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Coming up this week: Wildcard time in the NFL, giant-killing possibilities loom in the FA Cup, and Lindsey Vonn continues her astonishing comeback as the Winter Olympics approaches.
Here is your Inside Track to the action:
NFL
California dreaming as road to the Superbowl opens up
After the regular season went down to the last (missed) kick in the last seconds of the last game, the NFL moves seamlessly into the postseason — this time without the Kansas City Chiefs, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. The Wild Card Weekend of six games over three days begins on Saturday when the Los Angeles Rams face the Carolina Panthers before the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears add another chapter to their storied rivalry.
Sunday’s action will see reigning league MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots at home to face the Los Angeles Chargers in primetime.
The action concludes Monday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers against the visiting Houston Texans when the dream of making the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, on February 8 will grow for some while dying for another year for half a dozen others.
NFL wild-card playoffs, multiple locations — January 10-12
SOCCER
Magic of the FA Cup just about surviving at third-round time
Once considered the Super Bowl of English football, the FA Cup has lost much of its lustre against the rise of the Premier League. But the third round still retains some of the old romance that has defined the competition since 1871.
It’s the moment when unsung clubs that have battled their way through the early rounds can come face to face with the elites — and when the usual array of students, builders and postmen get to dream of toppling their millionaire opponents, even if those millionaires are often the reserve squads fielded by Premier League-obsessed managers.
The action begins on Friday with the fast-rising, Hollywood-backed Welsh club Wrexham taking a break from their quest to reach the Premier League with a home tie against top-flight Nottingham Forest.
Victory would resound across the Atlantic and also fuel belief that the club’s remarkable rise will soon see them facing the country’s biggest clubs on a weekly basis. Crystal Palace, who claimed their first silverware by winning last season’s FA Cup, could face an embarrassing upset at minor league Macclesfield on Saturday, while Premier League leaders Arsenal go to Portsmouth on Sunday.
FA Cup third round, multiple locations — January 9-12
ALPINE SKIING
Incredible Vonn heading downhill towards more Olympic glory
With the Winter Olympics only weeks away, the irrepressible Lindsey Vonn will be the star attraction at the Austrian resort of Zauchensee this weekend, with a women’s World Cup downhill on Saturday followed by a Super-G on Sunday.
The 41-year-old — poised for an extraordinary comeback at the Milano Cortina Games next month — leads the downhill standings after three of the season’s nine races. The oldest winner in World Cup history has been in the form of her life: she opened with a crushing victory in race one in St. Moritz last month, added a second-place finish in the Swiss resort, and followed it with a third in Val d’Isere. A fourth podium in as many downhills would further cement her status as a medal favourite for Cortina.
Vonn has also been on the podium in Super-G with a third place in Val d’Isere and could be on track for another double.
New Zealander Alice Robinson leads the Super-G standings after a first and second in the two races. On the men’s side, Switzerland’s overall World Cup leader — and red-hot Olympic favourite — Marco Odermatt can retake the lead in the giant slalom standings on home snow on Saturday in Adelboden, where there is also a slalom on Sunday.
Alpine skiing World Cup, multiple locations — January 10-11
EXTRA TIME
What else we’re watching
Figure skating: U.S. figure skating champions Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn and ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates will try to extend their domestic reign at the U.S. Championships in St. Louis, the season’s most important American stop on the road to the Milano Cortina Olympics. Malinin, the reigning world champion and Olympic gold-medal favorite, is chasing a fourth straight national title, with two-time Olympian Jason Brown among those aiming to close the gap. On the women’s side, Grand Prix Final winner Glenn seeks a third consecutive crown but faces a competitive field led by Alysa Liu, with Isabeau Levito and Bradie Tennell also in the mix. Chock and Bates enter as heavy favorites after dominating globally since Beijing, pursuing a fifth straight U.S. title and a record seventh overall. The event will conclude with the naming of the U.S. Olympic team on Sunday.
Athletics: The United States hosts the World Cross Country Championships for the first time in 34 years on Saturday when participants descend on Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida. The men’s race has been dominated by African athletes for the last 40 years, and this year it’s two-time defending champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda who heads the field as he looks to repeat his successes in Australia and Serbia at the previous two editions. The women’s race has been comparatively more open, though the last nine editions have been won by Kenyans, including the most recent two by Beatrice Chebet.
Soccer: Morocco enter the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals burdened by sky-high expectations and history as they seek to convert years of investments and a sustained spell atop the African rankings into their first tournament win since 1976 — a dream that will be put to the test when they go up against Cameroon on Friday. Cameroon will pose a bruising, physical challenge and have nothing to lose. After failing to qualify for the World Cup, this is their chance for redemption. Friday’s other quarter-final pits second-ranked Senegal against Mali, who have miraculously progressed to the last eight on the back of four draws, while Saturday pits Algeria against Nigeria in Marrakech followed by Egypt against holders Ivory Coast in Agadir.
Motor Sport: The Dakar Rally, the world’s most gruelling motorsport endurance challenge now held entirely in Saudi Arabia despite its name, completes its first week of action with a rest day in Riyadh on Saturday before the cars, trucks and bikes head back out into the deserts on Sunday. Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi, last year’s winner, has withdrawn following technical problems.
Curling: The Players’ Championship, the fifth and final Grand Slam event of the 2025-26 curling season, takes place in Manitoba this week and will serve as the last tune-up event for teams heading to the Winter Olympics. Seven of the men’s teams and six of the women’s teams competing will also be in action in Cortina. In the men’s, Britain’s Team Mouat are the defending champions at the tournament and will be favourites for gold at the Olympics.
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Editing by Yasmeen Serhan and Toby Chopra