A Red, White, and Blue Weekend Preview
Pull up in your truck, salute the flag and let me shove a couple of hot dogs down your gullet
We are now Sportquizzing internationally on Instagram. Follow @sportsquizintl for mini quizzes, polls, fun facts, bants, and what our Brazilian intern calls “comunidade”.
Friday, July 4th, 2025,
On this day in 1776, the 13 American colonies formally declared their independence from British rule, a bold move involving powdered wigs, impassioned speeches, and a document written in the kind of script that now lives exclusively on tote bags and novelty tea towels. It marked the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, a pivotal moment in history, and a top-tier trivia category, might I add. As a Brit, I’m setting aside my well-honed, lifelong embarrassment over this monumental English loss (albeit on the road), because, frankly, I live here now, and I really love hot dogs.
As I say to my American friends at my Annual Last Day of Dependence Party every July 3rd, before I don my redcoat and run around the back garden letting them take potshots at me with muskets, “Congratulations on your independence. It all seems to be going so well.”
But we here at Sports Quiz International adore all things global, even revolutions. Well, most of them. And today, we abstain from drinking tea and saying shedule and pause to salute the stars, the stripes, and the unapologetic pageantry of the red, white, and blue. So fire up the grill, crack open a brewski, cue the fireworks, and welcome… to Weekend Preview American style.
Despite today being all about baseball, hamburgers, and trucks — the American trifecta — we actually have a thrilling weekend of international sport ahead. So enjoy today, patriots. Because tomorrow? We reluctantly put down the Bud Light, turn off the Bruce Springsteen, and get properly international. But for now… take it away Bruce.
Remember, much of this will be on the quiz…
Wimbledon
June 30 – July 13 | London, England
(US) Tennis Channel, ESPN, ABC (UK) BBC, TNT (CAN) RDS, TSN
This year’s Wimbledon has served up one of the most topsy-turvy openings in Grand Slam history, and that’s saying something for a tournament where rain delays and royal sightings are usually the peak drama. Eight top-10 seeds — four women and four men — lost in just the first two days, setting a record for the most early eliminations ever at a Slam. Chaos on the grass. And with Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula both out, it marks the first time ever that two of the top three players in the world have been bounced in the opening round of a major.
Upsets at tournaments tend to be contagious, and this year’s Wimbledon is a full-blown outbreak. We’re hesitant to even type the names of presumed favorites, because who knows if they’ll still be standing (or serving) by the time you read this.
Every match in these opening days has taken on must-watch status. Forget seedings, rankings, or reputation, at this point, just about anyone left in the draw feels like they’ve got a legitimate shot to win it all.
Tour de France
July 5-27
(US) Peacock, NBC (UK) ITV4 (FRA) FRANCE TV, MAX
More than 12 million roadside spectators will line the route this month to witness the spectacle that is the Tour de France, one of the most-watched sporting events on Earth. It’s not just a bike race; it’s the pinnacle of professional cycling, a three-week odyssey that spans over 2,100 grueling miles. From backbreaking climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees to winding coastal roads that look like they’ve been ripped from a luxury car commercial, the Tour is equal parts athletic agony and postcard-perfect beauty.
The opening stage of this year’s Tour de France kicks off this weekend in the northern city of Lille, a charming start before things get decidedly less charming and far more punishing. Over the next three weeks, riders will endure brutal climbs, hairpin descents, and the occasional rogue goat, all in pursuit of cycling’s most coveted prize. By Stage 21 at the end of the month, the tour will roll onto the iconic Champs-Élysées in Paris, as tradition dictates.
Une leçon d'histoire! The Tour de France began not as a grand celebration of cycling, but as a delightfully audacious marketing stunt. In 1903, the French sports newspaper L’Auto, the ancestor of today’s L’Équipe, dreamed up the cross-country race as a way to boost its circulation. And boost it did. By the final stage of that inaugural race, L’Auto sold a staggering 130,000 copies, nearly 100,000 more than their usual numbers. The now-iconic maillot jaune, or yellow jersey, was introduced in 1919, a full sixteen years later. It wasn’t just for visibility — it was a clever nod to L’Auto’s signature yellow newsprint. So every time a contender slips on that jersey, they’re not just leading the race, they’re wearing a piece of publishing history.
UEFA Women's European Championship
(US) FOX (MEX) Disney+, ESPN (UK) BBC, ITV
Sixteen nations will compete for European glory as the tournament kicks off this week in Switzerland. Group stage play begins with high expectations, and even higher stakes. Reigning Euro champs England will open their campaign on Saturday against France, but they'll do so without two of their most iconic figures: goalkeeper Mary and captain Millie Bright, both of whom stunned fans by withdrawing from the squad - the former with a shock retirement and the latter with an equally surprising “break from international duty”. A seismic shift for the Lionesses, no doubt — but under the steady leadership of their Dutch coach, Sarina Wiegman, one of the game’s most brilliant tacticians, England still boasts enough depth and talent to mount a serious title defense.
Should they advance beyond the group stage, the road to glory will likely include a blockbuster rematch of the 2023 World Cup Final, a showdown with reigning world champs Spain. So buckle up: the drama, the tension, the footballing theatre - it’s all just getting started.
Club World Cup Quarterfinals
Fluminense vs. Al-Hilal (July 4)
Palmeiras vs. Chelsea (July 4)
PSG vs. Bayern (July 5)
Real Madrid vs. Dortmund (July 5)
(Everywhere) DAZN
The Club World Cup continues to silence its critics — and possibly make a few new believers — after delivering not one, but two of the most stunning upsets in football this year.
On Monday, Saudi club Al-Hilal pulled off the unthinkable, defeating Premier League juggernaut Manchester City in a 4-3 extra-time thriller that had everything: drama, chaos, questionable defending, and a last-gasp winner that sent the internet into meltdown. The result not only propelled Al-Hilal into the quarterfinals, but also gifted us an early frontrunner for Sports Meme of the Year - the kind of glorious, disbelief-soaked content that only this sport can provide.
Al-Hilal will now square off against Brazilian giants Fluminense, a club that pulled off its own seismic shock by toppling Inter Milan, just weeks after the Italian side reached the UEFA Champions League Final. In a delicious twist of footballing fate, it’s worth noting that Inter’s former manager, Simone Inzaghi, departed after that crushing Champions League loss… to take the reins at Al-Hilal. So yes, the man who once led Inter to the brink of European glory is now steering the Saudi club into a high-stakes clash with the very team that sent his former squad packing.
50th Annual Prefontaine Classic (Track and Field)
July 5
(US) NBC Sports, Peacock (UK) BBC iPlayer, Red Button
The University of Oregon and Nike will host one of the most loaded gatherings of track and field athletes outside of an Olympics on Saturday. The 50th annual meet in Eugene, Oregon is a who’s who of Olympic superstars with Sha’Carri Richardson squaring off in the 100M dash against her Gold Medal rival Julien Alfred. Other headliners taking the stage include Gold Medalists Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (400M), Quincy Hall (400M), Cole Hocker (mile), Tara Davis-Woodhall (long jump) and Mondo Duplantis (pole vault).
The event is named after 1972 Olympian Steve Prefontaine, who set U.S. records at every distance from 2000M to 10,000M during his run from 1973-1975. He died while training for the 1976 Olympics in a car crash and is one of the most beloved sports athletes from the University of Oregon. Two movies, 1997’s Prefontaine staring Jared Leto as the runner and 1998’s Without Limits starring Billy Crudup have been made about his life.
British Grand Prix
July 6
(UK) ESPN+, Hulu+ Live TV (UK) Sky Sports F1, Channel 4 (AUS) Fox Sports, Kayo Sports
Between Wimbledon, the Women’s Euros, the Club World Cup chaos, and a Test cricket showdown between England and India, it’s safe to say England is firmly in the midst of a joyful summer of international sport. And now, as if the sporting Gods weren’t generous enough, comes another jewel in the crown: the British Grand Prix. This crucial midseason stop on the Formula 1 calendar isn’t just any race - it’s the oldest one of them all, first held in 1950 and a fixture ever since.
The Union Jack is flying high in the Formula One paddock this season, at least for some. Fellow Brits Lando Norris and George Russell have been flying the flag with pride and pace: Norris, driving for McLaren, has racked up three wins and nine podium finishes, while Mercedes man George Russell has claimed one win and five podiums of his own.
As for the other two Brits on the grid, Lewis Hamilton’s new Haas teammate Oliver Bearman and Sir Lewis himself, the champagne has remained on ice. Neither has managed a win or a podium so far this season. So, as the engines rev up at Silverstone, British fans have reason to hope, and maybe a little to prove.
Subway Series - Yankees vs. Mets
July 4,5,6
(US) MLB.com, ESPN (EVERYWHERE ELSE) MLB.com
Fireworks won’t just be lighting up the East River this weekend, expect plenty of pyrotechnics at Citi Field, too, as the Yankees and Mets square off for round two of their regular-season Subway Series. One of baseball’s fiercest and most theatrical rivalries, this crosstown clash never fails to deliver drama.
This go-around means even more than the last iteration as both teams are in only a game back from leading their respective divisions after sluggish performances for the month of June.
The series of course is headlined by heavyweight sluggers Aaron Judge of the Yankees and the Mets’ Juan Soto, who left the Yankees after they made the World Series last year to join the Mets to sign a 15-year $765M contract - the largest contract in the history of professional sports. Soto will make $55M more than what the Saudis are paying Cristiano Ronaldo. Let’s just hope he remembered to change his EZPass, switching boroughs in New York is emotional and wildly inconvenient.
See you back for Le Quiz on Sunday and make sure to share this post with your internationally enthusiastic sports friends who you want to join our comunidade. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram.
I remain,
Davo
Commissioner, Sports Quiz International