If you are a sports fan, then 2026 is your year! A massive lineup of major events is scheduled for the next 12 months.
I’m not just talking about the annual fixtures we’ve come to expect, like tennis Grand Slams or the premier football and cricket leagues.
What makes 2026 truly special is the sheer number of biennial and quadrennial international championships, including an impressive six World Cups.
Interestingly, we are seeing a new trend in major athletics: both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games are making significant efforts to cut costs.
Japan will house Asiad athletes on a cruise ship and hotels instead of the traditional 'games village'. This just shows how expensive hosting these "grand gala" events has become.
QUADRENNIAL EVENTS
Here are the events that are held once in four years: three World Cups (one in football and two in hockey), and two athletic events (Commonwealth Games and Asian Games).
FIFA World Cup (Men’s Football)
The football world will descend upon the US, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. Matches will be played in 16 cities across three nations, though the majority will be held in the US. The grand final is set for July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area.
Hockey World Cups (Men & Women)
In a rare move, the Men's and Women's Hockey World Cups will be held simultaneously in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30. This is only the third time in history both tournaments are staged together; the previous instances were both in the Netherlands, in Utrecht in 1998, and The Hague in 2014.
Commonwealth Games
Glasgow, Scotland, will host the Games from July 23 to August 2. Glasgow stepped in as a replacement after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew due to escalating costs. To keep the event sustainable, this will be a scaled-down version using existing venues, with no new athletes’ village being built.
Asian Games
The Asiad will be hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. The Games will feature 41 sports across more than 60 disciplines.
This event is also economising: instead of a permanent village, a cruise ship docked at Nagoya's Kinjo Pier will house roughly 5,000 athletes, while others will stay in hotels or temporary "container-based" villas.
BIENNIAL EVENTS
Several events that are held once in two years will take place in 2026. Again, there will be three World Cup events, all in cricket.
Under-19 Cricket World Cup
This is currently underway in Zimbabwe and Namibia (Jan 15 – Feb 6). Australia is the defending champion, but all eyes are on India, who have won five out of the 15 editions held so far since the inaugural one in 1988. India won in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022.
Men's T20 World Cup
Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, matches will be spread across eight venues.
The final is slated for Ahmedabad or Colombo, and semifinals will be in Kolkata and Mumbai. Colombo is an alternative venue for semifinal too.
The Sri Lanka option has been provided so that if Pakistan qualifies, the match will be held in Colombo, since Pakistan team can't play in India.
Women’s T20 World Cup
England and Wales will host this tournament from June 12 to July 5, featuring an expanded field of 12 teams for the first time. The final will be held at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground in London.
Thomas and Uber Cup (Badminton)
These prestigious team championships for men (Thomas) and women (Uber) will take place in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24 to May 3. This will be the second time Denmark is hosting the combined event. The 2021 championships was in Aarhus.
World Team Table Tennis Championships
Coming to London from April 28 to May 10, this event marks the centenary of the very first World Championships held in London in 1926. With 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams from every continent, it is expected to be the biggest table tennis World Championship ever held.
The individual championships are held in every odd year, and the team championships are held in every even year.
THE ROAD AHEAD
While I have focused on these major tournaments, the calendar is also filled with international weightlifting and shooting championships, besides many others; and of course, the tennis Grand Slams and European and South American football.
It is truly a non-stop schedule. By the time one trophy is lifted, it will already be time for the next opening ceremony!
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