Sport in Focus
2026 is set to be an unforgettable year of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the FIFA World Cup to the Commonwealth Games, get ready for a whirlwind sporting journey. Below are 12 of our top recommendations to look forward to throughout the calendar.
For our full list of events, you can check out our 2026 in Sport newsletter. And be sure to sign up for the Fixture Calendar newsletter for a monthly dose of all the best sporting action.
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics head to Italy and the scenic snow-capped vistas of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. There are plenty of intriguing storylines across the 116 medal events. How will the return of NHL players affect men’s ice hockey? Can the United States ride their golden generation of figure skaters to a record medal haul? And how will the new event of ski mountaineering fare in its Olympic debut? The Olympics will be followed by the Winter Paralympics in March.
Men’s T20 World Cup
India look to defend their Men’s T20 World Cup as they co-host this year’s edition with Sri Lanka. Competition will be fierce, as South Africa seeks to avenge their second-place finish in 2024, and other traditional powerhouses such as Australia, New Zealand, and England all look to return to the top of the T20 pyramid. Furthermore, no team has ever successfully defended the title at the event, piling more pressure on India. Italy will make their tournament debut as the white-ball format continues to spread across the world. And starting in June, all eyes will turn to England and Wales for the Women’s T20 World Cup, where New Zealand will attempt to defend their title.
Super Bowl LX
The 60th Super Bowl sees the biggest game in American Football return to the home of the San Francisco 49ers for the first time in a decade. Will the Niners, who lost out on the NFC’s top seed in heartbreaking fashion, make their second Super Bowl in three seasons and win their first since 1995? After storming to the AFC’s top seed, will the Denver Broncos win their first Super Bowl since 2016? Or will it be the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, or Los Angeles Chargers who break through and win their first-ever title? With the Kansas City Chiefs missing the layoffs for the first time since 2014, the race to Santa Clara feels wide open.
Australian Grand Prix
A thrilling Formula One season kicks off at the familiar site of Albert Park. After the memorable ending of the 2025 season, all eyes will be on the battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, especially with new power unit regulations expected to bring more parity to the grid. Audi makes their F1 debut, having purchased the existing Sauber team, and will race with the fan-favourite duo of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg. Meanwhile, Cadillac also make their F1 debut as the grid’s 11th team, and return veteran drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas to racing. Can McLaren retain their dominance? Or will Max Verstappen return to the top of racing?
The Masters
The best of the best of the golfing world converge on the hallowed greens of Augusta for The Masters. Rory McIlroy enters as the defending champion after winning his first title amid a phenomenal 2025 season. However, no golfer has defended The Masters title since 2002, and 2026 is looking like a phenomenal edition of the event. Playing at full strength, can Scottie Scheffler capture his third title in an emulation of Arnold Palmer’s every other year-style dominance? Can Tommy Fleetwood translate his 2025 momentum into a first career major? Or will Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau return to prominence?
FIFA World Cup
The United States, Canada, and Mexico will play host to the biggest tournament in football as the World Cup returns. While Argentina will enter as the defending champions and will be eager to repeat in what is likely to be Lionel Messi’s swansong, all eyes will be on the European powers, as Spain, England, and France enter as the oddsmakers favoruites. Will Spain’s new golden generation, helmed by Rodri and Lamine Yamal, win the nation’s first World Cup since 2010? Can England finally end their World Cup drought behind their wealth of talent? Or will France, behind the power of Kylian Mbappé, make their third consecutive World Cup Final? Beyond Europe, can Brazil find their record-extending sixth title, and first since 2002?
Wimbledon
Wimbledon may be 2026’s most intriguing Grand Slam tennis tournament. Iga Świątek stunned the tennis world in 2025, but few expect her to repeat her heroics, given the level of competition she will face. Wimbledon remains Aryna Sabalenka’s white whale, and the women’s world number one will be determined to finally reach the Final at the All-England Club as a bare minimum. Meanwhile, can Coco Gauff overcome her longstanding struggles on grass and challenge for her third Grand Slam title? In the men’s tournament, will the bracket continue to be dominated by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have combined for the last three men’s titles at the tournament?
Tour de France
Tadej Pogačar will look to become the fifth man to win the Tour de France five times and the first man to win back-to-back-to-back titles since Chris Froome between 2015 and 2017. The usual suspects will be chasing him - Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, João Almeida - but the Slovenian is far and away the favourite to repeat. The route is intriguing, with a path that the organizers call a ‘crescendo’. Five of the final eight stages are mountain stages, including the debut of Col de Solaison on the Tour. A particular highlight will be the two ascents of Alpe d’Huez, and its iconic 22 hairpin turns.
Commonwealth Games
Glasgow welcomes the best athletes of the Commonwealth for the 23rd Commonwealth Games. With a focus on sporting excellence and sustainability, the Games will feature just 10 sports. With King Charles III overseeing his first Commonwealth Games, Gabon and Togo will make their debuts at the event. Will Julien Alfred, a silver medalist in 2022 and Olympic gold medalist in 2024, add the 100m Commonwealth title to her ever-growing résumé? Can Adam Peaty succeed in his highly anticipated return to the pool? And can anyone unseat Australia and New Zealand at the velodrome?
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry
South Africa and New Zealand face off in a clash of two of rugby union’s greatest powers. The main attraction of this month-long tour will be the four Tests between the Springboks and All Blacks. It’s the first time since 1996 that New Zealand has toured South Africa, and, for many experts, a make-or-break trial for the current crop of All Black players. With a World Cup looming in 2027, four Tests against the team that beat them in the last World Cup Final will be vital, especially as the All Blacks have only won once in the last six meetings with their longtime rivals.
Solheim Cup 
Europe and the United States face off in the Netherlands for the premier international women’s golf tournament. The United States enter as the defending champions, but without a win on European soil since 2015. Six-time participant and four-time winner Anna Nordqvist will ascend to the European captaincy after serving as vice-captain in 2023 and 2024. Meanwhile, three-time winner Angela Stanford will serve as captain for the United States. While the teams will be chosen over the course of 2026, expect Europe and the United States to be headlined by Charley Hull and Nelly Korda, respectively.
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup returns, with the Men’s, Women’s, and Wheelchair editions occurring simultaneously. In the Men’s tournament, can anyone stop Australia, who have won all but one title since 1975? The same can be asked of the Women’s tournament, which features the debut of Fiji and Wales, where Australia have won the last three tournament titles. Meanwhile, England will look to defend their title in the Wheelchair tournament, with fellow two-time winners France serving as their main rivals.
With so many sports events taking place year-round, it can be difficult to keep up to date with every sport you would like to. Fixture Calendar provides you with a one-stop shop for all your favourite sports’ schedules and up-to-date information.
To get even more out of Fixture Calendar, create an account or download our App for exclusive features, including customisable feeds, personalised notifications, and useful reminders.
Written by Ben Mock, January 2026
Photos by FloweringDagwood, Hossein Zohrevand, AJGAGolf