Saturday Football
8am (all times BST)
Matchday Live
John Brewin, Rob Smyth, and Barry Glendenning bring you all the buildup to Saturday’s football action. They’ll cover the overnight headlines, preview England’s World Cup qualifier in Birmingham, and run through the full schedule in Leagues One and Two, including team news and breaking stories.
As the Women’s Super League kicks off, our correspondent Suzanne Wrack will host a Q&A from 11am to answer readers’ questions. Send your thoughts and queries to matchday.live@theguardian.com.
Women’s Super League
1.30pm Arsenal v London City Lionesses
Rob Smyth leads our live blog for this WSL clash. Newly promoted London City Lionesses, backed by wealthy American owner Michele Kang and the first fully independent side in the WSL, are aiming to make their mark in the top flight. They’ve shown their ambition with Friday’s world-record signing of French international Grace Geyoro from Paris Saint-Germain for £1.43m. The 28-year-old is the team’s 16th permanent signing this summer, joining other new arrivals like England forward Nikita Parris, Netherlands midfielder Daniëlle van de Donk, and Italy defender Elena Linari. Suzanne Wrack reports live from the Emirates Stadium as they take on the Champions League winners.
Formula One
2pm Italian Grand Prix Qualifying
Lando Norris’s retirement in Zandvoort has left him trailing teammate Oscar Piastri in the championship battle. With McLaren currently the team to beat, reliability issues for the Australian may be Norris’s only chance to get back into the title race. After an engine failure ended his Dutch Grand Prix early, Norris now sits 34 points behind Piastri with nine rounds remaining. He had been on course for second place in Zandvoort before his car gave out late in the race. Piastri has seven wins this season, two more than Norris, who is the only McLaren driver to have suffered a technical failure this year. Billy Munday provides lap-by-lap coverage of what promises to be a competitive qualifying session, with Giles Richards reporting from the Italian circuit.
Lando Norris will have plenty of fans cheering him on at Monza.
Women’s Rugby World Cup
5pm England v Australia Live
The Red Roses can secure top spot in Pool A by avoiding defeat against the Wallaroos and are aiming for another dominant performance to reinforce their status as tournament favorites. England began the competition with a 69–7 win over the United States and have already secured a quarter-final place. A victory would equal their record unbeaten run of 30 consecutive wins, a streak that dates back to their defeat by New Zealand in the 2021 World Cup final. England have won all seven of their previous meetings with Australia, including a 42–7 victory in October 2023. Niall McVeigh leads our live blog, with Sarah Rendell and Andy Bull reporting from the Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium.
World Cup Qualifying
5pm England v Andorra Live
Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions host Andorra at Villa Park before facing Serbia in Belgrade three days later. England lead Group K with a perfect nine points from wins over Albania, Latvia, and Andorra in Tuchel’s first three matches. The remaining qualifiers take place in October and November as England look to secure a place at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Barry Glendenning leads our live blog, with analysis and reports from David Hytner, Barney Ronay, and Jacob Steinberg.
US Open Tennis
9pm Women’s Singles Final Live
Amanda Anisimova faces world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the New York final, chasing her first major title. Just eight weeks after a humbling 6–0, 6–0 loss to Iga Świątek in her first Wimbledon final, Anisimova has bounced back impressively and now meets Sabalenka again in a rematch of their semi-final at SW19.Meanwhile, she will face an American in the final for the third consecutive year. The three-time Grand Slam champion is aiming for her first major title this season after falling short in the Australian and French Open finals. Katy Murrells is covering the action from New York City, with Tumaini Carayol reporting from Flushing Meadows.
Sunday
Football
8am – Matchday Live
Join John Brewin as we preview Sunday’s key football fixtures. Our live countdown will build up to the WSL lunchtime matches we’re covering—Tottenham vs. West Ham and Liverpool vs. Everton—as well as Northern Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Germany. We’ll also review England’s qualifier against Andorra and provide an update on the Spanish transfer window, brought to you by Sid Lowe.
Cricket
11am – England vs. South Africa Live
England have lost the Metro Bank ODI series with one game still to play, after two defeats in three days—a heavy loss at Headingley followed by a narrow five-run defeat at Lord’s. The hosts have struggled, entering the series just hours after the conclusion of the Hundred, which itself followed a demanding five-Test series against India. Is this a case of fixture overload? Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook (captain), and Jamie Smith have played throughout a draining summer, with Jofra Archer also featuring across all formats. Though rested for the upcoming T20 series in Ireland, they still have points to prove ahead of the Ashes tour in a few months. Tanya Aldred and James Wallace will provide over-by-over coverage of the third ODI, with Simon Burnton reporting from Southampton.
Women’s Football
12pm – WSL Clockwatch
Billy Munday will track the day’s WSL action, including team news and breaking stories. Excitement is building as England’s Euro 2025-winning players begin the new domestic season—19 of the 23-woman Lionesses squad are playing in the WSL this year. We’ll report live from Tottenham vs. West Ham and Liverpool vs. Everton, while also keeping an eye on Manchester United vs. Leicester and Brighton vs. Aston Villa, all kicking off at noon.
Tottenham will be encouraged by their pre-season friendly win over North London rivals and Champions League winners Arsenal.
Formula One
2pm – Italian GP Live
Lewis Hamilton heads into Sunday’s race on Ferrari’s home turf a week after crashing out in Zandvoort, still seeking his first podium with the team. His chances at Monza have been hurt by a five-place grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement before last Sunday’s race. Hamilton trails Charles Leclerc by 42 points in the championship and has been out-qualified by his teammate 10 times, beating him in only two of 15 races since joining Ferrari. A lot is riding on his Italian Grand Prix debut in red. Tom Bassam will provide lap-by-lap updates, with Giles Richards reporting from Monza.
Women’s Rugby World Cup
4.45pm – France vs. South Africa Live
Daniel Gallan will offer minute-by-minute coverage of the clash between world number four France and South Africa at Franklin’s Gardens. He’ll also provide updates from New Zealand vs. Ireland, with Sarah Rendell reporting on the group decider from Brighton. Elsewhere, Japan face Spain in York, and Italy meet Brazil. By the end of the day, the quarter-final lineups will be confirmed.
Tennis
7pm – Men’s Singles Final Live
Daniel Harris will lead our live blog of the men’s final, with Tumaini Carayol reporting from Flushing Meadows as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner meet in a Grand Slam final for the third straight year. Sinner has reached the final of all four majors this season, having defeated Alexander…Zverev is still competing in Australia, while Alcaraz was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard had staged a remarkable comeback against Sinner to win the French Open, but later lost to the Italian in the Wimbledon final. In Friday’s semi-finals, Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in straight sets, and Sinner overcame a second-set stumble to beat Félix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a helpful and clear list of FAQs about the weekends sports guide
General Beginner Questions
Q What is the Womens Super League
A Its the top tier of professional womens football in England featuring the best clubs like Chelsea Arsenal and Manchester City
Q When does the new WSL season start
A The new season is kicking off this weekend You should check The Guardians guide for the exact date and first fixtures
Q Who is the England national team playing
A The guide mentions England is playing two matches Youll need to check the article for the specific opponents which are likely other national teams
Q Where can I watch these games
A Broadcast details are usually included in guides like this Check The Guardians article for TV channels or streaming services like Sky Sports or BBC for the WSL and Channel 4 or ITV for England matches
Q Im new to womens football Is this a good weekend to start watching
A Absolutely The start of a new league season is a perfect time to get familiar with the teams and players
Intermediate Advanced Questions
Q What are the key fixtures to watch in the WSL this opening weekend
A The biggest match is usually a Derby or a clash between last seasons top teams The Guardians guide will highlight the mustwatch game of the weekend
Q Which England players should I look out for after the World Cup
A Players like Lauren James Alessia Russo and Mary Earps are ones to watch as they were standout performers for England recently
Q Are there any major team changes or new signings I should know about for the WSL
A Yes top clubs make big transfers during the break The guide might mention them so look for info on any new star players joining the league
Q Whats at stake for England in their two matches
A These are likely UEFA Nations League games which are important for qualifying for major tournaments like the Euros or Olympics
Q How can I get tickets to a WSL match
