Baseball royalty will be welcomed by British royalty this weekend.
The storied Yankees-Red Sox rivalry will open a new chapter at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. But this royal engagement isn’t known for its etiquette … not at all. Will the Yanks and Sox keep it clean in front of new dad, Prince Harry?
While America’s favorite pastime meets the world, the world’s game is being played this weekend across four continents, along with a key matchup in the Cricket World Cup and a NASCAR race with a thrilling recent past.
Here’s your guide to the weekend’s biggest sports events:
Yankees vs. Red Sox in MLB London Series
MLB has played regular-season games in Japan, Mexico, Australia and Puerto Rico. Now, it makes its debut in Europe.
The London Series will be played between the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox and the front-runner of the American League, the New York Yankees.
Londoners will get to see, first-hand, just how deep this rivalry runs.
The sport has seen drastic growth in Europe since the advent of the World Baseball Classic and the installment of MLB development programs. And its popularity has been reflected in ticket sales for the event.
Hard to believe, but baseball’s origins lie in Surrey, England, with the first recorded mention of “bass-ball” dating to September 9, 1749.
So, in a way, one (who is probably not American) might say, baseball is coming home this weekend.
Tune in from the start to see Prince Harry throw out the first pitch (and remember: The competition for worst ceremonial first pitch of the season is on).
Watch it:
Saturday: Red Sox vs. Yankees at 1:10 p.m. ET on Fox
Sunday: Red Sox vs. Yankees at 10:10 a.m. ET on ESPN
International viewers should check their local listings.
ICC Cricket World Cup
In Edgbaston — 117 miles northwest of London — England will fight to remain in contention for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The top-ranked hosts now find themselves in a win or “go home” situation. With Bangladesh and Sri Lanka trailing closely behind, England will need every point they can get to ensure a spot in the semifinal.
England’s next test is an unbeaten Indian team, captained by Viv Richards’ new favorite player.
Watch it:
Saturday: Pakistan vs. Afghanistan starting at 5:30 a.m. ET and New Zealand vs. Australia at 8:30 a.m. ET on Willow
Sunday: England vs. India starting at 5:30 a.m. ET on Willow
International viewers should check their local listings.
Women’s World Cup
In case you haven’t heard all the fuss, the knockout phase of the Women’s World Cup is underway.
The Round of 16 showed us there will be no quiet exits from the tournament, especially as animus around officiating continues to fester.
The final four of the Women’s World Cup will be determined this weekend. England came out on top in their quarterfinal match against Norway, but a giant awaits them in the semis.
On the other side of the bracket, Sweden faces a German team that they haven’t beat in a major competition in 24 years.
But if they’ve learned anything from the Italians, is that it’s never too late to end a drought. The Italians, in their first Women’s World Cup quarterfinal since 1991, take on the Netherlands.
Watch it:
Friday: France vs. USA at 3 p.m. ET on Fox
Saturday: Italy vs. Netherlands at 9 a.m. ET and Germany vs. Sweden at 12:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
International viewers should check their local listings.
Gold Cup knockout stage
The United States men’s national team is set to play in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the soccer tournament that determines the regional Champion of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The US has played a part in hosting all 15 editions of the tournament. The Stars and Stripes finished atop Group D, with a 6-0 win over Trinidad — hardly avenging the defeat that kept them out of the 2018 World Cup — and a 1-0 victory over Panama that featured a thumping bicycle kick from Jozy Altidore.
The Americans, with six Gold Cup titles, are looking to tie Mexico’s record as the winningest team in this tournament. But El Tri have also emerged undefeated from the group stage and are keen on recapturing the title for the eighth time in Gold Cup history.
Watch it:
Saturday: Haiti vs. Canada at 7 p.m. ET and Mexico vs. Costa Rica at 9:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
Sunday: Jamaica vs. Panama at 5:30 p.m. ET and USA vs. Curaçao at 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
International viewers should check their local listings.
Copa America knockout stage
The hunt for South America’s most coveted trophy continues this weekend, as another major soccer tournament makes way for the knockout stage.
The quarterfinals of the Copa America began Thursday with a dramatic penalty-shootout finish that saw Brazil edge Paraguay for a spot in the semifinals.
Argentina is just one Copa America title from tying Uruguay’s all-time record. The problem is, they’ve been stuck on 14 since 1993.
They were denied in the last two Copa America finals by Chile. The two-time defending champions face the winners of Group B, Colombia, on Friday in the last quarterfinal matchup.
Watch it:
Friday: Venezuela vs. Argentina at 3 p.m. ET and Colombia vs. Chile at 7 p.m. ET on Telemundo and ESPN+
Saturday: Uruguay vs. Peru at 3 p.m. ET on Telemundo and ESPN+
International viewers should check their local listings.
NASCAR Camping World 400
Camping World 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series race held annually at the Chicagoland Speedway. Last time out, Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson traded paint down the stretch, culminating in one of the greatest finishes in NASCAR history and, surprisingly, no hard feelings.
Watch it:
Sunday: Camping World 400 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN
International viewers should check their local listings.
