell to defeat on the French Riviera.
Maghnes Akliouche fired the French side into the lead five minutes after Garcia was dismissed for a last-man challenge on Takumi Minamino.
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal equalized in the 28th minute with an arrowed shot after cutting in from the right onto his favored left foot, but George Ilenikhena grabbed the winner for Monaco inside the final 20 minutes. Read more…
Last-gasp Gimenez strike sends Atletico past Leipzig
A 90th-minute goal from Jose Maria Gimenez snatched a 2-1 comeback victory for Atletico Madrid at home against RB Leipzig in their Champions League opener on Thursday.
Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko put the visitors in front just four minutes in but Antoine Griezmann levelled things up after 28 minutes.
In the final minute of regular time, the Frenchman chipped goalwards from the edge of the box and Gimenez rose high to head the ball back across goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and into the goal. Read more…
Munich to rename stadium street after Beckenbauer
A street next to Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena stadium will be renamed to honor German football great Franz Beckenbauer who died earlier this year, the city council announced Thursday.
Part of the street, currently called Werner Heisenberg Allee, which runs alongside the stadium in the north of the city will be renamed Franz Beckenbauer Platz.
The change means the stadium, which is set to host the Champions League final in May 2025, will officially be situated at Franz Beckenbauer Platz 5 -- the midfielder's shirt number.
Beckenbauer, nicknamed 'Der Kaiser' for his dominant style on the field, was one of the greatest players of all time. Read more…
Arsenal's Odegaard faces lengthy injury absence
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will be out "for a while" with an ankle injury he suffered on international duty with Norway, manager Mikel Arteta said on Wednesday.
Odegaard twisted his ankle in Norway's Nations League match against Austria earlier this month.
His national team doctor had suggested he would be sidelined for a "minimum of three weeks".
"I don't want to (put a timeframe on it) because I am not a doctor but it is something quite significant so we're going to lose him for a while -- hopefully not months, but let's see," Arteta said ahead of Arsenal's UEFA Champions League opener against Atalanta, which they drew nil-nil. Read more…
Ronaldo's Al Nassr appoint former AC Milan boss Pioli
Saudi club Al Nassr announced Wednesday the appointment of Stefano Pioli as coach of the side headed up by Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Italian replaces Luis Castro, who parted ways with the club on Tuesday after a slow start to the season, both domestically and in the AFC Champions League.
"Pioli is Nassrawi," Al Nassr said a statement on social media platform X.
"We welcome Stefano Pioli as our new coach." Read more…
Postecoglou taken aback by criticism of his second season success claim
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou insisted Tuesday he had done nothing more than say "something true" as he defended his comments regarding "always winning things" in a second year at a club.
The 59-year-old Australian, following Sunday's 1-0 loss at home to Arsenal in the north London derby, was asked about his pre-season comments about delivering a trophy during a second campaign as he had done in Scotland with Celtic.
Postecoglou replied "nothing's changed", as he attempts to build on last season, when he steered Spurs to fifth place in the Premier League. Read more…
Man City's Rodri warns of strike action over fixture increase
Manchester City midfielder Rodri has warned leading footballers could go on strike if clubs continue to face an ever-expanding schedule.
City, the 2023 Champions League winners, face Italian giants Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, in their first match of the competition's new league phase.
The expanded 36-team tournament, in which all clubs play eight league fixtures, is a far cry from the original European Cup which only featured reigning national champions.
City will also compete in an expanded Club World Cup at the end of the season.
"Yes, I think we are close to that," said Rodri when asked on Tuesday if there was a possibility of players going on strike. Read more…
Man Utd appoint Foster + Partners to develop Old Trafford 'masterplan'
Manchester United have appointed globally renowned architects Foster + Partners to develop a masterplan for the area around Old Trafford as part of an ambitious regeneration project.
The Premier League club are looking at two options -- either redeveloping the nation's largest club stadium or building a new one on adjacent club-owned land.
United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe favors a new ground and the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force is understood to have centered its discussions on building a new 100,000-capacity stadium rather than redeveloping the existing ground.
The club have now appointed London-based Foster + Partners to develop a "masterplan". Read more...
Other headlines from the world of soccer
Struggling Roma replace sacked icon De Rossi with Ivan Juric
Roma sacked club icon Daniele De Rossi and replaced him with Ivan Juric on Wednesday after a poor start to the season which has left the Serie A team without a win and languishing near the relegation zone.
In a statement, Roma said that Juric had been hired until the end of the season, following the sacking of De Rossi after just eight months in charge. Continue reading…
Italy's 1990 World Cup icon Schillaci dies aged 59
Former Italy striker Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci, most famous for being the top scorer at the 1990 World Cup, died on Wednesday at the age of 59.
Juventus were among Italy's football clubs to pay tribute to Schillaci, who became an icon for his unexpected goalscoring exploits at his country's home World Cup, simply saying "Ciao Toto" on social media with a picture of him in a Juve shirt. Continue reading…
Germany to bid to host women's Euro 2029
Germany will bid to host the 2029 women's European Championships in football, the country's FA (DFB) announced on Friday.
DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement the bid was the organization's "flagship project" which will give an "additional boost" to women's football in the country. Continue reading...