Weekend Sports Watch: World Cup Quarterfinals, Wimbledon Finals and McGregor’s Return Lead a Loaded Slate
Saturday, July 11, 2026 | All times Central
Sports fans may need more than one screen this weekend. The final World Cup quarterfinals arrive Saturday, Wimbledon crowns its champions, Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon, the WNBA delivers several heavyweight matchups and Major League Baseball begins its All-Star celebration in Philadelphia.
Here are the biggest sports stories and events to watch Saturday and Sunday.
World Cup quarterfinals take center stage
The final two spots in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals will be decided Saturday.
Norway vs. England begins at 4 p.m. CT on FOX from Miami Stadium. The central matchup is difficult to miss: Norway’s Erling Haaland against an England defense trying to carry the Three Lions back into the final four. Norway eliminated Brazil in the previous round, while England advanced past Mexico.
England will enter as the more experienced tournament power, but Norway’s direct attack and Haaland’s scoring threat make this one dangerous. England cannot afford a slow opening or careless turnovers near midfield. One clean Norwegian counterattack could turn the match into a track meet.
Argentina vs. Switzerland follows at 8 p.m. CT on FOX from Kansas City Stadium. Defending champion Argentina is attempting to extend Lionel Messi’s latest World Cup run, while Switzerland arrives after surviving Colombia in a penalty shootout.
Switzerland will likely try to compress the field, frustrate Argentina and drag the game into a tense second half. Argentina’s challenge will be creating chances before the match becomes a 90-minute wrestling match in soccer cleats.
Best Saturday watch: Norway vs. England. Haaland, Harry Kane, knockout pressure and Miami heat are enough ingredients to cook a sports classic.
Wimbledon closes with two compelling finals
Saturday’s women’s final features an all-Czech matchup between Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova. Muchova reached the final after eliminating Coco Gauff, while Noskova advanced by defeating Marta Kostyuk. The match began Saturday morning at Centre Court and guarantees a first-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Sunday brings the men’s championship match between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, beginning no earlier than 10 a.m. CT.
Sinner defeated seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets to advance. Zverev reached the final after beating British wild card Arthur Fery and is seeking consecutive Grand Slam titles after winning the French Open. Sinner owns a 10-4 career advantage against Zverev and has won their past nine meetings.
The matchup presents a clean contrast. Zverev will lean on his powerful serve and first-strike tennis, while Sinner will attempt to control the baseline, redirect pace and force Zverev into longer exchanges.
Best Sunday morning watch: Sinner vs. Zverev. Coffee, Centre Court and two elite players trying to seize the grass-court crown is a respectable way to start the day.
Conor McGregor returns at UFC 329
UFC 329 arrives Saturday night from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2.
The fight is a rematch of their 2013 meeting, which McGregor won by unanimous decision. This time, McGregor is returning after approximately five years away from competition, while Holloway enters as the more active fighter. The long layoff makes McGregor the weekend’s biggest mystery box. He could look sharp, rusty or both within the same round.
The card also includes Paddy Pimblett against Benoît Saint Denis, Cory Sandhagen against Mario Bautista and Brandon Royval against Lone’er Kavanagh.
Coverage begins with early preliminaries at 4 p.m. CT, followed by preliminaries at 6 p.m. CT and the main card at 8 p.m. CT on Paramount+. The McGregor-Holloway main event is expected late Saturday night.
What to watch: McGregor’s timing, conditioning and movement. The crowd will supply the fireworks. His body will reveal whether the comeback is real.
WNBA weekend features Liberty-Lynx and Mercury-Aces
The strongest WNBA game Saturday is New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx, tipping at noon CT on ABC.
Minnesota and New York have become two of the league’s most recognizable contenders, making this an important measuring-stick game as the season moves deeper into July.
Saturday also includes the Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces at 5 p.m. CT. Las Vegas defeated Phoenix 86-76 in their June meeting behind 33 points and 11 rebounds from A’ja Wilson, while Phoenix won the teams’ May matchup by 33 points. That makes Saturday’s meeting a rubber-match-style collision between two teams that have already traded convincing wins.
Sunday’s schedule includes:
New York Liberty at Toronto Tempo, 2 p.m. CT
Seattle Storm at Washington Mystics, 2 p.m. CT
Chicago Sky at Dallas Wings, 6 p.m. CT
Dallas enters Sunday with momentum after Paige Bueckers scored 34 points in Friday’s 108-95 victory over expansion Toronto.
MLB All-Star Week begins in Philadelphia
Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities begin Saturday with the 2026 MLB Draft at noon CT from the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The opening portion will air on NBC, with additional coverage available through Peacock, MLB Network and MLB.com. The event has moved to Saturday for the first time since the Draft became part of All-Star Week.
Sunday’s centerpiece is the All-Star Futures Game at 11 a.m. CT on NBC from Citizens Bank Park. The game includes 38 players ranked among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, offering fans a chance to see future major-league stars before their names become household furniture.
Regular-season baseball also continues throughout the weekend, including Red Sox-Mets, Astros-Rangers, Braves-Cardinals and Diamondbacks-Dodgers.
Best baseball watch: The Futures Game. It is part competition, part scouting showcase and part “remember that name” laboratory.
NBA Summer League offers an early look at the future
NBA Summer League continues in Las Vegas with all 30 teams competing through July 19. Every game is available across Prime Video or ESPN platforms.
The first two days have already produced noise. Chicago rookie Caleb Wilson scored 35 points Friday, but Cameron Boozer and Memphis escaped with a 97-96 victory. No. 1 selection AJ Dybantsa also led Washington past Utah and No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson in their opening matchup.
Summer League results should never be treated as finished NBA prophecy, but the event reveals valuable clues: who can create shots, who handles physical defenders, who makes fast decisions and who looks lost when the playbook disappears.
What to watch: Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson. This is the league’s next generation performing its first public audition.
NASCAR closes Sunday night at EchoPark Speedway
The NASCAR Cup Series returns Sunday with the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway, beginning at 6 p.m. CT on TNT.
The Georgia track’s drafting style often creates tight packs, aggressive positioning and late-race volatility. One small mistake can turn the field into expensive modern art.
The best weekend viewing plan
For Saturday, begin with Liberty-Lynx, shift into the World Cup quarterfinals and close the night with UFC 329.
On Sunday, start with the Wimbledon men’s final, move into the MLB Futures Game or WNBA action, sample NBA Summer League during the afternoon and finish with NASCAR under the lights.
The weekend has championship stakes, international pressure, emerging stars and one of combat sports’ most scrutinized comebacks. Choose a screen, charge the remote and prepare for some serious channel gymnastics.
Sources and Full Links
- FIFA, World Cup 2026 match schedule, fixtures and results
https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/match-schedule-fixtures-results-teams-stadiums - FIFA, Norway vs. England quarterfinal preview
https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/norway-england-preview-live-stream-team-news-tickets - FOX Sports, How to watch Norway vs. England
https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/norway-vs-england-how-to-watch-tv-channel-live-stream-2026-fifa-world-cup-quarterfinal - FOX, How to watch Argentina vs. Switzerland
https://www.fox.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/argentina-vs-switzerland-jul-11-2026 - Wimbledon, Championship schedule
https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/the_championships/schedule - ATP Tour, Sinner vs. Zverev final time and matchup
https://www.atptour.com/en/news/wimbledon-2026-final-schedule - Associated Press, Sinner defeats Djokovic and advances to the Wimbledon final
https://apnews.com/article/d49df669b88786363b5673fc8fa8bcac - UFC, UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2
https://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-329 - Paramount+, How to watch UFC 329
https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/how-to-watch-ufc-329/ - Minnesota Lynx, How to watch Lynx vs. Liberty
https://lynx.wnba.com/news/how-to-watch-minnesota-lynx-vs-new-york-liberty-on-july-11-streaming-game-time-injury-report-jerseys - WNBA, Phoenix Mercury vs. Las Vegas Aces
https://www.wnba.com/game/phx-vs-lva-1022600169 - WNBA, New York Liberty vs. Toronto Tempo
https://www.wnba.com/game/nyl-vs-tor-1022600171 - MLB, 2026 All-Star Week schedule
https://www.mlb.com/all-star/schedule - MLB, 2026 All-Star Futures Game
https://www.mlb.com/all-star/sunday/futures-game - NBA, 2026 NBA Summer League schedule
https://www.nba.com/news/2026-nba-summer-league-schedule - NBA, 2026 Summer League coverage and results
https://www.nba.com/summer-league/2026 - NASCAR, 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule
https://www.nascar.com/nascar-cup-series/2026/schedule/ - NASCAR, EchoPark Speedway weekend schedule
https://www.nascar.com/weekend-schedule/weekend-schedule-for-2026-echopark-speedway-lime-rock-park/