Here's what our news editors have circled in their calendars this weekend:
Saturday, March 7th
Japan vs South Korea - 11:00 CET
It's the first big matchup of the 2026 World Baseball Classic as both countries are coming off emphatic first wins in the Pool stage.
Japan is coming off a 13-0 throttling of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), the biggest win of the WBC so far this year, putting up a WBC record of 10 runs in the first inning alone.
Superstar Shohei Ohtani launched a grand slam and set the WBC record for most runs batted in (5) in a single inning after hitting a grand slam in his second at-bat of the entire tournament. Ohtani was just a triple away from completing the cycle (single-double-triple-home run).
Meanwhile, South Korea launched four home runs and put up 11 runs on the Czech Republic in their first game to win 11-4, with the biggest one coming in the form of a grand slam from Bo Gyeong Moon.
The two teams are the favourites to come out of the Pool C group, but with Australia sitting at 2-0 right now, this game proves to be even more crucial.
Eric Himmelheber
Sunday, March 8th
Australian Grand Prix - 05:00 CET
Formula 1 is back! And it's far more than just the 2026 season that's starting in Melbourne, with the sport entering a brand new era thanks to a radical overhaul of regulations that is set to seriously shake up the hierarchy.
At the front of the field, Mercedes and Ferrari look to be a step ahead of the rest, and if that is the case, it'll be fascinating to see how George Russell and Charles Leclerc handle being frontrunners and whether Lewis Hamilton can rediscover his magic in a more capable car after a poor 2025.
Whether or not McLaren and Red Bull can fight for the win themselves down under, all eyes will be on how the intra-team battle between McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri resumes after the Brit pipped the Aussie to the title last season, and how young talent Isack Hadjar fares in his first season at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen.
Further back, two new teams will make their debuts, with huge automotive brands Audi and Cadillac joining the grid in a hugely exciting development for the sport; the former have taken over Sauber, while the latter are starting from scratch.
All of the above make this one the most hotly anticipated season openers ever, and while you wait for it, you can check out all of Flashscore's best preview content here.
Finley Crebolder
India vs New Zealand - 14:30 CET
The 2026 T20 World Cup will reach its conclusion on Sunday, and while one side’s presence in the decider is not a surprise at all, the other’s is, pleasantly. Well, maybe not so pleasantly if you’re a South Africa fan, and that’s because the Proteas were demolished in the first semi-final by New Zealand.
The perennial overachievers of ICC events, the Black Caps, have done it again. Just when everyone had overlooked them, they showed up in Kolkata to dump out the only unbeaten side at the tournament. Restricting South Africa to 169 was absolutely crucial, and then Finn Allen’s record-breaking ton (off just 33 balls) was the fat cherry on the cake for the Kiwis, who go into Sunday’s final just how they like to be: in-form and as the underdogs.
So what about the favourites? Well, that will be tournament co-hosts India, who defended 253 against England in what was a surprisingly nervy second semi-final in the end. At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, over 100,000 locals will be cheering the home side on vociferously and expecting nothing short of glory, and a second consecutive T20 World Cup crown.
But don’t think this final is a foregone conclusion. Let’s not forget South Africa beat India at this very venue just two weeks ago. Also, New Zealand will derive confidence from the fact that Australia stunned India in the 50-over World Cup final at the same ground back in 2023. They are very good at home, but they aren’t invincible…
Being an evening game, whoever wins the toss will likely choose to chase, such is the tendency in the tournament. However, South Africa beat India batting first in Ahmedabad, and then the West Indies batting second, proving both routes are possible there. Perhaps more tellingly for this matchup, India defeated New Zealand 4-1 in a T20 series just before the World Cup. However, you can’t count the Black Caps out, especially not in a one-off T20 with their first World Cup title on the line!
Pat Dempsey
Benfica vs FC Porto - 19:00 CET
Liga Portugal leaders Porto travel to third-placed Benfica in a high-stakes O Classico on Sunday evening, with both sides looking to secure a potentially decisive victory in the title race.
Jose Mourinho’s men are seven points adrift heading into the clash, but with an unbeaten league record after 24 matches (W17, D7), they’ll fancy their chances of mounting a serious title charge in the final months of the season.
As for the Dragons, they’ve won a remarkable 21 of their 24 games in the Portuguese top flight so far this campaign, conceding only eight goals in the process.
They are, however, in the midst of a slight downturn in form - having lost two of their last six outings across all competitions - so an improvement will certainly be needed on Sunday in Lisbon.
This promises to be a thrilling contest, so make sure you tune in!
Danny Clark
One of world football’s most intense derbies takes centre stage on Sunday evening with the Derby della Madonnina between Inter Milan and AC Milan. With there being no love lost between these two great clubs, this clash could signal the end of the Serie A’s title race should the Nerazzurri come out on top.
I Rossoneri have recently suffered a blip in their hopes of capturing the Scudetto, winning once in their last three. That came in their last fixture - a 2-0 defeat of struggling Cremonese. They have been quite solid at the back, though, conceding the second fewest goals in the league with 20. That will certainly be tested on Sunday, however.
Stopping Inter has proven to be quite the task for the whole league of late. Cristian Chivu’s side are unbeaten in their last 15 league games (14-1-0), prevailing in each of their last eight. Funny enough, their last defeat came at the hands of Milan, with the reverse fixture ending 1-0.
Otherwise, Inter have been utterly unstoppable en route to a 21st domestic title. Their 64 goals scored are 18 more than the rest of the field, highlighting their goalscoring prowess. They can also maintain clean sheets, having done so in four of the last five.
Milan will have reason for confidence heading into this duel. They are currently on a six-game unbeaten run in this head-to-head (4-2-0), their longest run in two decades. Between 2002 and 2005, I Rossoneri went 10 matches without defeat against their city foes, their second-longest run ever. In this streak, Milan have outscored Inter 11-5.
Anything less than a victory for Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan will all but secure the title for Inter, who look very difficult to beat (unless you are Bodo/Glimt). Only Napoli have managed to go unbeaten across both league games against I Nerazzurri: can Milan do the same? Find out on Sunday, as this is undoubtedly the match of the weekend across Europe!
David Parkes