Sports world poised for chaotically busy 2026 with FIFA World Cup, Winter Olympics and more in store

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This twelvemonth has been a thrilling 1 for sports, but arsenic we bespeak connected 2025, it’s hard not to beryllium excited astir what’s successful store for 2026.

It could precise good beryllium the top twelvemonth successful sports successful caller memory.

The signifier isn’t conscionable acceptable for immoderate electrical games, tournaments and leagues successful the United States, but much importantly, the satellite signifier volition beryllium acceptable successful aggregate events.

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The FIFA World Cup Trophy is seen astatine the United States Capitol up of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw. This happened successful Washington, District of Columbia, connected Dec. 3, 2025. (Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

After all, it’s not ever the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics hap astatine the aforesaid time.

Let’s instrumentality a look astatine what’s successful store successful the satellite sports successful 2026:

College Football Playoff (Jan. 1-19)

First connected the docket is the CFP, which continued with Ohio State and Miami playing each different connected New Year’s Eve, portion 3 much games volition beryllium played connected New Year’s Day to spot who moves connected toward the nationalist championship.

It’s No. 4 Texas Tech hosting No. 5 Oregon astatine noon, followed by No. 1 Indiana against No. 9 Alabama, who bushed No. 8 Oklahoma to determination on. Finally, No. 3 Georgia volition play against No. 6 Ole Miss.

These games volition find who volition play successful the CFP semifinals, the archetypal of which is played connected Jan. 8 and the different connected Jan. 9.

Then, the nationalist title crippled volition beryllium played astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens, Florida connected Jan. 19 astatine 7:30 p.m. ET.

NFL Playoffs (Jan. 10-Jan. 25)

There are inactive 2 playoff spots to beryllium determined — the AFC North and NFC South volition person its winners this play — but astir of the teams are acceptable to spot who volition beryllium vying for this year’s Vince Lombardi Trophy.

New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye passes the shot during the 2nd fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, successful Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

This year’s NFL Playoffs are expected to beryllium wild, arsenic determination hasn’t been clear-cut favorites similar past seasons. For one, the Kansas City Chiefs won’t beryllium playing successful the AFC Wild Card Round, fto unsocial the AFC Championship Game for the 4th consecutive season. A roller coaster twelvemonth ended with Patrick Mahomes tearing his ACL successful a crippled that knocked them retired of the playoffs.

But the Detroit Lions are eliminated from playoff contention, arsenic are the Washington Commanders, who made a travel to the NFC Championship Game past season.

But determination are thrilling matchups up with the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots vying for the No. 1 effect successful the AFC, portion the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers volition find who gets the first-round bye arsenic the No. 1 effect successful the NFC during their Week 18 finale.

When those part titles are secured, the NFL Playoffs volition statesman with the Wild Card Round connected Jan. 10-12. Then, Jan. 17-18 volition beryllium the Divisional Round, followed by the Conference Championship Games connected Jan. 25.

It’s genuinely anyone’s twelvemonth successful the NFL, making this must-watch shot starring up to our adjacent event.

Super Bowl LX (Feb. 8)

The Super Bowl has landed backmost successful the Bay Area, with Levi’s Stadium and Santa Clara, California, playing big to the league’s 60th Super Bowl to find the satellite champion of the gridiron.

The past clip the Super Bowl was successful the country was a memorable Super Bowl 50, wherever Peyton Manning and the Broncos defeated Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. Manning retired aft securing that 2nd ringing of his career, but it was Von Miller successful his premier receiving the Super Bowl MVP Award successful the end.

Time volition archer who volition beryllium featured successful this bout, but it’s bound to beryllium an electrical matchup.

Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican creator Bad Bunny volition besides beryllium performing this year’s halftime show.

Winter Olympic Games (Feb. 6-22)

Veronica Gianmoena of Team CS Carabinieri competes during the Italian National Championship Open - Ski Jumping astatine Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium connected Dec. 23, 2025, successful Predazzo, Italy. (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

While galore eyes present successful the States volition beryllium focused connected the Super Bowl that weekend, it volition beryllium hard not to beryllium excited for what’s happening implicit successful Italy, arsenic the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina get underway with opening ceremonies connected Feb. 6.

From fig skating, to skis jumping, to a highly anticipated crystal hockey slate for some men and women, this year’s Winter Games volition beryllium highly competitory arsenic always.

For men’s crystal hockey, the rivalry betwixt the United States and Canada heightened with the 4 Nations Face-off earlier this year, wherever Team Canada defeated the USA successful Boston successful overtime fashion. Matthew Tkachuk, Auston Matthews and different Team USA stars volition beryllium gunning for immoderate revenge on with a golden medal.

On the women’s side, they besides privation immoderate revenge aft losing to Canada successful the Gold Medal crippled successful Beijing successful 2022.

Other Team USA stars to ticker are Mikaela Shiffrin (Alpine Skiing), Chloe Kim (Snowboarding), fig skating prodigy Ilia Malinin, and velocity skater Jordan Stolz, among galore others.

Daytona 500 (Feb. 15)

Once again, a classical American lawsuit volition instrumentality spot portion the Winter Games are inactive ongoing.

It’s "The Great American Race," arsenic the Daytona 500 volition footwear disconnected the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, arsenic it does each twelvemonth astatine Daytona International Speedway down successful Florida.

Can William Byron marque it 3 years successful a enactment that helium crosses the decorativeness enactment arsenic winner? Byron capitalized successful 2025 by avoiding a late-race clang and edged retired Tyler Reddick and Jimmie Johnson for the victory.

World Baseball Classic (March 5-17)

Kyle Schwarber of Team USA reacts aft hitting a solo location tally successful the eighth inning against Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic Championship astatine loanDepot parkland connected March 21, 2023 successful Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Only a mates of weeks aft the Winter Games wrapper up, we’ll spot immoderate of the world’s champion players connected the diamond going head-to-head to beryllium crowned the existent satellite champions of baseball.

The WBC is backmost and it’s acceptable to diagnostic immoderate large players, including a stellar Team USA squad that isn’t afloat ironed out. But the Stars and Stripes already person immoderate of MLB’s champion locked in, including 2025’s Cy Young Award winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.

Fresh disconnected different MVP Award, Aaron Judge volition beryllium successful the outfield, portion players similar Kyle Schwarber, Cal Raleigh, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong and much volition correspond the United States.

But nary 1 tin place 2023’s winner, Team Japan, arsenic they’ve won the lawsuit 3 times. Superstar Shohei Ohtani says helium intends to play, portion Japanese stars Hiromi Ito, Kaima Tair, Taisei Ota and much person joined up. The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico squads ever airs a menace arsenic well.

NCAA March Madness (March 15-April 6)

We’re lone successful March with each these fantastic sporting events going on, but everyone knows this period belongs to assemblage basketball, specifically the tourney that determines the nationalist champion for some men’s and women’s.

Selection Sunday for the men’s tourney volition beryllium connected March 15, 2026, followed by the First Four from March 17-18. After the archetypal and 2nd rounds from March 19-22, the Sweet 16 volition beryllium playing connected March 26-27, followed by the Elite Eight from March 28-29.

The Final Four volition beryllium April 4 and 6, the second of which being the nationalist rubric crippled astatine Lucas Oil Stadium successful Indianapolis.

For the women’s tournament, the Final Four volition beryllium played connected April 3 and 5 astatine Mortage Matchup Center successful Phoenix.

Masters Tournament (April 9-12)

Right aft March Madness comes the archetypal large play tourney of the twelvemonth successful beauteous Augusta, Georgia.

The Masters features the champion golfers successful the satellite vying for the coveted greenish jacket, which Rory McIlroy yet secured past twelvemonth to notch the vocation Grand Slam.

Can helium clasp it, oregon volition helium beryllium placing it connected different competitor? Also, volition we spot Tiger Woods backmost connected the hallowed fairways travel April?

Scottie Scheffler places the greenish overgarment connected Rory McIlroy during the greenish overgarment ceremonial during the last circular of the Masters Tournament astatine Augusta National Golf Club connected April 13, 2025. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)

NFL Draft (April 23-25)

One of the astir important offseason events successful the States, the NFL Draft volition beryllium held successful Pittsburgh aft a palmy lawsuit successful Green Bay this past year.

Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore are expected to beryllium the apical 2 backmost prospects, portion the likes of Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arvell Reese, and Caleb Downs, USC’s Makai Lemon, and Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love are suspected first-round talents.

Of course, each NFL instrumentality knows a implicit draught people is what makes teams amended by the year, and each 3 days are bound to diagnostic blockbuster trades, shocking selections and storylines that volition transportation into NFL grooming campy successful the summer.

Kentucky Derby (May 2)

Always the archetypal of the Triple Crown equine races, the yearly Kentucky Derby kicks disconnected the period of May.

It volition beryllium followed by the Preakness Stakes connected May 16 and finishing up with the Belmont Stakes connected June 6.

The horses to ticker this twelvemonth for a imaginable Triple Crown triumph is Ted Coffey, the colt from Aaron and Marie Jones.

PGA Championship (May 14-17)

Can Scottie Scheffler erstwhile again beryllium crowned the PGA Championship victor to adhd to his database of large titles?

He was the victor astatine Quail Hollow successful 2025, but this year’s tourney volition beryllium held astatine the storied Aronimink Golf Club successful Newtown Square, Penn. — 1 of the hardest play courses connected the PGA Tour.

FIFA World Cup (June 11-July 19)

FIFA World Cup Trophy astatine Kennedy Center

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is seen connected signifier astatine the Kennedy Center up of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw. This happened successful Washington, District of Columbia, connected Dec. 3, 2025. (Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

One of the biggest events of the twelvemonth volition beryllium held close present successful the States arsenic good arsenic Mexico and Canada — the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Millions are expected to beryllium tuned successful to spot who volition hoist the trophy arsenic the champion shot squad successful the world, which volition beryllium determined astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey connected July 19.

The World Cup volition clasp matches crossed 11 U.S. cities: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.

The United States was selected for Group D successful the tournament, and their archetypal lucifer volition beryllium held connected June 12 against Paraguay. Group D inactive needs 1 much team, portion Australia was besides selected.

The reigning champions are Argentina, who defeated France and gave shot superstar Lionel Messi his long-awaited World Cup win. He is expected to instrumentality for Argentina, arsenic is Cristiano Ronaldo for Team Portugal.

UFC White House (June 14)

The first-of-its-kind lawsuit volition beryllium produced by Dana White’s company, arsenic the mixed martial arts promotion volition instrumentality spot connected the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate the 250th day of the United States.

Not lone volition the White House beryllium a portion of this monumental occasion, but the Lincoln Memorial is the expected tract of weigh-ins for the combat card, which is expected to beryllium the champion 1 successful UFC history.

Fighters person yet to beryllium announced, but White confirmed successful August 2025 that plans for the lawsuit had been finalized.

U.S. Open Golf (June 18-21)

J.J. Spaun gave america a 2025 U.S. Open to retrieve astatine Oakmont, burying a birdie putt implicit 60 feet to unafraid his archetypal vocation major.

This year, the tourney heads to the iconic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club connected Long Island. It’s the sixth clip Shinnecock volition play big to the tournament, which is successful its 126th iteration.

Wimbledon (June 29-July 12)

Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates with the trophy aft beating Carlos Alcaraz of Spain to triumph the men's singles last astatine the Wimbledon Tennis Championships successful London, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

While the World Cup is going on, truthful is 1 of the biggest Grand Slams successful the tennis world.

With the Australian Open (Jan. 18-Feb. 1) and the French Open (May 24-June 7) already complete, the All England Club is the adjacent tract for the penultimate Grand Slam of the year.

Last year, it was Iga Świątek putting connected a cleanable show implicit American Amanda Anisimova arsenic she captured the women’s singles victory, 6-0, 6-0.

It was much of a combat successful the men’s singles finish, arsenic Jannik Sinner overcame a first-set nonaccomplishment to Carlos Alcaraz and took the adjacent 3 sets to unafraid the win. Those 2 should beryllium among the favorites to triumph it each this time.

U.S. Open Tennis (Aug. 31-Sept. 13)

Sticking with tennis, the champion successful the satellite caput backmost to Flushing, Queens and Arthur Ashe Stadium for this year’s U.S. Open.

Carlos Alcaraz won it for the men’s singles tournament, portion Aryna Sabalenka took location the trophy implicit Anisimova.

2026 College Football Season Opener (Sept. 5)

It’s clip for the charcoal grills to get fired up astatine tailgates and each pupil and instrumentality to converge connected their favourite stadium with the commencement of the assemblage shot season.

2026 NFL Season Opener (Sept. 10)

After grooming campy battles and preseason storylines travel to a close, the commencement of the caller NFL play volition diagnostic immoderate of the champion successful the crippled arsenic good arsenic caller faces successful the 2026 rookie people hoping to marque their mark.

Will the Chiefs person a revenge circuit with Patrick Mahomes hopefully backmost connected the tract successful the reddish and yellowish successful clip for opening kickoff? Can different squad look successful either league arsenic the squad to bushed successful Super Bowl LXI? Lots to unpack travel this clip adjacent year.

World Series (Oct. 23)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani celebrates his triumph against the Milwaukee Brewers successful the National League Championship Series astatine Dodger Stadium successful Los Angeles, California, connected Oct. 17, 2025. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)

With the MLB Postseason (Sept. 29) figuring retired which 2 teams won their respective pennants, it’s clip to find who volition beryllium crowned satellite champions.

The Fall Classic volition footwear disconnected astatine the extremity of October, and lone clip volition archer if it needs to determination to November successful the seven-game, winner-takes-all series.

Thanksgiving Day Football (Nov. 26)

As we’re midway done the NFL season, the classical Thanksgiving games crossed the league volition beryllium held during the holiday.

While the NFL docket volition travel retired successful the outpouring of 2026, we bash cognize that teams similar the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys volition beryllium featured successful the noon and 4:30 p.m. slots, respectively, arsenic they bash each year.

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Who volition their opponents be? It’s usually divisional games, meaning the Lions volition look either the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings oregon Chicago Bears, portion the Cowboys volition spell head-to-head with the Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles oregon New York Giants.