Top games to watch this weekend
Friday
England vs Malta (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Italy vs North Macedonia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Jamaica vs Canada (CONCACAF Nations League)
Honduras vs Mexico (CONCACAF Nations League)
Ghana vs Madagascar (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Cameroon vs Mauritius (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Greece vs New Zealand (Friendly)
Senegal vs Japan (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
Poland vs Argentina (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
England vs Brazil (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
Iran vs New Caledonia (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
Saturday
Netherlands vs Ireland Republic (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
France vs Gibraltar (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Israel vs Romania (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Senegal vs South Sudan (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Germany vs Turkey (Friendly)
New Zealand vs Mexico (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
Germany vs Venezuela (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
United States vs France (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
Burkina Faso vs Korea Republic (FIFA U-17 World Cup)
Sunday
Spain vs Georgia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Scotland vs Norway (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Portugal vs Iceland (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Slovakia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
Zimbabwe vs Nigeria (FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: November 6-12, 2023
The week of November 6 to November 12, 2023, delivered several exciting games but it was Liga MX that reigned supreme in terms of viewership numbers in the USA. The Mexican top flight grabbed the top two spots for most-watched soccer matches, both of which were aired on TelevisaUnivision's free-to-air Spanish-language network Univision.
The top spot went to the showdown between Tigres UANL and Liga MX leaders Club America, which garnered over one million average viewers. Unfortunately, this match ended in a goalless draw but it did phenomenally for the aforementioned network. Second is Pumas UNAM's 1-0 victory over Guadalajara, which earned 841,000 average viewers for Univision, as Gabriel Fernandez's only goal sealed Pumas the three points.
And wrapping things up is the recent NWSL Championship game which saw OL Reign and NJ/NY Gotham battle it out. The latter emerged victorious, winning 2-1 to lift the title and earning CBS just over 800,000 average viewers.
What are this weekend's must-watch games?
Denmark vs. Slovenia live this Friday at 2:45 p.m. ET on Fox Sports GO, Fox Sports Plus, ViX, and ViX+
The Euro 2024 qualifying campaign comes to a wrap this international break, with Denmark taking on Slovenia in the penultimate qualifier. This is a crucial showdown as both teams are tied on 19 points in Group H, meaning the winner will all but win the group and qualify for next year's tournament. Meanwhile, with Kazakhstan closing in on the two, defeat could be disastrous for both nations, Slovenia in particular, as they will host Kazakhstan in their final fixture. Don't miss this clash.
Germany vs. Turkey live this Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET on ViX
Germany continue their preparation for Euro 2024, taking on Turkey in an interesting friendly. The four-time World Cup champions are the host nation and thus qualified automatically. However, with Julian Nagelsmann having just arrived, the European giants have little to no time to rediscover their form after a disastrous spell under Hansi Flick. Tune in to ViX to catch the action live.
France vs. Gibraltar live this Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET on Vix
France play their final Euro 2024 home qualifier this weekend, with the 2018 World Cup winners hosting Gibraltar. Mbappe and Co. have already sealed qualification and are one of only two nations with a perfect record so far. The visitors, on the flip side, are bottom of the group after losing all six of their qualifiers, which means Deschamps should rotate heavily for this game.
Portugal vs. Iceland live this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET on ViX
From one nation that has qualified to another, Portugal prepare to return to the pitch this Sunday, taking on Iceland in what should be an interesting tie. Just like France, Cristiano and Co. boast a perfect record in the qualifiers as well, beating Liechtenstein 2-0 in their most recent fixture. Meanwhile, Iceland have failed to make it to Euro 2024 through the qualifiers but will want to wrap up this tournament with a confidence-boosting victory over one of the best national teams in the world.
Although the 2023 NWSL season came to an end last weekend, there are still plenty of interesting matches taking place in women's soccer, including the start of the 2023 NCAA Women's Soccer championship.
Here's all you need to know ahead of another exciting weekend in women's soccer.
What to watch in women's soccer: November 17th through November 19th
NCAA
The 2023 NCAA Women's Soccer competition is now underway, with the second round and round of 16 games coming up over the next few days. Reigning champions UCLA were shockingly eliminated in the first round after losing 1-0 to unseeded UC Irvine - meaning that this year will have a different team lifting the title.
As such, fans of college soccer will once again have plenty of games to follow. Fans in the USA can follow many of these matches via live streaming through ESPN+ and the ESPN App, which also provides games from the ACC Network. Additional live-streaming options also include fuboTV, while the SEC Network will also be carrying some games on TV and live-streaming is also accessible through SEC Network +.
For a detailed schedule of games, including where and how you can watch them, check out our special NCAA Division I women's soccer page here.
D1 Féminine
The next round of matches in the 2023/24 D1 Féminine season kicks off on Friday, November 17th as reigning champions Lyon welcome Dijon. Once again, Lyon, who are by far the most successful women's team in not just French soccer but also in Europe, are on top of the table after a perfect start to the season that has seen them win all seven of their matches so far. Dijon, by contrast, are already involved in an early relegation fight after picking up just two points. It's safe to say that this match will likely be all one-way traffic, with visiting side Dijon just keen on trying to keep the score-line as low as possible.
Frauen-Bundesliga
Friday also marks the start of another round of Frauen-Bundesliga games, with Hoffenheim, who sit in third place, taking on fifth-placed Essen. At the moment, Hoffenheim are three points behind league leaders Bayern Munich so could technically pull level with die Roten should they pick up a win ahead of Bayern's away game against Werder Bremen on Sunday, November 19th.
Top news in women's soccer
2023 NWSL Championship final posts surprising viewing results in the USA
On Saturday, the 2023 NWSL season came to an end as OL Reign and NJ/NY Gotham battled it out for the Championship title. Both teams were seeking to win the coveted prize for the first time, and after an exciting 90 minutes, Gotham prevailed thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Yet, despite the hype and excitement surrounding this past weekend's final, the viewership numbers in the USA did not exactly meet expectations per se.
Indeed, stats show that the 2023 NWSL Championship final's viewership numbers were over 10% lower than the 2022 edition, which starred the Portland Thorns and Kansas City Current. An estimated 817,000 people tuned in to watch the OL Reign vs NJ/NY Gotham match on November 11th on CBS, versus the nearly 1 million (915,000) who opted to watch the Thorns vs Current match in 2022.
Part of this drop in viewership could be due to the fact that the NWSL final took place in the midst of the college football season - albeit the Reign vs Gotham game did bring in more viewers than the Mississippi State and Texas A&M game, which was shown on ESPN2 and pulled in a bit over 400,000 viewers (409,000).
Interestingly, the same report indicates that live-streaming numbers on Paramount+ actually increased in the 2023 NWSL Championship final versus the 2022 edition. Saturday's match also marked the second consecutive time a NWSL Championship final not only was shown on primetime TV but also reached at least 800,000 viewers.
All in all, it will likely be encouraging news for the NWSL, who recently secured a four-year deal with CBS, ESPN, Scripps Sports, and Amazon worth an estimated $60 million per annum. Prior to this, the NWSL had a deal with CBS worth just $1.5 million per year - so this new deal is a clear sign that many broadcasters are eager to take advantage of the rapid growth of women's football.
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.
Biggest stories of the week
Arsenal boss Arteta charged over VAR rant
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been charged by the Football Association over an explosive VAR rant following his side's controversial defeat against Newcastle.
Arteta said the VAR decision not to disallow Anthony Gordon's goal in the 1-0 loss at St James' Park earlier this month was embarrassing and an "absolute disgrace".
"Mikel Arteta has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3.1 following comments that he made in media interviews after Arsenal's Premier League game against Newcastle United on Saturday, November 4," an FA statement said on Thursday.
Beckham says Messi at Inter Miami is 'our gift to America'
David Beckham told AFP in an interview on Wednesday that his Inter Miami franchise signed Lionel Messi as "our gift to America and the MLS".
Former Manchester and Real Madrid midfielder Beckham, speaking on his first-ever visit to India and in his role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, admitted he still has to pinch himself when he sees the Argentinian World Cup winner on the teamsheet in Florida.
"It's still hard to believe that when someone turns around to me and says Inter Miami have Lionel Messi in their team, you know," he said.
Chelsea boss Hayes confirmed as US women's soccer coach
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has been appointed as the new head coach of the United States in a record deal that will make her the world's highest-paid women's football coach, the United States Soccer Federation said Tuesday.
Hayes, 47, revealed earlier this month she plans to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after a trophy-laden spell in charge of the English club.
"This is a huge honor to be given the opportunity to coach the most incredible team in world football history," Hayes said in a USSF statement confirming her appointment.
US Soccer did not divulge details of Hayes' contract, but said she would become the "highest-paid women's soccer in the world".
Mazzarri makes shock Napoli return after Garcia shown the door
Walter Mazzarri made a shock return as Napoli manager on Tuesday after Rudi Garcia fell victim to a dismal start to the Italian champions' Serie A title defense.
Garcia lasted just five months at Napoli after replacing Italy coach Luciano Spalletti, failing to inspire a team that had kept almost all the stars of last season's first Scudetto since 1990.
Napoli are 10 points behind league leaders Inter Milan in fourth and have been in turmoil for weeks as May's historic title triumph began to increasingly look like a one-off.
Garcia, 59, was fired after Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Empoli and was greeted by a deluge of boos and whistles from supporters, whose joy at being reigning Italian champions has vanished.
Man Utd, Denmark suffer Hojlund, Eriksen injury blow
Manchester United could be without Rasmus Hojlund for a critical Champions League trip to Galatasaray, while Christian Eriksen will be sidelined for a month in the latest injury blow to the Red Devils.
Despite Hojlund's five goals in four Champions League appearances for the club, United are on the brink of elimination ahead of their visit to Istanbul on November 29.
United are hoping the 20-year-old will return before the end of the month after suffering a muscle strain late on in Saturday's 1-0 win over Luton.
Eriksen had to be replaced early on in the same game and will be sidelined for longer due to a knee problem.
Other key headlines from the world of soccer
Bellingham ruled out of England Euro 2024 qualifiers
Jude Bellingham has been ruled out of England's final Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia, the Football Association announced on Tuesday. Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has also been withdrawn from Gareth Southgate's squad, meaning five players are missing from the initial group announced for the match at Wembley on November 17 and the away fixture three days later.
Midfielder Bellingham, 20, who has scored 13 goals so far in a stunning debut season for Real Madrid, and Colwill both have shoulder issues.
Overmars gets Dutch ban over sexually explicit messages
Disgraced former international Marc Overmars on Thursday received a one-year fixed ban from working in Dutch football after sending sexually explicit pictures and videos to women staff. The ex-Netherlands winger quit as Ajax's director of football in February 2022 after admitting to sending a "series of inappropriate messages" to female colleagues, saying he was "ashamed" of his behavior.
