The UEFA Champions League is back this week, with the 2026/27 league phase officially getting underway across three nights from Tuesday 8 September. Thirty-six clubs will compete in the league phase, with each team playing eight matches against eight different opponents before the knockout places are decided. The league phase runs through January, with the top eight qualifying directly for the round of 16 and teams finishing ninth through 24th entering the knockout phase play-offs.

And Matchday 1 wastes no time delivering heavyweight fixtures. The biggest game on Tuesday sees Real Madrid host Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu. Madrid are once again among the clubs expected to challenge for the trophy, while Inter bring plenty of European pedigree and will provide an immediate test of Madrid's ambitions. Elsewhere that night, Manchester City travel to Porto, Borussia Dortmund host Villarreal and Aston Villa begin their league-phase campaign away to Club Brugge.

Wednesday provides another stacked schedule. Napoli host Arsenal in one of the standout ties, while Liverpool welcome Atlético Madrid to Anfield. Barcelona also begin their campaign at home against Feyenoord, while Paris Saint-Germain face Slovan Bratislava and Sporting CP take on Galatasaray. With six matches on the card, Wednesday could produce some of the first major statements of the new European campaign.

Thursday completes the opening round with another group of major names entering the competition. Bayern Munich host Bodø/Glimt, Manchester United welcome Sabah, Roma travel to Fenerbahçe and Leipzig visit Como. PSV Eindhoven face Shakhtar Donetsk, while Slavia Prague take on Lens. For several of Europe's biggest clubs, Thursday represents the first opportunity to bank three points before the league phase becomes increasingly congested later in the autumn.

The league-phase format makes the opening games particularly interesting from a betting perspective. There are no traditional four-team groups anymore, meaning clubs cannot simply rely on winning their home matches and navigating a small group. Every side has eight different opponents and must build enough points across the opening eight fixtures to secure a favourable position in the table. The difference between finishing inside the top eight and having to play a knockout play-off could ultimately come down to just a few points.

That makes the heavyweight opening fixtures especially important. Real Madrid vs. Inter is the obvious glamour tie, but Porto vs. Manchester City, Napoli vs. Arsenal and Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid all offer genuine tests for teams with ambitions of reaching the latter stages. Barcelona's home meeting with Feyenoord and Bayern's clash with Bodø/Glimt also give the favourites opportunities to start strongly.

With eight matches spread across the first three days, there is plenty of scope for surprises. The opening matchday is often where expectations meet reality, and this year's league phase has the added intrigue of seeing clubs face opponents they would not previously have encountered in a traditional group. The road to the final in Madrid starts now.

Selected Matchday 1 fixtures: Real Madrid vs. Inter, Tuesday 8 September · Porto vs. Manchester City, Tuesday 8 September · Barcelona vs. Feyenoord, Wednesday 9 September · Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid, Wednesday 9 September · Napoli vs. Arsenal, Wednesday 9 September · Bayern Munich vs. Bodø/Glimt, Thursday 10 September · Manchester United vs. Sabah, Thursday 10 September.

League phase: 8 September 2026 – 27 January 2027 · Final: Saturday, 5 June 2027 · Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid.

The NFL is finally back, and the 2026 regular season begins with a Super Bowl rematch. The New England Patriots travel to face the defending champion Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Wednesday, 9 September, in an unusual opening-night fixture that will kick off the new campaign at 8:20 p.m. ET.

There is plenty of history behind the matchup. Seattle beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX in February to claim the Lombardi Trophy, with the Seahawks finishing the 2025 season as champions and the Patriots taking the AFC title before falling in the Super Bowl. Just seven months later, the same two teams meet again — this time with New England looking to immediately put that defeat behind them.

The Wednesday start is one of the most unusual elements of this year's schedule. The NFL normally opens its regular season on a Thursday, but the league has moved the kickoff forward by one day because San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams will play in Australia on Thursday. The Seahawks–Patriots game will therefore become only the second time in the modern era that the NFL has opened a season on a Wednesday.

Seattle will have the advantage of playing at Lumen Field, where the defending champions begin their title defence in front of their home crowd. The Seahawks will also enter the game knowing exactly what it takes to beat New England after their Super Bowl victory. For the Patriots, meanwhile, this is about much more than simply starting 1-0: it is an immediate chance to respond to one of the biggest defeats in franchise history.

The matchup is also an interesting early test for both teams. Seattle have to deal with the pressure that comes with being the defending Super Bowl champions, while New England begin the season as the reigning AFC champions and will want to demonstrate that the Super Bowl loss has not changed their trajectory. A win for either side would provide an immediate statement before the rest of the league gets fully underway.

Then, less than 24 hours later, the NFL heads to Australia. The San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday night in one of the league's headline international fixtures. It is a particularly intriguing choice of matchup because the two teams are NFC West rivals, meaning a divisional game is being played thousands of miles away from both clubs' usual home stadiums.

After those two opening-night games, the traditional Sunday schedule takes over. Dallas visit the New York Giants in Sunday Night Football, while Buffalo travel to Houston, Green Bay visit Minnesota, Washington face Philadelphia and a host of other teams begin their campaigns. The opening week then closes on Monday night when Denver travel to Kansas City.

From a betting perspective, the season opener has a particularly unusual dynamic. The Seahawks are defending champions and have home-field advantage, but New England have the strongest possible motivation after losing the Super Bowl to the same opponent. It is also worth remembering that Week 1 can be difficult to price: teams have had months to prepare, but there is no regular-season sample yet to show how new personnel, schemes and offseason changes will translate on the field.

One thing is certain: the NFL does not ease its way into 2026. A Super Bowl rematch on Wednesday, an international divisional clash in Australia on Thursday and a full slate of Week 1 football on Sunday give bettors plenty to watch before Monday night's Denver–Kansas City finale.

Season opener: New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks · Wednesday, 9 September at 20:20 ET · Lumen Field, Seattle.

International game: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams · Thursday, 10 September at 20:35 ET · Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia.

Week 1 finale: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs · Monday, 14 September at 20:15 ET · GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The US Open has reached the quarter-final stage, and both defending singles champions remain firmly in the hunt. Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka both secured their places in the final eight on Sunday, keeping their title defences alive as the tournament enters its decisive week.

Alcaraz produced one of his strongest performances of the tournament so far, defeating American Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the men's quarter-finals. The second seed now continues his bid to defend his New York title after returning from a wrist injury that kept him out for several months earlier in the season.

Sabalenka was equally convincing, defeating American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3. The world No. 1, who is defending the US Open title, now faces Linda Noskova in the quarter-finals. Noskova, the sixth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion, reached the last eight after beating Marta Kostyuk in a three-set battle.

The men's draw has also produced a major American storyline. Frances Tiafoe defeated 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev to reach the quarter-finals, where he will meet fellow American Alex Michelsen. Michelsen's victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry earned him his first Grand Slam quarter-final appearance, guaranteeing that at least one American man will reach the semi-finals.

Alcaraz's next opponent will be determined by the fourth-round meeting between Ben Shelton and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The American has home support behind him, while Tsitsipas is attempting to continue a strong run at Flushing Meadows. The other side of the men's draw is also loaded with potential contenders, making the second week particularly difficult to predict.

The women's draw continues to offer plenty of intrigue beyond Sabalenka. Jessica Pegula remains one of the leading American hopes, while several other established contenders are fighting for a place in the final four. With the field now reduced to eight, every match carries significantly greater weight and the outright title picture can change quickly.

For bettors, this is where the tournament becomes particularly interesting. There are no longer easy early-round matchups or opportunities for the favourites to build confidence against lower-ranked opposition. Every remaining player is now one of the best in the tournament, meaning matchups, fitness and recent form become increasingly important as the quarter-finals lead into the final weekend.

Tournament status: Quarter-final stage · Women's Final: Saturday, 12 September · Men's Final: Sunday, 13 September · USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York.