Tottenham vs Chelsea, Valencia vs Real Madrid, Juventus vs AC Milan, West Ham vs Man United, and PSG vs Lyon are just a few fixtures to make our list.

Top games to watch this week

Friday, September 17

Slovakia vs Sweden (Women's WC Qualifier)

England vs North Macedonia (Women's WC Qualifier)

Saturday, September 18

Burnley vs Arsenal (EPL)

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace (EPL)

Manchester City vs Southampton (EPL)

Atlético Madrid vs Athletic Club (La Liga)

Inter vs Bologna (Serie A)

Bayern München vs Bochum (Bundesliga)

Lens vs Lille (Ligue 1)

Toluca vs América (Liga MX)

Sunday, September 19

West Ham vs Manchester United (EPL)

Tottenham vs Chelsea (EPL)

Valencia vs Real Madrid (La Liga)

Juventus vs Milan (Serie A)

Borussia Dortmund vs Union Berlin (Bundesliga)

PSG vs Olympique Lyonnais (Ligue 1)

Monterrey vs Tigres UANL (Liga MX)

Monday, September 20

Barcelona vs Granada (La Liga)

Benfica vs Boavista (Primeira Liga)

Tuesday, September 21

Norwich City vs Liverpool (League Cup)

Manchester City vs Wycombe Wanderers (League Cup)

Getafe vs Atlético (La Liga)

Fiorentina vs Inter (Serie A)

Slovenia vs France (Women's WC Qualifier)

Palmeiras vs Atlético Mineiro (Copa Libertadores)

Wednesday, September 22

Chelsea vs Aston Villa (League Cup)

Arsenal vs Wimbledon (League Cup)

Manchester United vs West Ham (League Cup)

Wolverhampton vs Tottenham (League Cup)

Real Madrid vs Mallorca (La Liga)

Spezia vs Juventus (Serie A)

Milan vs Venezia (Serie A)

Metz vs PSG (Ligue 1)

Flamengo vs Barcelona (Copa Libertadores)

Thursday, September 23

Cádiz vs Barcelona (La Liga)

Roma vs Udinese (Serie A) 

Most-watched soccer games on U.S. TV: Sept. 7-13

Cristiano Ronaldo delivered the show soccer fans around the planet craved for, scoring a brace against Newcastle in his first game back at Old Trafford as a Red Devil. An average of 537,000 viewers in the USA got to watch Manchester United's 4-1 win against the Toons on USA Network, making it the most-watched soccer game in the USA last week. Ronaldo's return to the Premier League was also screened on Spanish-language channel Universo and averaged 112,000 viewers.

Liverpool's 3-0 away win at Leeds screened on NBC Sports Network was the second most-watched game aired in the USA last week. NBCSN also screened three other games, including Crystal Palace's 3-0 win against Tottenham on Saturday. The average viewership for the four games was 253,000, the most for a channel that screened 2+ games last week.

The third-most watched game of the week was TUDN's Liga MX fixture between Tigres UANL and Leon on Saturday. An average of 292,000 viewers got to watch the last two Mexican champions draw 2-2 at Estadio Universitario. TUDN also screened seven other Liga MX Apertura games, averaging 201,000 viewers per broadcast. 

Most Watched Games, USA, September 7, 13, Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Tigres UANL, Leon, Liga MX, English Premier League

What are the must-watch games this week?

Tottenham vs Chelsea this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET live on Peacock and SiriusXM FC

Peacock continues its live coverage of the 2021/22 Premier League season, bringing Sunday's highly-anticipated London derby between Tottenham and Chelsea to the U.S. screens for fans of the English top-flight. This clash, which will also be broadcasted by SiriusXM FC, is the standout weekend fixture as the Blues look to get the better of their bitter rivals in the race to win the league title.

Tuchel's men head into this game in excellent form. While their recent 1-0 triumph over Zenit in the UEFA Champions League pinpointed some glaring weaknesses in Chelsea's setup, the Stamford Bridge side went on to win that tie nonetheless, maintaining their unbeaten start to the season. With summer signing Romelu Lukaku scoring for fun, this might not end anytime soon. As for Spurs, they lost 3-0 at Crystal Palace over the weekend and will need to bounce back if they wish to remain in the mix for a top-four spot. Can the north London giants hand Chelsea their first defeat of the campaign? Tune in to find out.

Tottenham, Chelsea, English Premier League, Broadcast Listings

Juventus vs Milan this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET live on Paramount+, fuboTV, and CBS Sports Network

After two defeats and one draw from their first three games of the season, Italian giants Juventus find themselves in unfamiliar territory: the relegation zone. While the Old Lady aren't in the bottom three, they hover dangerously close to the danger zone and could possibly drop to bottom of the league should they fail to beat Sunday's opponent.

Unfortunately, that opponent is bitter rivals AC Milan. Unlike Allegri's side, the Rossoneri have won all three of their Serie A fixtures and came close to picking up memorable points at Anfield in their midweek UEFA Champions League encounter with Liverpool – they ended up losing 3-2 to the Reds. As a result, this Allianz Stadium encounter should prove to be thrilling. Will Juventus' horrible run continue or can Dybala and Co. turn things around starting this weekend? Do not miss this showdown.

Juventus, AC Milan, Serie A, Broadcast Listings

Valencia vs Real Madrid this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET live on ESPN+

La Liga's top two teams will battle it out this Sunday, with Real Madrid's 3 p.m. ET showdown with Valencia—live on ESPN+ for fans in the United States—being our third and final pick for the must-watch games of the weekend. Both sides sit tied on 10 points each after four league games, with Los Blancos holding the no.1 spot thanks to their superior goals scored tally. Ancelotti's men head into this tie on the back of their crucial 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in their opening game of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League season and will be looking to make it four wins in a row when they visit the Mestalla.

This week in women's football, September 17, September 23, 2021, Denmark, England, Germany, Norway, USWNT, Paraguay, UEFA World Cup Qualifiers, NCAA Women's Soccer Division 1 

Learn how to watch six UEFA Women's World Cup Qualifiers, 20+ NCAA Women's Soccer Division 1 games and Carli Lloyd's last-ever match wearing the USWNT jersey.

September's UEFA Women's World Cup Qualifiers on Paramount+

Thursday, Sept. 16, marks the start of the UEFA Women's World Cup Qualifiers, and Paramount+ has you partially covered. CBS's streaming platform will exclusively air six of the 45 UEFA WWC Qualifying matches. 

Denmark, England, Germany and Norway are the European powerhouses that you will be able to watch perform if you are subscribed to Paramount+. If you are not subscribed, try out their seven-day trial.

Thursday, Sept. 16

Denmark vs. Malta at noon ET

Norway vs. Armenia at noon ET

Friday, Sept. 17

England vs. North Macedonia at 2 p.m. ET

Saturday, Sept. 18

Germany vs. Bulgaria at 10 a.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 21

Germany vs. Serbia at 10 a.m. ET

Luxemburg vs. England at 2:15 a.m. ET

How to watch the USWNT doubleheader vs. Paraguay 

The U.S. women's national team return to action for the first time after the Tokyo Olympics, taking on Paraguay twice in five days.

The first friendly game will take place at Cleveland's FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The second encounter will be held at the newly-opened TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and TUDN.

Thursday's match will mark the first time the two nations meet. The USA and Paraguay had squared-off previously at the youth levels but not at the senior level. 

Tuesday's game will be Carli Lloyd's last wearing Stars and Stripes. The 39-year-old striker announced that she will retire at the end of the NWSL season after winning Bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. Lloyd is currently the second-most capped player in world soccer history with 312 games played for the USA and has scored 128 international goals, ranking fourth in USWNT history.

NCAA Women's Soccer update and games to watch

Here are the rankings for the NCAA Women's Soccer Division 1 and how you can watch each team's next game:

  1. Florida State (vs. Boston College Saturday, Sept. 18, on ACC Network Extra)

  2. North Carolina (vs. Duke Friday, Sept. 17, on ACC Network Extra)

  3. UCLA (vs. San Diego Thursday, Sept. 16, on WCC Network)

  4. Duke (vs. North Carolina Friday, Sept. 17, on ACC Network Extra)

  5. TCU (vs. Pepperdine on Thursday, Sept. 16, on ESPN+)

  6. LSU (vs. Mississippi State Friday, Sept. 17, on SEC Network)

  7. Virginia (vs. Wake Forest Friday, Sept. 17, on ACC Network Extra)

  8. Penn State (vs. Rutgers Sunday, Sept. 19, on B1GNetwork+)

  9. Pepperdine (vs. TCU Thursday, Sept. 16, on ESPN+)

  10. Stanford (vs. Santa Clara Sunday, Sept. 19, on Pac-12)

  11. Santa Clara (vs. Stanford Sunday, Sept. 19, on Pac-12)

  12. Auburn (vs. Georgia Friday, Sept. 17, on SEC Network+)

  13. Tennessee (vs. Arkansas Friday, Sept. 17, on SEC Network+)

  14. UCF (vs. Houston Thursday, Sept. 16, on ESPN+)

  15. West Virginia (vs. James Madison Thursday, Sept. 16, on FloSports)

  16. Rutgers (vs, Drexel Thursday, Sept. 16, on BTN+)

  17. Xavier (vs. Bowling Green Thursday, Sept. 16, on WBGU-PBS YouTube channel)

  18. BYU (vs. Idaho State Thursday, Sept. 16, on BYU Sports Network)

  19. Pitt (vs. Clemson Thursday, Sept. 16, on ESPN+)

  20. Arizona State (vs. Colorado College Friday, Sept. 17, on cctigers.com)

  21. Michigan (vs. Illinois Friday, Sept. 17, on B1GNetwork+)

  22. Princeton (vs. Princeton Thursday, Sept. 16, on ESPN+)

  23. Hofstra (vs. Princeton Thursday, Sept. 16, on ESPN+)

  24. SMU (vs. San Francisco Thursday, Sept. 16, on ESPN+)

  25. Georgetown (vs. William and Mary Saturday, Sept. 18, on FloSports)

Biggest stories of the week

South Africa reportedly keen on taking over as FIFA Club World Cup hosts

The latest installment of the FIFA Club World Cup could have a new home after reports have claimed that South Africa will be trying to bid to serve as hosts. As per the Associated Press, South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan has requested a formal sit-down with FIFA's general secretary in Lagos, Nigeria over the coming days.

Previously, Japan were set to host, which would have been the ninth time they had the event in their country. However, after looking at the numbers and seeing their football association post significant losses over the past year, Japan's Football Association decided to withdraw their rights to host. A major concern was about profitability due to COVID-19 and subsequently not being able to fill their stadiums.

While South Africa has had their issues with COVID-19, the country apparently has seen a drop in cases over the past few weeks, and could use this to push to have the event moved to their country. This year's event is supposed to begin in December.

Mohamed Salah equals Ian Rush and Steven Gerrard's Champions League goalscoring record

Mohamed Salah is just a goal away from becoming Liverpool's outright top-goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League at Anfield after matching Ian Rush and Steven Gerrard's record. The 29-year-old forward found the back of the net against AC Milan on Wednesday night to pull his side back into the game, consequently closing in on another personal milestone. Salah's feat meant that he has now scored 14 goals at his side's home ground. As far as the race to become the Reds' all-time top goalscorer is concerned, the Egyptian forward is now three goals behind leader Steven Gerrard who registered 30 in his career.

Barcelona set three woeful records after three-nil loss to Bayern Munich

September 14, 2021 will go down in history as one of the saddest days in Barcelona history, as the team's image during their opening game of the UEFA Champions League left fans dumb-founded and disappointed regarding their chances of success in the tournament.

On top of it all, the Blaugrana side will have to try and explain a performance that saw Los Culés establishing three unfortunate records in their franchise's history.

The first one of those had to do with their poor run in the tournament when it comes to home games. Judging by their recent performances at Camp Nou, it seems that Koeman's team has forgotten how to win games in the UEFA Champions League while playing the role of hosts, having lost three in a row in their own backyard – 0-3 vs Juventus, 1-4 vs Paris Saint-Germain and 0-3 vs Bayern Munich – for the first time in history.

Such a woeful performance was also reflected with how their strikers failed to place Manuel Neuer's net in danger as none of Koeman's 10 outfield players mustered a shot on target against the Bundesliga champions.

On top of it all, Barcelona will find themselves in a position in which they have not been in the entire 21st century as this was the first time they lost the opening game of their UEFA Champions League campaign since going 3-2 down to Newcastle in 1997/98.

All in all, a disappointing performance by Barcelona resulted in a walk in the park for Bayern. Will this be the first UEFA Champions League edition in this century where Barcelona miss out on the knockout stage? We shall know that in the next couple of months.

How Cristiano's arrival could change one Man Utd star's Old Trafford future

The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo looks to have brought several positives to Man United, from both a tactical point – the Portuguese icon is a goalscoring machine – to a commercial perspective as well, having sold record-breaking number of replica jerseys.

However, it doesn't stop there. As the saying goes, every ambitious footballer loves to play with the best in the world, and given that Ronaldo is one of only a few names in that category, his arrival looks to have sparked a change in heart from one wantaway superstar.

That man is none other than Paul Pogba, the French international who has less than 12 months left on his current Old Trafford deal. PSG, Juventus, and Real Madrid have been tipped as the favorites to land the midfielder but after witnessing Man United's comprehensive 4-1 victory over Newcastle in Cristiano's debut game, the Athletic claim that the 28-year-old's future has taken a turn for the positive.

The Red Devils are set to begin contract talks with the Frenchman amid growing optimism. However, given that Pogba can reach a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club this January ahead of a free summer exit, Solskjaer's side have replacements lined up for the possibility of his departure.

One key factor that will go into the Frenchman's decision is Man United's ability to challenge for silverware. The Premier League giants are yet to win a title under Solskjaer but will look to end this barren run thanks to the addition of Sancho, Varane, and Ronaldo.

Not only did CR7 score a brace in his second EPL debut for Man United, the Portuguese icon also netted in his UCL debut, taking his tally to 135 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Young Boys, UEFA Champions League

Other key headlines from the world of football

Real Madrid make history with late goal and win against Inter

Los Blancos earned one more record during their UEFA Champions League victory over Inter Milan, as their impressive streak of victories in Italy has made them the only club in history to walk away from that country with seven wins in a row, according to stats specialist Mister Chip.

To make things even more pleasant for Real Madrid, coach Carlo Ancelotti is now a member of the shortlist of Los Blancos bosses to win a game in Italy, becoming only the second Merengues gaffer to triumph at the San Siro after Zinedine Zidane.

AC Milan set to file formal complaint after racist abuse of player

AC Milan picked up a well-deserved 2-0 win in their recent clash with rivals Lazio, with veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic marking his return from injury with a goal after coming on as a sub. However, the win was marred by an ugly incident that occurred shortly before Tiemoue Bakayoko, who was brought back in from Chelsea, made his re-appearance for the Diavolo in the second half.

Lazio's fans, who have made the news both in Italy and internationally due to their racist and other offensive behavior at matches, again decided to do the very thing that has made them infamous: hurl racist abuse at the player. While that's not to say that all fans were doing this, a sizeable portion of the visiting crowd were involved. And now, Milan has decided to take strong action to defend their player, with reports in Italy claiming that the Rossoneri have chosen to file a formal complaint with the federal prosecutor's office.

La Liga president slams Florentino Perez, accuses Real Madrid of holding Barca hostage

La Liga president Javier Tebas and Real Madrid's Florentino Perez have never shied away from engaging in a war of words. However, Tebas' recent criticism of the Blancos official stands out as one of his most eye-catching remarks.

The Spanish top-flight executive touched upon the recent deal reached with private equity firm CVC that looked to have secured $3.2BN in investment for the league. However, this deal was vividly objected by both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Despite Joan Laporta publicly speaking out against the arrangement, Tebas claims that the Blaugrana only rejected the offer due to Los Blancos.

"Florentino Perez is holding Barcelona hostage," Tebas said in the interview with Sport.

"Barcelona were in agreement with the CVC deal for around a month, until Real Madrid said no.

"There is an inferiority complex in the club with Florentino Perez."