NFL, Soccer: Texans, Madrid Win

This sports weekend recap, from Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, includes the Texans’ game-winning field goal in London, Real Madrid’s 4-1 rout of Sevilla, and Lionel Messi’s two goals for Inter Miami. It also reviews Columbus Crew’s win over Cincinnati, América’s 5-3 victory in León, the Rays’ move to within one win of the American League pennant, and the downfall of the No. 1 and No. 2 college football teams.

NFL: Texans, Bills, and Packers Win; Chiefs Remain 5-0

On Sunday, October 18, the Houston Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 at Wembley, with Ka’imi Fairbairn kicking a 49-yard field goal as time expired. C.J. Stroud threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns. The Bills won 33-30 in Las Vegas, and Josh Allen tied Jim Kelly’s franchise record with 258 touchdown passes.

The Packers beat the Cowboys 23-13, who didn’t score in the first half. The Chiefs improved to 5-0 by defeating the Chargers 22-6, who fell to 0-6; Kenneth Walker III rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns, and Patrick Mahomes earned his 100th win. The Panthers defeated the Eagles 25-14, who lost their fourth straight game without Jalen Hurts.

LaLiga and International Soccer: Madrid Routs Sevilla

Real Madrid routed Sevilla 4-1 on Sunday, October 18, at the Santiago Bernabéu. Arda Güler opened the scoring in the 30th minute, Kylian Mbappé scored two goals (in the 37th and 63rd minutes, the latter on a penalty), and Yan Diomande closed out the scoring in the 82nd minute. The team played without Vinícius Júnior, who served the first game of a four-game suspension, and improved to seven wins and two losses.

In the Premier League, Arsenal won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest with a goal by Noni Madueke in the 80th minute. On Saturday, October 17, Liverpool came back to win 2-1 at Brentford, and Manchester City defeated Ipswich Town 3-2 with two goals by Erling Haaland. Also on Saturday, Barcelona routed Betis 5-2, and Bayern Munich defeated Leipzig 6-1. In Italy, Lazio won 3-0 against Juventus, and Milan defeated Atalanta 3-2; in France, PSG won 3-1 at Strasbourg, and Marseille won 5-2 at Angers.

Messi and Inter Miami: Two Goals in Atlanta

Lionel Messi scored two goals in four minutes (in the 56th and 60th minutes) as Inter Miami defeated Atlanta United 3-1 on Saturday, October 17, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Germán Berterame opened the scoring in the 45th minute, and Fafà Picault scored on a penalty in the 89th minute. With his 24th and 25th goals, Messi leads the league in scoring and, with 15 assists, is tied for the top with Son Heung-min. He has 40 goal contributions, nine shy of Carlos Vela’s 2019 record, and has four games left to break it.

That day, Orlando City routed D.C. United 4-1 with two goals by Antoine Griezmann, and New York City FC tied LAFC 1-1.

Columbus Crew: Win in Derby Against Cincinnati

Columbus Crew defeated FC Cincinnati 2-0 on Sunday, October 18, at TQL Stadium. Gonzalo Tapia opened the scoring with a header in the 22nd minute and assisted Taha Habroune, who scored in the 54th minute for his third consecutive game with a goal. Patrick Schulte earned his sixth shutout. The Crew improved to 35 points, one behind Cincinnati, which occupies the ninth and final wild-card spot in the East. Columbus has won four of its last five games; Cincinnati has won only one of its last nine.

That day, Nashville SC, the Eastern Conference leader with 67 points, tied 1-1 at San Jose. Vancouver, the Western Conference leader with 55 points, won 2-1 against Austin FC.

Liga MX: América Wins 5-3 in León

América defeated León 5-3 on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Estadio León. Henry Martín opened the scoring on a penalty in the 24th minute, and Carlos Álvarez extended the lead in the 34th minute. León scored in the 53rd minute with Alfonso Alvarado, but Érick Sánchez made it 3-1 in the 58th minute. After Iván Moreno scored in the 82nd minute to make it 2-3, Óscar Perea and Brian Rodríguez responded in the 84th and 90th minutes, and Ismael Díaz closed out the scoring in the 90+6th minute. América improved to 6-3-1, and León fell to 5-3-3.

That day, Cruz Azul routed FC Juárez 5-0. On Sunday, October 18, Monterrey defeated Pachuca 2-1.

MLB, College Football, and WNBA: Rays Take Lead, No. 1 and No. 2 Fall

The Rays defeated the Guardians 3-1 on Sunday, October 18, and took a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series; Drew Rasmussen allowed one run in seven innings with six strikeouts. The Milwaukee Brewers are already waiting in the World Series.

In college football, No. 1 Georgia (Auburn won 27-24 with a 34-yard field goal as time expired) and No. 2 Notre Dame (BYU won 28-24) fell on Saturday, October 17. Five of the top eight teams in the AP ranking lost. In the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-64 on Saturday, October 17, and took a 1-0 lead in the Finals, with 26 points from Gabby Williams.

What’s Next

On Monday, October 19, the Washington Commanders visit the 49ers at 8:15 p.m. ET. That day, Tottenham hosts Coventry, Getafe hosts Rayo Vallecano, Monza hosts Cagliari, and Parma hosts Torino. The Rays and Guardians play Game 6 of the ALCS at 8:00 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, with Freddy Peralta as the starter for Tampa Bay; if necessary, Game 7 will be played on Tuesday, October 20. The World Series begins on Friday, October 23, in Milwaukee. Game 2 of the WNBA Finals is on Monday, October 19, at 8:00 p.m. ET in San Francisco.

On Wednesday, October 21, Real Madrid hosts RB Leipzig, and Cincinnati hosts D.C. United. On Saturday, October 24, Columbus hosts Toronto FC, and Orlando City hosts New York City FC; in college football, Auburn hosts LSU, BYU visits UCF, and Texas hosts Ole Miss. On Sunday, October 25, Madrid visits Barcelona at Spotify Camp Nou.

Sources

Tags: MLB

Texans win 34-31 in London, Madrid routs 4-1, and Messi scores twice