Mer

Editors' Picks: World Cup places on the line, Alcaraz & Sinner looking to win ATP Finals

Can Wirtz and Germany seal their place at the World Cup?
Can Wirtz and Germany seal their place at the World Cup?ČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Herbertz / Nico Herbertz / Flashscore

Weekends really don't come much bigger than this one in the world of sport, with FIFA World Cup places and the ATP Finals title on the line either side of huge clashes in rugby and boxing.

Here's what the Flashscore team will be watching.

All weekend

ATP Finals - from 14:00 CET on Saturday

The season-ending ATP Finals draw to a fascinating conclusion over the weekend, with four of the best men’s players in the world looking to capture the prestigious title in Turin.

Fresh from securing the year-end No.1 ranking after three wins from three in the group stage, Carlos Alcaraz will be more determined than ever to win the tournament for the first time in his career.

However, defending champion and home favourite Jannik Sinner - who also recorded a 100% record in the round robin phase - will take some stopping, as he looks to continue his remarkable record of winning 29 consecutive matches on indoor hard courts.

The two rivals are on separate sides of the draw, with Alcaraz facing world number eight Felix Auger-Aliassime and Sinner taking on Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the semi-finals.

Needless to say, Alcaraz and Sinner are the overwhelming favourites to make it through to Sunday’s showpiece, and having met five times already this year (including in three Grand Slam finals), it would be a fitting final act of 2025.

It promises to be a thrilling couple of days in Turin, so make sure you follow all the action!

Danny Clark

Saturday, November 15th

England vs New Zealand - 16:10 CET

The Autumn Nations Series continues this weekend, as do the blockbuster clashes, with England welcoming New Zealand to Twickenham.

With both sides unbeaten in their first two games, confidence will be high in both camps. The pair faced off last year in London, with the All Blacks narrowly edging the encounter. In fact, England haven’t beaten New Zealand since the World Cup in 2019, and will be desperate to break that run.

All Blacks captain Scott Barrett returns after missing the victory against Scotland last week - his experience was missed as the Scots nearly battled back for a famous victory after trailing by 17 points at half-time.

England’s ‘Pom Squad’ will be back in full force this weekend. Modelled on South Africa’s ‘bomb squad’, changing the forward line for increased pressure in the scrum late on, will be a pure test for the New Zealand frontline.

The two teams always put on a show. From the haka to full-time, it will be one not to be missed.

Josh Donaldson

Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn 2 - 23:00 CET

A family rivalry which dates back decades, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn return to the ring for a rematch this Saturday, seven months on from their absolutely thrilling first bout, which saw the former win via unanimous decision.

Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn fought twice in the 1990s, with Eubank Sr winning the initial fight, before the second was declared a draw. Now their sons will be gunning for each other once more.

Eubank Jr. was the massive favourite ahead of the first clash, and is unquestionably again, largely due to the fact that Benn has moved up from welterweight to middleweight to fight his opponent. 

As a result of this, Eubank Jr. has agreed to a rehydration clause, which means that he can't gain any more than 10lbs above the limit for fight night.

However, Benn was mighty impressive back in April and did a lot of damage to Eubank Jr., so he will be hoping that he can do the same again, but this time go on to clinch a shock win. 

He will be desperate for revenge, but Eubank Jr. will have other plans. It is going to be an incredible night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd of 70,000.

Tolga Akdeniz

Sunday, November 16th

Nigeria vs D.R. Congo, World Cup playoff - 20:00 CET

Nigeria have limped through their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign with meek performances that belie their star-studded squad, but they are a step closer to the finals after a 4-1 extra-time victory over Gabon in their playoff semi-final this week set up a continental decider with DR Congo in the Moroccan city of Rabat.

It is not a showdown for a place at the finals, but rather to move forward as Africa’s representative at the inter-continental playoffs that will be staged in March, where they will be joined by teams from Asia, North and South America, and Oceania. Two teams at those playoffs will seal a place at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada next June.

DR Congo advanced to the Africa Qualifiers final with a 1-0 win against Cameroon and ordinarily would be underdogs against this Nigeria side full of big names, but the Super Eagles have hardly been soaring in recent times.

If the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi don't fire, the Congolese could take another step towards a second World Cup appearance, 51 years on from their first as Zaire in 1974.

Nick Said

Monday, November 17th

Germany vs Slovakia - 20:45 CET

There are plenty of big games in the final round of World Cup qualifying in Europe, but none bigger than the clash between Germany and Slovakia on Monday night.

There are no complicated permutations to worry about here; things couldn't be simpler: with the sides heading into the clash level on points, the winner takes it all.

Germany will enter the match as favourites, but Slovakia are very much in with a chance; after all, they won 2-0 when the sides met back in September.

If Slovakia can prevail again, Germany will miss out on automatic qualification for the first time since 2002, and with Italy and Sweden among the potential opponents in the playoffs, they would be in real danger of missing their first World Cup since 1950. 

Julian Nagelsmann can take some comfort in the fact that a draw will be enough for his nation thanks to their superior goal difference, but it's set to be a night full of drama and tension in Leipzig nonetheless.

Finley Crebolder