After two beautiful weeks of Olympic competition (and coverage), our attention returns to the NFL and the league’s future at the scouting combine. And the Champions League again takes center stage with some huge games on Tuesday and Wednesday and then the knockout phase draw on Friday.
Then on Sunday, it’s another edition of the Arsenal-Chelsea rivalry in the Premier League.
Our extensive live coverage from each event features the latest news, buildup, play-by-play action, reaction, analysis and more.
You will find similar live feeds for all the biggest stories and events in sports throughout the year. And you can share your views, predictions and questions throughout. Email us at live@theathletic.com, and your responses could be featured in our coverage.
Here is the full live schedule for this week through Sunday, March 1.
Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu, center, gestures to his players during this season’s Champions League knockout play-off first leg match against FK Bodo/Glimt. (Martin Ole Wold / Getty Images)
Tuesday, Feb. 24
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL turns its focus to the 2026 NFL Draft as players showcase their talents for the teams’ coaches, scouts and front offices. The workouts start on Thursday, but we will build up to that with the latest news and notes, and our coverage will last throughout the week, breaking down each position group as it takes its turn.
Champions League — Inter vs Bodo/Glimt
This week concludes the UEFA Champions League playoff round as eight teams bid to join the eight automatic qualifiers for the knockout stage — and there is quite the story brewing with this one in Milan.
Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt finished nine places and six points behind Italian giants Inter in the group stage. But they took a stunning 3-1 win at Aspmyra, meaning they hold a two-goal lead for the second leg in San Siro.
This is Bodo-Glimt’s first season in the Champions League and the first time the competition has ventured north of the Arctic Circle. Inter froze on that night — but will the 2023 and 2025 losing finalists find the response they need back in Italy?
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Champions League — Real Madrid vs Benfica
The second night of Champions League playoff action takes us to Madrid, for a lineup that has been in the headlines since Spanish icons Real Madrid beat Portugal’s Benfica 1-0 in Lisbon in the first leg.
Vinicius Junior was the goalscorer on 50 minutes, but it was the alleged racist abuse directed at him by Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni moments later that caused a 10-minute interruption, a UEFA investigation and what could be an ugly return fixture at the Bernabeu.
Friday, Feb. 27
Champions League knockout phase draw
With the knockout playoffs completed in midweek, Friday sees the draw for the Champions League knockout stage — effectively forming the entire bracket through the round of 16 and quarter-finals, right through to the final.
So fans of the clubs involved will swiftly be able to figure out how easy their route to European football’s showpiece event is looking! We will have full coverage of the draw for the 16 remaining clubs, which takes place at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Sunday, March 1
Premier League – Arsenal vs Chelsea
Just seven days after their emphatic north London derby win at Tottenham, Premier League leaders Arsenal are confronted with another bitter London rival.
Chelsea are not in title contention themselves, but they will be in the market to spoil Arsenal’s own championship tilt at Emirates Stadium. For sure.