Fans all over the world are already looking forward to major sporting events in 2026 as they close the book on another exciting year of competition.
In 2026, there will be historic football tournaments, elite global multi-sport events, iconic annual finals, and culturally important championships. It will be an unforgettable year for fans of almost every major sport.
Next year, there will be something to look forward to all over the world, whether you like football, athletics, cricket, winter sports, or multi-sport competitions.
Here is a full list of the biggest sports events in 2026 that could shape the next year of action:
FIFA World Cup 2026 – Football’s Biggest Stage
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026, may be the best sporting event of the year.
This edition is historic for a number of reasons. For one, it’s the first World Cup to be co-hosted by three countries. For another, it will have 48 teams instead of 32, which means there will be more competition and representation from around the world than ever before.
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Fans can look forward to more than 100 games in top football stadiums, such as the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which will be a big part of the tournament’s schedule. There will also be a lot of games in U.S. stadiums that can hold a lot of people, like MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host the final.
This tournament is one of the most exciting of the year, not just for football fans but for all sports fans around the world. It will be at the top of the list of major sporting events in 2026.
Winter Olympics: A Frozen Display of Success
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy will start the major sporting events in 2026 calendar year off early. These Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo from February 6 to 22, 2026. They will be a stunning display of winter sports with the best athletes from around the world.
Competitions will include traditional winter sports like alpine and Nordic skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, and snowboarding. Athletes and fans from all over the world will come to watch. The Italian host cities promise beautiful views and exciting competition, making the Winter Olympics one of the best major sporting events of 2026.
The Winter Paralympics will take place at the same time as the Winter Olympics. This will give you another chance to see top adaptive athletes and make winter sports more popular in 2026.
Cricket Fever in Two Hemispheres: ICC Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cups
Cricket fans will have a lot to look forward to in 2026, when both the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will take place.
India and Sri Lanka will co-host the Men’s T20 World Cup from February 7 to March 8, 2026. This tournament, which has 20 teams, promises to be full of drama and fierce competition in the world’s most popular short-format game.
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The Women’s T20 World Cup will be held in England this summer, with the final set for July 5, 2026, at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground. This will be a historic event for women’s sports and one of the biggest events on the 2026 sports calendar.
2026 Commonwealth Games: A Celebration of the Spirit of Sportsmanship
The Commonwealth Games, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026, is another big multi-sport event in 2026.
The Glasgow 2026 Games will celebrate the shared sporting identity of Commonwealth nations and give athletes a chance to compete for international glory. There will be more than 3,000 athletes from more than 70 countries competing in sports like athletics, gymnastics, swimming, and netball.
Asian Games – Asia’s Multi-Sport Showcase
The 2026 Asian Games, which will take place in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026, are also on the list of major sporting events in 2026.
The Asian Games bring together thousands of athletes from all over the continent to compete in more than 460 events in 42 sports. These events include track and field, martial arts, team sports, and aquatics. The Asian Games are one of the biggest multi-sport festivals in the world and are a big deal on the global sports calendar.
Mediterranean Games
The Mediterranean Games will also be held in Italy from August 21 to September 3, 2026, in Taranto. The games will feature athletes from Mediterranean countries.
The Mediterranean Games are more regional, but they still have intense rivalries and rising stars in sports like swimming, athletics, judo, and wrestling. These Games should be one of the biggest sporting events in 2026 because they promote competition between continents and celebrate athletic excellence around the Mediterranean.
European Athletics Championships – Track and Field’s Finest
The European Athletics Championships will be one of the biggest sporting events in 2026. It will take place in Birmingham, UK, from August 10 to 16.
This event brings together the best track and field athletes in Europe. Fans of athletics will be thrilled by the exciting races, record attempts, and field events. This championship is a big deal for sports fans in the summer because it will have more than 1,500 athletes taking part.
Annual and Other Key Sporting Highlights
In 2026, world-level championships will be the most important sporting events, but there will also be some famous annual competitions and traditional fixtures that will draw attention from around the world:
Tennis: Grand Slam Seasons
All four Grand Slam tournaments will be on the tennis calendar in 2026: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Each one will draw a lot of viewers from around the world and have fierce rivalries all year long.
Golf Majors and The Open
The Open 2026 at Royal Birkdale and other big golf events will once again draw fans looking for excitement and top-notch play on the links.
Super Bowl LX
Super Bowl LX will be played in early 2026 in the United States. It will be the biggest football championship in the US and one of the biggest sporting events in 2026.
Royal Rumble 2026
Even when there aren’t any Olympic or World Cup events going on, popular cultural sporting events like the Royal Rumble 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will show off the athleticism and entertainment value of professional wrestling.
Adventure and Niche Sporting Events
Events such as the Casuarina AdventureX multi-discipline race in India show the expanding diversity of major sporting events in 2026, with endurance and adventure sports gaining prominence on the global stage.
What Will Make 2026 a Memorable Year in Sports
There will be a lot of big sporting events in 2026, from the FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics, which are watched by people all over the world, to the Commonwealth and Asian Games, which are watched by people in Asia and the Commonwealth. This means that sports fans will never be bored.
These events not only set world records and show off the best athletes, but they also connect people from different cultures, give them a sense of national pride, and give young athletes a chance to shine. Whether you want to travel to support your team or stay home and watch, the 2026 calendar has something for every sports fan.
Conclusion
In general, 2026 will be a year full of unforgettable moments at major sporting events. There will be historic firsts, bigger global competitions, and long-standing traditions that will come back stronger than ever.
In 2026, the global sports community will have a lot to look forward to, from the FIFA World Cup in June to the best winter sports early in the year, and even more with multi-sport festivals and championship classics.
Fans should mark their calendars now for the big sporting events in 2026. These include watching elite cricket in March, cheering at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, and seeing football’s historic World Cup. These events are shaping up to be some of the most exciting in a long time.