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The week of Sept. 10-16 delivered a championship in Mexico, the first full NFL weekend, and a tightening set of races across several sports. Toros de Tijuana finished off the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol season with the third championship in franchise history, while Milwaukee clinched both a postseason berth and the National League Central. Toluca moved to the top of Liga MX, América made a statement against Tigres in Liga MX Femenil, Kimi Antonelli extended his Formula One championship lead in Madrid, and the UEFA Champions League closed its opening matchday with emphatic wins by Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and newcomer Como.
MLB
Milwaukee turned the week into a two-stage celebration. The Brewers clinched a postseason berth Sept. 11 by routing Cincinnati 20-0, the largest victory margin in major-league history by a team on the day it clinched a playoff spot. Garrett Mitchell hit a grand slam, and every Milwaukee starter had a hit. Four days later, the Brewers beat Pittsburgh 5-1 behind five scoreless innings from Jacob Misiorowski and, after the Cubs lost to Atlanta, clinched a fourth consecutive National League Central title. Tampa Bay also clinched Sept. 11 when Junior Caminero hit his 40th homer, a two-run walk-off shot in a 3-1 win over Houston. The Dodgers and Yankees joined the postseason field Sept. 14, leaving four playoff berths officially secured by the end of the window.
The Contender Story: Milwaukee can now shift from simply reaching October to maximizing its postseason position, and its 95-57 record is the best in baseball. Tampa Bay remains the American League pace-setter, while the Dodgers and Yankees have removed qualification pressure from their final stretch. The next two weeks are increasingly about byes, home-field advantage, and lining up rotations rather than merely surviving the race.
Mexican Baseball League
Toros de Tijuana finished the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol season Sept. 15 with a 2-0 victory over Olmecas de Tabasco in Game 6 of the Serie del Rey, winning the championship series four games to two. Gilberto Celestino broke a scoreless game with a two-run single in the fifth inning, and Tijuana never gave the lead back. Adonis Medina worked five scoreless innings before the bullpen completed the shutout. The championship is the third in Toros history, joining the 2017 and 2021 titles.
The Contender Story: Tijuana answered the final question of the LMB season with pitching. The Toros did not need a late offensive surge in the clincher; they protected a two-run lead for four innings and closed the series with a shutout. That run prevention, backed by a deep bullpen, became the defining strength of the championship finish.
Liga MX
The top of the Apertura standings changed hands during a busy week. Cruz Azul handed América its first loss of the tournament in a 4-3 Clásico Joven, building a 3-0 halftime lead before surviving a furious second-half comeback. Toluca routed Atlas 5-2, then beat Puebla 1-0 in a rescheduled Matchday 7 match on an own goal to move alone into first with 19 points. Guadalajara climbed to 17 points with a 3-0 win over Pumas as Santiago Sandoval scored twice, while América finished the window on 16 points after its first defeat.
The Contender Story: Toluca showed two versions of a contender in the same week: explosive in the five-goal win over Atlas, then patient enough to grind out a 1-0 result at Puebla. That versatility has put the Diablos in front, with Guadalajara two points back and América three behind as the race begins to separate at the top.
Liga MX Femenil
América turned the meeting of the league’s two perfect teams into the week’s clearest statement, beating Tigres 5-2 on Sept. 13. Jana Gutiérrez, Xcaret Pineda, and Scarlett Camberos put América up 3-0 before halftime. Thembi Kgatlana scored twice in quick succession for Tigres after the break, but Geyse and Nancy Antonio restored the three-goal margin. América improved to 7-0 with 21 points and ended the round as the league’s only perfect club, with 35 goals scored and five allowed. Geyse leads the scoring race with 12 goals. Tigres and Rayadas sit on 18 points in Group A.
The Contender Story: América has created separation in more than the standings. The Águilas own the league’s best attack, the best defensive record, and the leading scorer, and they just handled their toughest test of the young tournament. Tigres and Rayadas remain close enough to keep the title picture competitive, but América has set the standard through seven matches.
Formula One
Kimi Antonelli won the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s Madring on Sept. 13, finishing 4.351 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, with Lando Norris third. Norris started from pole and controlled the opening phase, but the timing of a Virtual Safety Car allowed Antonelli and Verstappen to make cheaper pit stops, while Norris missed the window and then lost more time in a seven-second stop. Antonelli’s victory was his eighth of the season. He now leads the Drivers’ Championship with 292 points, 81 ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell. Mercedes leads the Constructors’ Championship with 503 points, followed by Ferrari with 358 and McLaren with 306.
The Contender Story: Antonelli’s advantage is becoming difficult to attack because Mercedes is scoring from both sides of the garage while its closest rivals are taking points from one another. With nine Grands Prix remaining, the championship leader can increasingly manage the margin rather than chase every race, while Ferrari and McLaren need both speed and a run of clean weekends to change the trajectory.
UEFA Champions League
The weekly window caught the final six matches of Champions League Matchday 1 on Sept. 10. Bayern Munich broke open a scoreless match after halftime and routed Bodø/Glimt 5-0, with Michael Olise scoring twice. Manchester United marked its return to the competition with a 4-0 win over debutant Sabah, while Champions League newcomer Como announced itself with a 4-1 victory over Leipzig. Lens produced the night’s most dramatic finish, scoring twice after the 90th minute to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win at 10-man Slavia Praha. Fenerbahçe and Roma drew 1-1, as did PSV Eindhoven and Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Contender Story: Bayern and Manchester United produced the cleanest opening statements from Thursday’s group, but Como’s debut may have been the most revealing result: it did not merely survive its first Champions League night; it controlled an established Bundesliga opponent. One matchday is too early to define the league-phase hierarchy, but those three clubs gave themselves immediate room to work.
NFL
The NFL’s opening week delivered offense almost everywhere. San Francisco began the week with a 27-7 win over the Rams in the league’s first regular-season game in Australia, as Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes. Chicago erupted for a 59-37 victory at Carolina; Caleb Williams accounted for four touchdowns, and D’Andre Swift ran for 124 yards and three scores. Baltimore beat Indianapolis 41-23 behind 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Derrick Henry, while Lamar Jackson threw for 324 yards. Buffalo edged Houston 36-31 as Josh Allen threw for 334 yards, passed for two touchdowns, and ran for two more. Kansas City closed the week with a 31-10 win over Denver as new Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 173 yards, scored twice, and finished with 191 yards from scrimmage.
NFL returns to Mexico City in November
The NFL returns to Mexico City on Nov. 22 when the Minnesota Vikings face the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Banorte. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. local time. The Mexican rock trio The Warning will headline the halftime show. Banorte presales began Sept. 17, with general ticket sales opening Sept. 22 through Ticketmaster.
