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Cruz Azul moved into first place in Mexico’s men’s Liga MX standings, while the women’s Liga MX Femenil began its championship playoffs. Mercedes clinched Formula One’s Constructors’ Championship in Brazil, and Buffalo and San Francisco strengthened their NFL positions. The Champions League paused between rounds, NHL contenders battled for position, and the NBA brought another game to Mexico City.
Liga MX
Cruz Azul took sole possession of first place in the Apertura (opening tournament) after beating Tigres 3-2 in Jornada 16 (Round 16), moving to 32 points with one regular-season round remaining. América and Guadalajara (Chivas) have 30 points each after América drew 2-2 with Pumas and Chivas tied León 1-1. Toluca climbed to fourth on 27 points by routing Monterrey 4-0, while Atlas slipped to fifth, also on 27, following a 4-1 home loss to Pachuca. Santos Laguna stands sixth with 25; León has 23, and Pachuca holds eighth on goal difference over Tijuana, both on 22. Monterrey, on 21, still has a postponed match to play.
The Contender Story. Atlas remains in the playoff places, but its heavy home defeat damaged its goal difference, while Pachuca revived its challenge for the final berth. Chivas can still win the regular-season race.
Liga MX Femenil
The Apertura (opening tournament) quarterfinals opened with Tigres beating Pumas 3-2 in the first game and Guadalajara (Chivas) drawing 0-0 away to FC Juárez. América faced Toluca and Monterrey (Rayadas) visited Pachuca in the other opening-game pairings. The second games are scheduled for Nov. 14-15. Under the competition rules, a team tied on the combined score after both games advances based on its regular-season group position.
The Contender Story. Chivas returns to Zapopan level with Juárez, making the home game decisive. Tigres carries a one-goal advantage, but the group-position tiebreaker adds another consideration to each quarterfinal.
Formula One
Lando Norris won a rain-disrupted São Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, finishing 14.6 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, who charged from 21st on the grid to second. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar finished third. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli placed fourth and fifth, enough to secure the Constructors’ Championship for Mercedes. Antonelli, who clinched the Drivers’ Championship in Mexico City the previous week, remains the championship leader with 390 points; Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings with 652. The São Paulo result gave Norris his third victory of the season and denied Mercedes a podium on the day it secured the team crown.
The Contender Story. With both championships settled, the remaining races will test how Mercedes develops its advantage and whether McLaren and Red Bull can carry their late-season speed into next year.
NFL
Buffalo beat Minnesota 23-6 on Monday behind Josh Allen’s 234 passing yards and a defense that intercepted Carson Wentz twice, improving to 7-1. San Francisco also reached 7-1 with a 38-17 victory over Las Vegas, forcing five turnovers. Chicago improved to 7-2 by edging Tampa Bay 27-24 on a late field goal, while Denver reached 7-2 with a 26-21 win at Carolina. Cincinnati beat Atlanta 34-17 in Madrid, where Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes, and Houston defeated the Chargers 44-22 behind five touchdown passes from C.J. Stroud. Green Bay beat New England 45-27 as Jordan Love threw for 372 yards.
The Contender Story. Buffalo and San Francisco have established themselves as conference pace-setters, but Chicago and Denver are close enough that seeding and home-field advantage remain a contest rather than a formality.
UEFA Champions League
The Champions League had no matches this week. The competition resumes Nov. 24-25, when Arsenal hosts Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City faces Napoli, and Real Madrid meets PSV Eindhoven. With four of eight league-phase matches completed, the next round will shape the contest for direct advancement and playoff places.
The Contender Story. The break gives clubs time to repair defensive problems exposed in the first four rounds. A poor return on Nov. 24-25 could leave even established contenders chasing qualification in December and January.
NHL
Minnesota continued its strong start when Kirill Kaprizov scored 21 seconds into overtime to beat Montreal 2-1 on Tuesday, extending the Wild’s point streak to nine games. Winnipeg defeated New Jersey 4-2 the same night, while Nashville won its sixth straight on Wednesday with a 4-2 victory over Anaheim. Tampa Bay beat Buffalo 8-3 behind Nikita Kucherov’s third-period hat trick, and Edmonton edged Philadelphia 3-2 in overtime. The early conference races remain crowded rather than settled.
The Contender Story. Minnesota’s ability to collect points in close games is valuable, but Nashville’s surge and Edmonton’s strong start show how quickly early division leads can become contested.
NBA
The NBA’s return to Mexico City on Saturday ended with Denver beating Indiana 114-102 at Arena CDMX. Nikola Jokić had 19 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists in the league’s 35th game in Mexico. Elsewhere, San Antonio rallied from 22 points down to beat Chicago 124-119 on Wednesday for its 10th straight victory. Luka Dončić scored 32 as the Lakers defeated Milwaukee 123-112 for their seventh consecutive win, while Houston beat Golden State 115-108, ending the Warriors’ eight-game winning streak; Stephen Curry left with abdominal soreness. Boston rallied past Toronto 98-93, and Portland defeated Oklahoma City 118-108.
The Contender Story. San Antonio’s comeback and the Lakers’ sustained run are early signs of resilience, while Golden State’s first setback in nine games raises a more immediate concern about Curry’s health than its place in the standings.
