The Athletic’s Weekly Live Coverage: March Madness, World Cup Playoffs and Boxing

The final week of March delivers a global buffet of high-stakes sport, and The Athletic will be courtside, pitch-side and ringside for every decisive moment.

Men’s Final Four returns to Indianapolis on Saturday with two heavyweight collisions. Top-seeded Michigan and Arizona—both unbeaten in regional play—meet in the nightcap at 8:49 p.m. ET, a showcase of Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg against Wildcats freshman standout Koa Peat. The opener at 6:09 p.m. ET pits defending champion UConn, fresh from its historic comeback over Duke, against an Illinois program eager to atone for its 2024 title-game loss to the Huskies.

On the women’s side, the Final Four tips Friday evening in Phoenix, adopted hometown of UConn legend Diana Taurasi. Geno Auriemma’s Huskies, heavy favorites to repeat, target a seventh undefeated season. They will be joined by UCLA, while No. 1 seeds Texas and South Carolina aim to replicate last year’s semifinal lineup. Texas meets Michigan at 7 p.m. ET in Fort Worth; South Carolina faces TCU at 9 p.m. ET in Sacramento.

Soccer’s road to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup reaches its European climax Thursday. Italy—at risk of missing a third straight World Cup—visits Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Ukraine, Sweden and the Czech Republic also vie for the continent’s final four berths. All playoff finals kick off simultaneously at 7:45 p.m. BST (2:45 p.m. ET).

England manager Thomas Tuchel, experimenting against Uruguay last week, is expected to deploy a near-first-choice XI for Tuesday’s friendly with Japan at Wembley, though Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice have returned to club duty. The U.S. men’s national team, meanwhile, welcomes Portugal on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Christian Pulisic, goalless for the Stars and Stripes since 2024, hopes to rediscover his scoring touch against Bruno Fernandes and company.

Domestic cup drama resumes Saturday when Manchester City and Liverpool clash in an FA Cup quarter-final at 12:45 p.m. BST (7:45 a.m. ET). City, already Carabao Cup winners, seek a second trophy, while Liverpool eye silverware to salvage Arne Slot’s second season and give Mohamed Salah a triumphant send-off.

In boxing, heavyweight veterans Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora share a milestone 50th professional bout Saturday at London’s O2 Arena. The 42-year-old Chisora has vowed to retire after the fight, promising an emotional farewell in his hometown. The main card begins at 7 p.m. BST (2 p.m. ET).

Throughout the week, The Athletic’s live coverage will deliver real-time updates, pre-game build-up, in-play analysis and post-event reaction from every venue. Readers can join the conversation by emailing live@theathletic.com; selected messages will be woven into the coverage.

March Madness, World Cup qualifiers, FA Cup fireworks and a heavyweight farewell—seven days, four sports, one destination for comprehensive live storytelling.