This Week in Sport
A spectacular week of sport awaits. On Monday, the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. On Tuesday, it’s Game 2 of the MLB American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians. That’s followed on Wednesday by a UEFA Champions League clash between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, while on Thursday, the Rugby League World Cup begins. On Friday, Gloucester face Bordeaux Bègles in the European Rugby Champions Cup.
There’s plenty more to enjoy at the weekend. On Saturday, the WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream begin, while on Sunday, the ATP Tour’s Shanghai Masters concludes.
NFL: Los Angeles Rams v Buffalo Bills
Monday 12th October 12:15AM GMT (13th)/5:15PM Local
SoFI Stadium, Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills in the NFL at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Despite entering the season as Super Bowl favourites, the Rams have traded wins and losses to come into Week 5 with a 2-2 record. With their division rival, San Francisco 49ers, improving to 5-0 this past weekend, the chances of a truly dominant season are quickly slipping away for Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Josh Allen has led the Bills to a 3-1 start to the season, with the team’s first loss coming against the New England Patriots in Week 4. Allen is once again playing like an MVP, but the question is whether the team - under first-year head coach Joe Brady - can finally power their way to a Super Bowl appearance. Both teams will be missing key defensive pieces, but Allen might have top receiver D.J. Moore back from injury. The Rams came out on top in an 86-point thriller when the teams last met in 2024, but have not defeated the Bills in consecutive games since 1974.
MLB: Tampa Bay Rays v Cleveland Guardians
Tuesday 13th October 12:00AM GMT (14th)/8:00PM Local
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
The MLB ALCS between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians continues with Game 2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The Rays come off a long rest following their sweep of the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and will look to make equally short work of the Guardians en route to their first World Series appearance since 2020. Meanwhile, Cleveland became the eleventh team in MLB history to successfully overcome a 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series when they toppled the Chicago White Sox over the weekend. The Guardians have not gone to the World Series since 2016 and currently hold the league’s longest title drought of teams that have won a title, last winning the Fall Classic in 1948. However, fans should expect a low-scoring series, as both teams boast exceptional pitching staffs, that both ranked within the top ten for the fewest earned runs allowed during the regular season.
UEFA Champions League: Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain
Wednesday 14th October 7:00PM GMT/8:00PM Local
Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Manchester City host Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. Both sides face their first major test of the league stage in this blockbuster clash. City opened their European campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Porto thanks to a second-half brace from Erling Haaland. Meanwhile, two-time defending champions PSG began with a rout of Slovakian minnows Slovan Bratislava 6-1, with new signing Ferran Torres netting a hat-trick. City do not have the best recent record against the French giants, losing two of their last three matches. The two sides last met in January 2025, when City squandered a 2-0 second-half lead in their penultimate league stage match to lose 4-2. However, the 'Citizens' have never lost to PSG in Manchester, giving them hope for the difficult match ahead.
Rugby League World Cup: Australia v New Zealand
Thursday 15th October 9:05AM GMT/8:05PM Local
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
The Rugby League World Cup begins, with Australia hosting New Zealand in the men’s tournament at the Sydney Football Stadium. Three-time defending champions Australia, who have won all but one title since 1975, will be the heavy favourites for their thirteenth title, even with star halfback Nathan Cleary missing the tournament through injury. They open against New Zealand, who look for their first title since 2008. The Kiwis are aiming for their first Final appearance since 2013 after a downturn in form over the last two World Cup cycles. Kalyn Ponga, who switched from Australia to New Zealand ahead of the tournament, will be a key part of any hope New Zealand has to stun the almighty Kangaroos. The Women’s World Cup begins on Friday, with three-time defending champions Australia facing Samoa, and the Wheelchair tournament not starting until 30th October.
European Rugby Champions Cup: Gloucester Rugby v Bordeaux Bègles
Friday 16th October 7:00PM GMT/8:00PM Local
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
Gloucester face Bordeaux Bègles in the European Rugby Champions Cup at Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester. A resurgent Gloucester appears ready to challenge for both domestic and European glory as they enter continental play following a hot start to the PREM Rugby season. The team that finished eighth domestically last season and last in their Champions Cup pool, currently leads the PREM Rugby standings with two wins and a loss from their first three matches. Can they translate this early-season success to the continent? Their first test will be against the two-time defending champions, Bordeaux. 'Les Girondins' have made their mark on the continental competition in recent years and will be aiming to become the first back-to-back-to-back champions since Toulon in 2015. Gloucester have won their last two games against Bordeaux, but both results came before the French side’s recent run of dominance.
WNBA: Golden State Valkyries v Atlanta Dream
Saturday 17th October 7:30PM GMT/12:30PM Local
Chase Center, San Francisco
The Golden State Valkyries host the Atlanta Dream in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco. In just their second season, the Valkyries have reached the WNBA Finals behind a league-best defence and superstar offseason signing, Gabby Williams. Their run to the Finals has seen them battle with the young, scrappy Dallas Wings before sweeping five-time MVP A’ja Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. They face an Atlanta Dream squad making their first Finals appearance since 2013. In their own franchise-altering offseason move, the Dream acquired Angel Reese, who has gone on to win Defensive Player of the Year, to complement their core rotation of stars. Atlanta, who entered the postseason as the fourth seed, are so far perfect in these playoffs with sweeps of the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. However, they are yet to beat the Valkyries in 2026, with Golden State winning all three of their match-ups during the regular season.
ATP Tour: Shanghai Masters Day 12
Sunday 18th October 6:00AM GMT/2:00PM Local
Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai
The ATP Tour’s Shanghai Masters concludes at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai. The main seeds have had a mixed performance at the penultimate Masters event of the year, with Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic representing the most high-profile upset victims so far. Alexander Zverev, who has made just a single 1000 Level Final this season, appears to be the favourite for the Final on Sunday. However, fellow top-five seeds - Félix Auger-Aliassime and 2019 winner Daniil Medvedev - both remain in the tournament and will be eager to not only challenge for the title but also earn vital points to secure a place at next month’s ATP Tour Finals.
Photo by: Atlanta Dream
Written and information correct on 12th October 2026 at 1PM GMT.
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