Sports
Wapda crowned National Kabaddi champions | The Express Tribune
Wapda won the National Kabaddi Championship, defeating Army 58-35 in the final at Punjab Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The championship was contested in the traditional circle style format, and the teams were cheered by a significant crowd present at the stadium.
The other format is standard/rectangular style, which is played indoors. It is more common in international leagues and at the Asian Games.
Wapda booked their place in the final after overcoming Police 45-38 in their semifinal, whereas Army edged past Pakistan Air Force 46-335 in their last-four fixture.
In the third-place match on Sunday, which was scheduled before the final, PAF outplayed Police to take the bronze medal.
The championship featured 12 teams in four pools, which were a mix of departmental sides and the provincial outfits.
Wapda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh were in Pool A, while PAF, Balochistan, and Pakistan Railways were in Pool B. Pool C had Army, Punjab, and Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) Wah. On the other hand, Pool D teams were the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Police, and Pakistan Navy.
The event began on October 1, and group matches were played till October 3.
Wapda, Army, PAF, and Police emerged as the winners to qualify from their pools, and remained undefeated in that stage.
“Kabaddi is a tradional sport and is popular in the rural areas, but it is a sport that can promote great values and have the ability to inspire the youth to take fitness more seriously, along with teaching them teamwork, discipline, and patience, ” The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation Secretary Muhammad Sarwar said in the press release that announced the dates for the championship last month.
The PKF also mentioned that dope testing could be a part of the event to ensure the integrity of the sport, and all the teams were encouraged to do their due diligence before competing in the championship.
The PKF found support from the Punjab Government and the Punjab Sports Board in holding the event. They also claimed that the PKF are the first federation to arrange the facilities of dope testing during the national championship.
Everybody has an opinion, especially when it comes to Liverpool. The defending Premier League champions have lost five of six in league play to fall to eighth in the table, and they’ve lost seven of 10 in all competitions.
Mohamed Salah is suddenly looking his age, expensive signing Florian Wirtz isn’t producing and expensive signing Alexander Isak has struggled with both fitness and finishing, the Premier League might be evolving more quickly than manager Arne Slot, the customary players-only meeting didn’t seem to accomplish much, and there are plenty of signs that players are still grieving and struggling with the summer death of teammate Diogo Jota.
It almost seems like regression is inevitable at times. Manchester City collapsed for most of the winter last season after winning the league in 2023-24, and following Liverpool’s best seasons under Jurgen Klopp, they had plenty of bumpy patches: two wins in seven, one in seven and two in eight in 2020-21 (after winning the Premier League) and one win in seven and zero in five in 2022-23 (after nearly winning the Treble). But with struggle comes a chorus of famous former players. It’s “crisis time,” per Roy Keane. It’s “crisis mode,” per Jamie Carragher. They don’t have leadership, per Wayne Rooney. The toxicity of the situation can become all-consuming. Everything is bad, nothing is working, nothing is salvageable.
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Here’s where stats can offer some clarity. What’s actually going wrong — or at least, most wrong — at Anfield? What do Slot and Liverpool need to most urgently address to steer out of the skid? And while we’re here, what do stats say about some of Europe’s other struggling squads?
Let’s find out.
Liverpool
Current Premier League standing: eighth (1.64 points per game, down from 2.21 last season)
Biggest statistical weakness: defense. It’s always been about the defense. To be sure, the attack has regressed despite Liverpool spending hundreds of millions of pounds on some of the brightest attacking talent in the world. They were comfortably first in goals scored and xG created last season, and now they’re sixth in both categories. But they’re ninth in xG allowed (13.9) and 12th in actual goals allowed (17), and that’s what most needs addressing.
From a pressure standpoint, Liverpool are hitting the same notes as last season. They rank sixth in the league in passes allowed per defensive action, second in combined progressive passes and progressive carries allowed and third in high turnovers forced; last year they were fourth, third and sixth, respectively. But they’re bombing in two categories: transition defense and set pieces. They were fourth in xG allowed from counterattacks last season, and they’re currently 17th, allowing 87% more per match.
Perhaps predictably, they’ve fallen from third to eighth in xG allowed per shot. Meanwhile, after allowing just nine goals from set pieces last season (eighth in the league), they’ve already allowed a shocking seven this season (18th), including three from long throws.
Combine that with a downturn in goalkeeper performance. In terms of goals prevented* they’ve gone from +0.10 per match from Alisson and Caoimhín Kelleher last season to -0.26 per match from Alisson and Giorgi Mamardashvili this season — and you get a pretty clear picture. Liverpool have allowed at least two goals in seven of 11 league matches, and while they won the first two such matches with late heroics, they’ve lost the past five.
When they allow one or fewer goals, they’re a perfect 4-for-4 in the wins department. But they’ve managed to do so only four times.
(*Goals prevented is a StatsPerform measure that compares the postshot xG value of your opponents’ shots on target to the number of actual goals you allow.)
1:59
Nicol: Arne Slot should bench Mohamed Salah
Steve Nicol explains why he thinks Liverpool’s Arne Slot should bench Mohamed Salah.
Critiques about the attack have always been correct to some degree. Salah has only four goals (three, minus one penalty) and two assists in 11 league matches when, at the same time last season, he had eight and six, respectively. Meanwhile, both Isak and Wirtz have been cursed by the xG gods. Wirtz has attempted shots worth 1.3 expected goals and completed passes worth 1.2 expected assists but has zero actual goals or assists, while Isak, managing only 253 league minutes thus far, has attempted shots worth 0.9 xG with no goals.
That part will change. But Liverpool’s defense is more of a structural problem.
Current LaLiga standing: second (2.33 points per game, up from 2.32)
Biggest statistical weakness: continuity. Of the nine teams in this piece, eight have regressed in terms of domestic points per play. Barcelona are actually doing just fine in that regard — they’re on the same pace as last season, when they won LaLiga. Their Champions League form has been dented by a loss to Paris Saint-Germain and a wild 3-3 draw at Club Brugge, but their main problem domestically has been the fact that Real Madrid appear to have improved quite a bit: After netting 84 points last season, Barca’s hated rivals are on pace for 98. That will certainly dampen the vibes.
You know what else will? Injuries.
Lamine Yamal (second in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting) played 83.7% of Barca’s LaLiga minutes last season and is at 58.6% in 2025-26. Raphinha (fifth), meanwhile, has gone from 83.2% to 35.6%, and Robert Lewandowski (17th) has gone from 78.4% to 41.6%. These three were unreal last season, combining for 89 goals and 44 assists in all competitions. About one-third of the way through 2025-26, they’re at 16 and seven, respectively. Players like Fermín López (six goals and four assists), Ferran Torres (seven and one) and loanee Marcus Rashford (six and seven) have held things down, but Barca’s attack has gone from otherworldly to merely very good.
1:49
Yamal situation ‘playground stuff’ from Barcelona and Spanish FA
Julien Lauren believes the Lamine Yamal situation could be “easily figured out” if both Barcelona and the Spanish FA “speak to each other” to sort it out.
In a roundabout way, maybe this is encouraging. Barca are hitting similar notes as last season despite a total lack of continuity up front. For that matter, they’ve gotten fewer minutes from injury-prone midfielders Pedri and Gavi as well, and after seven players played at least 70% of league minutes last season, they’re at only five so far this year.
Of course, Real Madrid have suffered their own injury issues and are still setting a higher bar; Barca aren’t keeping up. And while domestic opponents haven’t been able to adjust particularly well to Hansi Flick’s high defensive line in their second year of exposure to it, it has been an issue in the Champions League, where they’re 30th out of 36 teams in xG allowed per shot, 22nd in xG allowed from counterattacks and 18th in goals allowed.
Still, getting and keeping the right personnel on the pitch would help immensely. Unfortunately, that’s something over which you don’t have a ton of control.
Current Premier League standing: 14th (1.09 points per game, down from 1.74)
Biggest statistical weakness: goals. A pretty important stat. Newcastle play a more direct style than most of England‘s richest clubs, and it has generally served them pretty well. If done well, you won’t attempt as many shots as your possession-hungry peers, but you’ll attempt as many or more good shots. Newcastle averaged 2.4 shots per game worth at least 0.2 xG; only Liverpool averaged more. They attempted 26.9% of their shots with fewer than two defenders between the ball and goal, lowest in the league.
This season, following a well-publicized and stretched-out divorce with Isak, they added forwards Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa before the transfer deadline. Woltemade has had some bright, creative moments, scoring six goals in all competitions (far more than Isak, if nothing else). But he’s averaging 1.6 shots per 90 minutes in all competitions — dreadfully low for a center forward — and Wissa has yet to play because of injury. Consequently, despite solid work from left-sided attackers Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes (eight goals and three assists in all comps), Newcastle’s attack has disappeared.
When your attacking numbers are far closer to West Ham’s than Arsenal‘s, something has gone awry. Newcastle have scored just 11 goals in league play (17th), and while they’ve probably been privy to some bad finishing luck, they’re just 12th in xG created, too. They’re averaging just 1.5 shots per game worth at least 0.2 xG (10th), and only 20% of their shots have been attempted with fewer than two defenders in the way (10th). Despite their attempted directness, they’re allowing more counterattacking opportunities than they’re creating.
Injuries are playing a role here — only four players have seen the pitch for more than 71% of Newcastle’s league minutes, and 21 have started at least once. But injuries are playing a role for lots of teams, and Newcastle are currently far closer to the relegation zone (two points above) than they are to a spot in the top five (six points behind).
Unless the attack peps up a bit, making up ground will be awfully difficult.
Current Serie A standing: sixth (1.73 points per game, down from 1.84)
Biggest statistical weakness: shot quality. Like plenty of fired managers, Igor Tudor was done in at least a bit by some bad bounces. In his last four matches in charge at Juventus, against a solid run of opponents (AC Milan, Como, Real Madrid and Lazio), his charges allowed just four goals. But they scored zero despite creating shots worth 4.4 xG. While they probably deserved four or five points from those matches, they managed only a 0-0 draw with Milan.
In their first four matches without Tudor — one with interim Massimo Brambilla, three with new hire Luciano Spalletti — both the schedule and the xG gods eased up. Against Udinese, Cremonese, Sporting CP and Torino, Juve scored six goals and managed two wins and two draws. But they still suffered from poor finishing — those six goals came from shots worth 7.9 xG — and their shot quality still lacked a bit. For the season they rank just 16th in Serie A in xG per shot (0.12).
Forwards Dusan Vlahovic, Jonathan David and Loïs Openda, who are paid millions of euros to put the ball in the net, are attempting just 3.5 shots per 90 minutes between them, and even worse, they’re averaging just 0.11 xG per shot. Juve’s creative players — mainly Kenan Yildiz and Andrea Cambiaso — have not been able to get them involved, and with just four goals from their 5.7 combined xG, they haven’t finished the opportunities they’ve gotten either.
Juve are in decent shape overall: Thanks primarily to wins over lower-rung opponents, they’re only three points outside Serie A’s top four. The early signs under Spalletti have been encouraging, but until their scorers both earn and finish better scoring opportunities, climbing the table will be difficult.
Current LaLiga standing: eighth (1.42 points per game, down from 1.84)
Biggest statistical weakness: defensive regression to the mean. They play a reliable style of ball in Bilbao: Defend first, defend second, defend third, and maybe score a goal on the counter at some point. They haven’t allowed more than 50 goals in a LaLiga season since 2012-13, and they’ve allowed under 40 in four of the last six years.
Last season, however, they were a little too good in this regard. Giving up just 29 goals in 38 matches allowed them to finish fourth and earn their first Champions League bid in 11 seasons. But these 0.76 goals per match (first in the league) came from an average of 1.01 xG (second); even by the standards of Athletic and goalkeeper Unai Simón, that’s too much of a disparity. And sure enough, the xG gods have come for what they’re owed this year. They’re allowing lower overall shot quality — 0.85 xG per match (first) — but opponents are turning that into 1.1 goals (fifth).
The attack, meanwhile, has been beset by injuries. Primary attackers Iñaki Williams (only 62.7% of minutes this season), Nico Williams (49.7%) and Oihan Sancet (39.5%) aren’t seeing much of the pitch, and Athletic have scored just four open-play goals in 12 league matches. They’re seventh in the league, already eight points off the top-four pace, and Champions League play hasn’t gone any better. They beat Qarabag but have lost three other matches by a combined 8-1.
Randomness isn’t fixable, unfortunately, and if they continue defending well, their league form should stabilize. But a return to the Champions League next season is looking unlikely.
Current Serie A standing: 13th (1.18 points per game, down from 1.95)
Biggest statistical weakness: absolute offensive stagnation. Replacing Roma-bound Gian Piero Gasperini was always going to be a tall task. With his swashbuckling attacking identity, his Atalanta teams overachieved against their spending numbers for many times in recent seasons, and manager Ivan Juric came into the job with a high bar to clear. That Atalanta have lost only three of their 15 matches in all competitions certainly suggests things could be going worse, but settling for an incredible eight draws in that span held them back, and two of those three losses came in the first nine days of November. On the 10th day, Juric was fired.
Juric’s Atalanta matched Gasperini’s shot volume — they were fifth in Serie A in shots per possession last season, and they’re fifth again this year — but the good shots have vanished. They’ve fallen from third to 12th in xG per shot. Lower shot quality can produce streakiness, and in their past eight matches in all competitions they’ve managed just four goals from shots worth 11.2 xG. Take Lazar Samardzic‘s two goals out of the equation, and everyone else has two goals from 10.6 xG.
That is, of course, unsustainably terrible, and new hire Raffaele Palladino, most recently of Fiorentina, will likely enjoy a new-manager bump simply thanks to progression toward the mean. But as with Juve, shot quality desperately needs to improve, and unlike Juve, they’re now nine points off the top-four pace.
Current Premier League standing: 19th (0.82 points per game, down from 1.71)
Biggest statistical weakness: set pieces and no margin for error. Looking at full-season stats for a team that has already careened from a successful counterattacking manager (Nuno Espirito Santo) to a possession-and-pressing guy (Ange Postecoglou) back to a counterattacker (Sean Dyche) is probably a fool’s errand, and it’s probably not surprising to learn that looking at Forest’s full-season numbers offer us almost no hint of style or quality.
That said, set pieces have been a rampant problem this season, and they haven’t improved so far in Dyche’s short tenure. They were a life hack for Forest’s rousing seventh-place finish (and Champions League near-qualification) last season — they scored 17 set-piece goals (first) and produced a +8 scoring margin from them (third). This season, they’ve scored just two set piece goals (17th) and allowed nine (20th) for a minus-7 margin (also 20th).
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Dyche frustrated at lack of VAR intervention vs. Man United
Sean Dyche reacts to Nottingham Forest’s 2-2 draw vs. Manchester United in the Premier League.
In Dyche’s three league matches, they’re one of only seven teams to score zero times, and they’ve allowed three, including both goals in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United. The simple fact that they’ve earned four points and scored five goals suggests solid improvement under Dyche, but this aspect is still dragging them down, and they still have the second-fewest points in the league — behind even Nuno’s new team, a previously hapless West Ham.
Current Bundesliga standing: 17th (0.50 points per game, down from 1.53)
Biggest statistical weakness: a total lack of shot attempts. With the endlessly enthusiastic Bo Henriksen in charge, Mainz were the Bundesliga’s Nottingham Forest, positioned for a shocking Champions League berth last season until fading late. Like Athletic Club, they got as far as they did in part due to good fortune on defense — they were 10th in xG allowed (1.46 per game) but third in goals allowed (1.26) — and that allowed them to get by with an attack that was slightly above average at best. The defense has regressed a little (1.59 xG allowed), but the fortune has completely vanished (1.80 goals allowed).
You can get by in the Bundesliga with a mediocre defense, but it certainly exposes your attack. Without Eintracht Frankfurt-bound Jonathan Burkardt (18 goals from shots worth 14.8 xG last season), and with predictable regression to the mean from Paul Nebel (10 goals from 5.8 xG last year, one from 1.4 this year), Mainz are creating almost nothing on the attacking end. They are last in the league in shots per possession (0.08), and despite playing a pretty direct style, they’ve attempted only 14.5% of their shots with fewer than two defenders between the ball and goal (second worst).
Granted, this isn’t incredibly different from last season, when they ranked 17th in shots per possession. But now neither the defense nor Nebel is overachieving.
With an xG differential that ranks 11th in the league, they’re likely to eventually move up the table moving forward. Despite sharing the lowest point total in the league with Heidenheim, current Opta projections give them only a 13% chance of finishing in an automatic relegation spot. But good fortune covered up some weaknesses last year, and that fortune is well gone.
Fiorentina
Current Serie A standing: 20th (0.45 points per game, down from 1.71)
Biggest statistical weakness: finishing (and set pieces). Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A team that seemingly overachieved in the table last season isn’t getting the same breaks this time around.
Fiorentina finished sixth in Serie A in 2024-25, their best league campaign in nine years, but they did it with an unsustainably brilliant run of finishing: They scored 60 goals from shots worth only 49.7 xG, a 21% overachievement. Important creatives like left back Robin Gosens and midfielders Yacine Adli and Rolando Mandragora got in on the goal-scoring act a little too well, scoring 13 goals from shots worth 5.5 xG.
This season, with Adli off to Al Shabab, Mandragora and Gosens have scored a much more normal three goals from 2.7 xG, but the team’s overall finishing has vanished. Fiorentina have generated 15.5 xG (fifth) — they’re first in the league in xG per shot! — but have scored just nine goals (14th), a 42% underachievement. Star center forward Moise Kean is enduring an incredible slump, with two goals from shots worth 5.7 xG, and Fiorentina have endured a pair of 0-0 draws, a 1-1 draw, a 1-0 loss and three 2-1 losses. In one of those draws, against Torino, Kean somehow missed a tap-in header worth 0.98 xG.
Like Forest, Fiorentina have also collapsed in the set pieces department: They allowed seven set piece goals last season and have already matched that in 2025-26. Their underlying numbers are solid enough that they probably aren’t a genuine threat for relegation — Opta puts their odds at only 15% — but worse fortune, worse finishing and worse set piece defense have all but relegated them from a shot at another European competition next season.
Las Vegas has already hosted some important and exciting early-season games, but nothing tops next week’s Players Era Women’s Championship, a chance for players to earn NIL money and for teams to separate themselves from the other elite squads in the country.
Four of the nation’s best — Duke, South Carolina, Texas and UCLA — meet up at Michelob ULTRA Arena, the home of the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, on Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day to compete in a Final Four-caliber event.
That’s the highlight of the holiday week tournaments and games — but far from the only intriguing action across the globe over the next 10 days. Games from Puerto Rico to Cancun and from Florida to Texas help create one of the best stretches on the basketball calendar this season.
Many of these games will have far-reaching implications into March and could be the difference between being in or out of the NCAA tournament field.
It’s a crowded sports calendar this time of year, but this is your guide to the best games and how to watch them. Come back after the final whistle to see how each game ended and for analysis on how it might impact March.
All times Eastern
Thursday
9 p.m., ESPN2, WBCA Showcase (Orlando, Florida)
A full week before Thanksgiving, the WBCA Showcase at the The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort gets the holiday hoops feast started with a Top 25 matchup. The No. 7 Bears already have a pair of good wins on their résumé, making this a bigger game for the No. 19 Hawkeyes, who are looking for their first. Both teams are 4-0; one of their perfect seasons will end Thursday.
Friday
8 p.m., Fox, Hall of Fame Showcase (Uncasville, Connecticut)
Syracuse and Utah tip off the event (5 p.m., FS2), but this is the marquee game of the two days at Mohegan Sun — and it got even bigger after Michigan’s 39-point win over Notre Dame on Saturday.
Saturday
8 p.m., ESPN+, WBCA Showcase
The Hawkeyes get two notable games in Orlando. A Hurricanes team with 12 new players gets its first true test.
Sunday
2:30 p.m., FS1, Hall of Fame Showcase
The Utes are another potential bubble team that needs a boost. Winning is not essential here, but a good performance against the No. 1 team in the country will be enough to help.
3 p.m., ESPN+, WBCA Showcase
The WBCA Showcase wraps up with this single game on Sunday. The Tigers need to string together some wins after falling to Kansas over the weekend if they want to remain in bubble contention before SEC play begins.
Monday
Belmont vs. Ohio State
11 a.m., FloHoops, Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo, Goombay Division (Nassau, Bahamas)
The Buckeyes weren’t able to hang with UConn on Sunday, making this game that much more important. Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge against Belmont’s deep and experienced backcourt is the matchup to watch.
4 p.m., FloHoops, Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo, Junkanoo Division
If the Bulls want to be in the running for an at-large bid, this is the kind of game they need to win. Minnesota has many more opportunities for résumé wins in the Big Ten, but a good showing in the Bahamas sets up the Gophers nicely.
Tuesday
Emerald Coast Classic, Bay Bracket championship game
1:30 p.m., FloHoops (Destin, Florida)
Mississippi State and Middle Tennessee will be favored to get here. Winning both games is especially important to the Bulldogs, who have gotten off to a good start but need to build up the win total with the SEC gauntlet awaiting.
Oregon vs. Saint Mary’s
2:30 p.m., FloHoops, Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Classic (Frisco, Texas)
The Gaels and the Ducks have gotten off to good starts against the softer parts of their schedules, so this Thanksgiving trip provides some key tests. Oregon can’t afford a stumble because December brings games against Oregon State, UCLA, Stanford and Michigan.
7 p.m., BallerTV, Hawaii North Shore Showcase (Laie, Hawaii)
Ny’Ceara Pryor, who dominated for three years at Sacred Heart, has made her way to a Power 4 school with the Aggies. She’s filling the stat sheet, leading the team in points, assists and steals.
Emerald Coast Classic, Beach Bracket championship game
7:30 p.m., FloHoops (Destin, Florida)
Virginia and Nebraska are the favorites to meet for the Beach Bracket title. A backcourt meeting of the Cavaliers’ Kymora Johnson, one of the underrated players in the country, against the Huskers’ Britt Prince is worth tuning in to see.
Wednesday
Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo, Goombay Division championship game
1:30 p.m., FloHoops (Nassau, Bahamas)
West Virginia will likely get the Belmont-Ohio State winner. After beating Duke with just five players in the second half last week, the Mountaineers are getting much more attention.
2 p.m., truTV, Players Era Championship (Las Vegas)
This is the event of the week — and possibly the event of the season prior to March. The Bruins have already had a difficult nonconference schedule with wins over Oklahoma and North Carolina, but nothing on their schedule matches the quality of the Longhorns.
Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo, Junkanoo Division championship game
4 or 6:30 p.m., FloHoops (Nassau, Bahamas)
If Alabama survives Harvard on Monday, the Crimson Tide will have a game against either South Florida or Minnesota that could have significant bubble implications in March.
Duke vs. South Carolina
4:30 p.m., truTV, Players Era Championship (Las Vegas)
As we were saying, nothing on UCLA’s schedule matches the quality of the Longhorns … unless the Bruins end up meeting the Gamecocks in the Players Era final on Thursday. Duke, meanwhile, has gotten off to a slow start and needs some redemption after losses to Baylor and West Virginia. This is that opportunity.
6:30 p.m., FloHoops, Puerto Rico Shootout (Carolina, Puerto Rico)
Easily the best game of the Puerto Rico Shootout, the Terps and Wildcats meet in the final game of Day 1. Both programs are having success on the fly after major personnel changes in the offseason. Kentucky will play Louisville right before heading south, and Maryland has already beaten Princeton, but this will be the biggest test for either team thus far.
7:30 p.m., FloHoops, Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Classic (Frisco, Texas)
These are two teams on the periphery of the bubble — and they’ll only stay there with a pair of wins in Texas. Auburn plays UTSA and Cal meets Grand Canyon two days earlier.
Thursday, Nov. 27
South Dakota State vs. North Carolina
11 a.m., FloHoops, Cancun Challenge (Cancun, Mexico)
After the Players Era Championship, this is the next-best event of Thanksgiving week. The Jackrabbits and Tar Heels lead off a great first day. South Dakota State’s Brooklyn Meyer is off to a great start and ranks among the national leaders in scoring. North Carolina’s success starts with defense. The winner of that matchup likely wins the game.
4 p.m. ET, FloHoops, Cancun Challenge (Cancun, Mexico)
The Wolfpack and Phoenix represent a contrast in styles. NC State wants to run. Green Bay likes to control the pace. This is a dangerous game for the Wolfpack, who can’t afford any more nonconference losses if they want a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament.
Players Era championship game
8 p.m. ET, truTV (Las Vegas)
No matter how this shakes out and what the matchup is in this game, a clear No. 2 team in the country will emerge from this first-of-its-kind women’s event.
9 p.m., FloHoops, Cancun Challenge (Cancun, Mexico)
Coming off the most successful season in program history, and with All-American candidate Maggie Doogan back, the expectations are high for Richmond. Four games removed from a 29-point loss at Texas on Nov. 7, this represents a chance to check the Spiders’ progress. The pieces have come together quickly for the Horned Frogs, who should be unbeaten heading into Big 12 play with a win over the Spiders.
9 p.m., ESPN+, Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands)
Coach Scott Rueck always seems to find a way at Oregon State — and how he defends Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes will be another test. After the Beavers’ win over Illinois, they are back in the NCAA tournament hunt.
0:18
Mikayla Blakes eases in long jumper for Vandy
Mikayla Blakes eases in long jumper for Vandy
Players Era consolation game
10:30 p.m., truTV (Las Vegas)
Despite the quality of the opponents at the Players Era Championship, two losses in Las Vegas would be devastating to No. 1 seed aspirations — or possibly even No. 2 seed prospects given how many more challenges in and out of conference await the Blue Devils, Bruins, Gamecocks and Longhorns.
Friday, Nov. 28
Iowa State vs. Marquette
11 a.m., FloHoops, Coconut Hoops (Fort Myers, Florida)
The Cyclones won’t have been challenged until this trip to Florida. Marquette was dominated by Minnesota two weeks ago and should approach this game with some desperation if the NCAA tournament is part of the Golden Eagles’ future.
1:19
Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Milwaukee Panthers: Game Highlights
Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Milwaukee Panthers: Game Highlights
1 :30 p.m., FloHoops, Coconut Hoops
Allie Turner of Gonzaga and Indiana’s Shay Ciezki are two of the best small guards in the country. Ciezki is off to a fast start and is one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation.
7:30 p.m., ION, Fort Myers Classic (Fort Myers, Florida)
Neither team was on the NCAA tournament radar until a combined 9-0 start to the season. This could be the game that proves whether postseason hopes are realistic.
Saturday, Nov. 29
Oklahoma State vs. Miami
11 a.m., FloHoops, Cayman Islands Classic (Grand Town, Cayman Islands)
Expect plenty of points to be scored in this one. The Cowgirls hit the 100-point mark four times in their first five games.
South Dakota State vs. Kansas State
11 a.m., FloHoops, Cancun Challenge
Spin the wheel again in Cancun and more good matchups emerge. The Wildcats have eight players averaging at or around seven points per game. That kind of balance will help against a SDSU defense that is consistently good, especially in the half court, under coach Aaron Johnston.
Paradise Jam, Island Division championship game
1 p.m. or 3:30 p.m., ESPN+ (U.S. Virgin Islands)
The Vanderbilt-Oregon State winner will meet either BYU or Virginia Tech. Regardless of the matchup, this game will have meaning. If the Beavers come out of the Paradise Jam with two wins, they are not only the clear WCC favorite but also in a position to earn an at-large bid. The Hokies won’t likely threaten for the top of the ACC, but their at-large chances increase significantly with a championship here.
1:30 p.m., FloHoops, Cancun Challenge
The Lions’ Riley Weiss scored 24 points in an NCAA tournament win over Washington last season. If you missed that, here is another chance to watch Weiss, who is having an even better junior season.
George Mason vs. Ole Miss
3 p.m., BallerTV, Daytona Beach Classic (Daytona, Florida)
If the Atlantic 10 is going to get multiple bids to the NCAA tournament like it did a year ago, George Mason is the key. A game at Maryland right before this trip to Florida and this matchup with Ole Miss gives the Patriots their two biggest opportunities for a foundational résumé win.
Georgia Tech vs. Florida
5 p.m. ET, FloHoops, Cayman Islands Classic (Grand Town, Cayman Islands)
In the four games with sophomore Liv McGill, the Gators have scored at least 87 points. In the game she missed with a leg injury, they scored 54. If she’s on the floor, Florida is a must-watch.
Paradise Jam, Reef Division championship game
8:30 p.m., ESPN+ (U.S. Virgin Islands)
LSU and Washington State is the likely matchup here. The Tigers’ nonconference schedule once again doesn’t provide many challenges, and the Cougars are struggling this season. But this might be a chance to see MiLaysia Fulwiley in her new surroundings. She’s leading LSU in scoring despite still coming off the bench.
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LSU Tigers vs. Tulane Green Wave: Game Highlights
LSU Tigers vs. Tulane Green Wave: Game Highlights
Sunday, Nov. 30
Coconut Hoops, Blue Heron Division championship game
11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m., FloHoops (Fort Myers, Florida)
An Indiana–Iowa State meeting seems most likely here, and the Hoosiers have some size to throw at Cyclones star Audi Crooks, who already has a 43-point game this season.
Coconut Hoops, Great Egret Division championship game
4 or 6:30 p.m., FloHoops (Fort Myers, Florida)
With their fast pace, ability to shoot and the addition of freshman Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma is fun to watch. The Sooners meeting Florida State here is the likely matchup in one of the final games of the weekend.
Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo, Junkanoo Division championship game
6:30 p.m., FloHoops (Nassau, Bahamas)
Michigan State and Clemson will be the big favorites to meet in this one. The Tigers’ early losses were to South Carolina and Louisville, but they played well for long stretches in both. The Spartans opened the season by scoring at least 92 points in four straight games, sparked by Grace VanSlooten and the best assist totals in the country.
The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup kicks off in just 203 days, but six qualification slots are still up for grabs via the Intercontinental and European playoffs.
Two teams will book a place at the event (to be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada) via the playoffs, which will be staged in Mexico in March, while 16 European nations, including four-time World Cup winners Italy, are set to battle it out for the final four UEFA qualification berths. The path to the World Cup is now clear for the 22 nations still dreaming of a place at the finals next summer.
Following a draw at FIFA HQ in Zurich on Thursday, the playoffs are now locked in, so which teams can start to plan for North America and who has a nightmare route to football’s biggest tournament?
With the ties now confirmed, here are ESPN’s predictions.
European playoffs
The final four places at the World Cup will be determined via the UEFA playoffs, to be played in March 2026. There is no path to the World Cup through FIFA’s interconfederation playoffs.
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The UEFA playoffs involve 16 teams: the 12 group stage runners-up, plus the four best-ranked group winners from the UEFA Nations League who did not finish in the top two in World Cup qualifying. The teams will be divided into four pots according to FIFA ranking, with the Nations League group winners assigned to Pot 4 and drawn into four routes, each with four teams featuring a one-legged semifinal and a final for a place at the World Cup.
Semifinals to be played on March 26; finals to be played on March 31
Path 1: Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Semifinal 1, Italy vs. Northern Ireland: The playoff nightmare returns for Italy following elimination at this stage ahead of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, but they will be happy with a home draw against Northern Ireland in the semifinal.
Michael O’Neill’s team are huge outsiders, and despite finishing second in their qualifying group behind Norway, Italy should be too strong and more than capable of erasing memories of failures to beat Sweden (2018) and North Macedonia (2022) at home in their last playoff campaigns.
Winner: Italy
Semifinal 2, Wales vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina: Wales coach Craig Bellamy made huge importance of beating North Macedonia in Cardiff in their final group game because that would guarantee a home semifinal, and that advantage should swing the tie in their favor. The Welsh have a formidable record at the Cardiff City Stadium, playing in front of what has been billed as a “Red Wall” of passionate supporters; Bellamy’s team should win this game to seal another home tie against Italy in the final.
Winner: Wales
Final, Wales vs. Italy: Despite being the highest-ranked nation in the playoffs, sitting 12th in the FIFA Rankings, Italy lack a proven goal scorer, and they struggle to break opponents down.
If key men Sandro Tonali and Giacomo Raspadori are fit and in form, Italy should have enough to shade this tie, but Wales are strong at home, and if these two meet in the final, don’t be surprised if Wales inflict yet another playoff heartbreak on the Azzurri.
Prediction: Wales advances
Path 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania
Semifinal 1, Ukraine vs. Sweden: While Ukraine have home advantage, the ongoing conflict in the country means Sergiy Rebrov’s team will likely play this tie in neutral Poland, and that could tilt the game in Sweden’s favor.
Sweden were dismal in qualification, finishing at the bottom of Group B without a win in six games, but their Nations League success last year sealed a playoff spot, and star forwards Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres will surely see this as a second chance to qualify that they cannot pass up. Sweden are hugely fortunate to be in the playoffs, but they will be too strong for Ukraine.
Winner: Sweden
Semifinal 2, Poland vs. Albania: Poland have become the team that always qualifies for major tournaments but fails to deliver once on the big stage. But this is a tough tie.
Albania, coached by former Barcelona and Brazil defender Sylvinho, are a well-organized, high-energy team, and they will be confident in beating Poland away from home. At 37, this will be Robert Lewandowski‘s final World Cup campaign. If the Barcelona forward is on form, Poland will win. If not, back Albania.
Winner: Albania
Final, Sweden vs. Albania: Albania are good enough to cause any opponent problems and could quite easily travel to Sweden and win. But if Sweden overcome Ukraine and seal a home game in the final, it would be tough to deny a team with the attacking qualities of Isak, Gyokeres and Anthony Elanga.
Sweden, now coached by Graham Potter, really shouldn’t have this opportunity to reach the World Cup, but they are the strongest squad in Path B, so they will qualify.
Prediction: Sweden advances
Path 3: Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo
Semifinal 1, Turkey vs. Romania: Turkey showed their strength by earning a 2-2 draw against Spain in Seville in their final Group E game, a result that restored some pride after a 6-0 home defeat against the European champions in September. Having scored 12 goals in three games against Bulgaria (twice) and Georgia in between the Spain fixtures, Turkey are clearly an attacking force and loaded with top talent, including Arda Güler, Kenan Yildiz, Deniz Gül and midfielder Hakan Çalhanoglu.
Romania, coached by the 80-year-old Mircea Lucescu, are unpredictable but talented. They will be brave and confident in this game, but Turkey should be too strong.
Winner: Turkey
Semifinal 2, Slovakia vs. Kosovo: Kosovo are the most dangerous outsiders in the European playoffs and much stronger than their FIFA ranking of 80th would suggest. Franco Foda’s team lack big names, but their players are based throughout Europe, and Kosovo ran Switzerland close in Group B, beating Sweden home and away before being held at home by the Swiss in the final game.
Slovakia shocked Germany with a 2-0 home win in qualification before losing 6-0 to Julian Nagelsmann’s side in Leipzig in the final game. Slovakia are ranked higher (45th) by FIFA, but Kosovo are a better team right now.
Winner: Kosovo
Final, Kosovo vs. Turkey: On paper, Turkey are big favorites to make it through Path C to the finals, but home advantage could be decisive for Kosovo if they eliminate Slovakia.
Having only become a FIFA member in 2015, following a declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, the national fervor for home games in Pristina makes Kosovo a formidable opponent for Turkey. This could be a game in which Turkey’s superior talent and depth counts for little against a Kosovo team determined to make history by qualifying for a first World Cup.
Prediction: Kosovo advances
Path 4: Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, Republic of Ireland
2:12
Could the Rep. of Ireland cause an upset in the World Cup qualifiers?
Mark Ogden backs the Republic of Ireland to make it through the playoffs and end their 24-year World Cup drought.
Semifinal 1, Denmark vs. North Macedonia: Denmark threw away an automatic qualification spot by drawing at home to Belarus and then losing away to Scotland in their final two games having been in control of Group C, so their status as favorites in this tie should be tempered by the scars of their group-stage failure.
North Macedonia’s 7-1 defeat away to Wales in their final game should not be taken as a true gauge of their capabilities, though. Blagoja Milevski’s team drew home and away with group winners Belgium and they will relish their underdog status, just as they did when eliminating Italy with a 1-0 win in Palermo in the 2018 playoffs. Denmark should be too strong at home, but North Macedonia are primed to record another shocking result.
Winner: North Macedonia
Semifinal 2, Czechia vs. Republic of Ireland: The Czechs were locked in a surprise battle with the Faroe Islands for the runners-up spot in Group L and almost blew it with a 2-1 defeat away to the perennial minnows in Tórshavn in October. But Jaroslav Kostl’s squad, which includes West Ham’s Tomás Soucek and Bayer Leverkusen forward Patrik Schick, held their nerve to seal second position behind Croatia.
Ireland came from nowhere to claim a playoff place, though, with a shocking 2-0 home win against Portugal before Troy Parrott‘s hat trick in Budapest, including a 96th-minute winner, denied Hungary and claimed second spot for Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team. Ireland have momentum and belief, so they can win this tie and book a home final in Dublin.
Winner: Republic of Ireland
Final, North Macedonia vs. Republic of Ireland: Home advantage in a game to decide a place in the World Cup will be crucial, and Ireland, backed by a crowd of 52,000 in Dublin, might just have enough to make it the World Cup.
North Macedonia are more individually talented, and the same applies to Denmark if they make the final, but Ireland coach Hallgrimsson made his name guiding Iceland to a series of shocking wins, and he can do it again if key players Troy Parrott, Caoimhin Kelleher and Evan Ferguson are fit and in form in March.
Prediction: Republic of Ireland advances
Intercontinental Playoffs
The playoffs, to be held in March, will determine the final two qualifiers. Six countries will take part. Each of the five confederations (apart from UEFA) will provide one country, while the host confederation (Concacaf) receives a second slot.
The two nations with the best FIFA world ranking will be seeded and go straight into one of the two finals. The four other countries will be drawn to play a semifinal, feeding through to play a seed for one of the two places at the World Cup.
2:11
Steve McClaren quits Jamaica: ‘Respect and One Love to you all’
Steve McClaren quits his job as Jamaica boss after their failure to directly qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
New Caledonia or Jamaica vs. Congo DR
Congo DR await the winners of the New Caledonia vs. Jamaica semifinal, and it would be a huge upset if Jamaica fail to book a final clash against the African nation.
New Caledonia are the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs, sitting at 149th in the FIFA rankings, and coach Johann Sidaner told ESPN last month that his team, from an archipelago in the South Pacific, have a “1 percent chance” of qualifying for the World Cup.
Jamaica blew their chance of automatic qualification with a 0-0 draw at home to Curacao in the final round of Concacaf qualifiers, and that result forced coach Steve McClaren to quit. Jamaica will be too strong for New Caledonia, and they will face Congo DR as underdogs.
Congo DR have Premier League experience in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Arthur Masuaku and Axel Tuanzebe, but Jamaica can also rely on Brentford‘s Rico Henry and Ethan Pinnock. This tie is a close call, but Congo DR look to have just a little bit more quality and will claim the qualification spot.
Prediction: Congo DR advances
Bolivia or Suriname vs. Iraq
Iraq won a two-legged Asian playoff against United Arab Emirates to clinch their place in the Intercontinental playoffs — their winning goal was a penalty 17 minutes into stoppage time.
Due to their FIFA ranking of 58th, Iraq are seeded through to the final, where they will expect to face Bolivia. Coached by former Australia coach Graham Arnold, Iraq’s squad are largely based in the Middle East, but former Manchester United youngster Zidane Iqbal, now at FC Utrecht, is a player with European experience.
Suriname, ranked 123rd, have a squad of players based in Europe, but while Bolivia’s squad is largely drawn from South American leagues, they have a recent win against Brazil on their form guide, so they should be too strong for Suriname. If Bolivia face Iraq in the final, it will be tough to call, but their experience of playing at altitude could be crucial in Mexico, and it should give them the edge.
Prediction: Bolivia advances
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