Soccer on TV: Another U.S.-Mexico showdown awaits in the Concacaf Nations League final

Friday, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN, TUDN)

The weekend starts with a tasty European Championship warmup game between star-studded powers. Portugal has Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, and Atlético Madrid’s João Félix. Spain’s squad is loaded with young phenoms, including Barcelona’s Pedri and Manchester City’s Rodri and Ferran Torres.

Félix will be one of many players on both sides who feels at home in this game as it’s being played at Atlético’s stadium.

Friday, 2:45 p.m. (atafootball.com)

After getting a scoreless draw at Lyon last weekend, Paris Saint-Germain is a win away from officially ending Lyon’s 14-year reign atop the French women’s league. That win should come in this game, as PSG is at home and Dijon is down in eighth place.

» READ MORE: Pennington School alum Alana Cook is on the rise with the USWNT and Paris Saint-Germain

Friday, 6 p.m. (Paramount+)

Ignacio Piatti and Tómas Chancalay lead Racing from Buenos Aires across Argentina to near the foot of the Andes for the championship game of the Copa de la Liga. Colón topped its group led by Luis Miguel Rodríguez’s eight goals, which earned the club home-field advantage.

Saturday 5 p.m. (Paramount+)

Trinidad should win this World Cup qualifier at the Bahamas, the last-place team in their group that recently got thumped, 7-0, by Puerto Rico. But there’s a bit of heat on the visiting Soca Warriors, who were held to a tie by Puerto Rico in March. First place currently belongs to St. Kitts & Nevis, which hosts Guyana on Friday (4 p.m., no broadcast here).

Saturday, 7 p.m. (Paramount+)

The stars will be out at Red Bull Arena as Megan Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle and Sicklerville’s Tziarra King lead the Reign to the East Coast to face Carli Lloyd and Margaret Purce in the last game before U.S. national team players leave to prepare for this month’s three Olympic tune-up games — the contests in which the final Olympic roster cuts will be decided.

Saturday, 8 p.m. (Paramount+)

This is no Caribbean vacation trip for a Canadian squad led by Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, the latter of whom led Lille to the French league title this season. It’s a must-win if Canada is to stay atop its World Cup qualifying group.

It also isn’t a Caribbean trip in the first place. The game is being played in Bradenton, Fla., because of pandemic travel restrictions.

Sunday, 3 p.m. (ESPN2, TUDN)

The final of UEFA’s under-21 European Championship will showcase some of the continent’s future stars. Germany features Mërgim Berisha, a teammate of Brenden Aaronson’s at Red Bull Salzburg, and Borussia Dortmund’s 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko, the youngest goal scorer in Bundesliga history.

Portugal’s squad includes Diogo Dalot, a Manchester United player who spent this past season on loan at Milan, and Francisco Conceição, whose father is Portuguese legend Sérgio Conceição — and his club coach at Porto.

» READ MORE: Brenden Aaronson’s U.S. soccer star is on the rise as he elevates his game in Austria

Sunday, 6:30 p.m. (UniMás, TUDN, Paramount+)

Some day, American fans will give these teams the respect they deserve for repeatedly earning places at Concacaf’s adult table. You saw it again in Thursday’s semifinals. Honduras held the U.S. scoreless for 88 minutes, and Costa Rica forced Mexico to a penalty-kick shootout after a scoreless tie.

The third-place game is the undercard to the final, but these teams shouldn’t be overlooked.

Sunday, 9 p.m. (CBS Sports Network, Univision, TUDN, Paramount+)

You’re allowed to be annoyed with how the U.S. men played in their Concacaf Nations League semifinal win over Honduras. But that game will be forgotten fast if the Americans prevail in the final.

Any U.S.-Mexico game is a big deal. Any U.S.-Mexico game in a tournament final is a bigger deal. A showdown with both teams’ biggest stars on the field is appointment viewing.

Mexico will be favored, having not lost to the U.S. in an official competition since September 2013. Call it a hunch that this game will bring out the best in Christian Pulisic. We’ll see whether that’s enough — and whether U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter will roll the dice and start Jordan Siebatcheu at striker instead of Josh Sargent.

» READ MORE: Jordan Siebatcheu’s late goal gives USMNT ugly 1-0 win over Honduras in Nations League semifinal