Sports fans are spoilt for choice over the next few years, with the upcoming calendar packed with major sporting events across different sporting disciplines.

Read on as we look at some of the biggest sporting events scheduled to take place, starting with one which will light up the early part of 2026.

Top 7 World Sporting Events

sporting events

Winter Olympic Games 2026

The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place at numerous venues across Lombardy and north-east Italy from February 6-22.

The event will feature 116 medal events in 16 disciplines, including bobsleigh, short-track speed skating, ski jumping and snowboarding.

The ice hockey tournament will garner plenty of attention, with reigning champions Finland set to defend the title they won in Beijing in 2022.

The National Hockey League (NHL) will allow its players to participate in the event for the first time since 2014.

FIFA World Cup 2026

The eyes of the sporting world will be on the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer as they join forces to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The governing body has increased the number of teams from 32 to 48 in a bid to make the prestigious tournament even more globally appealing.

Argentina will head into the World Cup as reigning champions, but no team has retained the title since Brazil achieved the feat in 1962.

European champions Spain could be extremely tough to beat in North America, having produced another ‘Golden Generation’ of players.

Rugby World Cup 2027

The 2027 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the 11th edition of the tournament. It will take place in Australia from October 1 to November 13, 2027.

South Africa is the defending champion after defeating New Zealand in the 2023 final. The Springboks have now won the title on four occasions.

Australia (3), New Zealand (2) and England (1) are the only other teams that have won the biggest prize in international rugby union.

Staging the tournament in Oceania will likely give Australia and New Zealand an advantage, and they could be a good bet to contest the final in Sydney.

Cricket World Cup 2027

The 2027 Cricket World Cup is scheduled to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November 2027.

This will be the second time that South Africa and Zimbabwe have co-hosted the tournament, after the 2003 edition, while Namibia will host it for the first time.

Australia are the current champion after winning the 2023 World Cup in India. They have now lifted the prestigious trophy on six occasions.

India (2), the West Indies (2), England (1), Sri Lanka (1) and Pakistan (1) are the other nations which have won the tournament. New Zealand have twice been a beaten finalist.

UEFA European Championship 2028

The 2028 UEFA European Football Championship will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland in June and July 2028, and is expected to be the most-streamed soccer tournament that year, eclipsing even the Champions League and the Premier League in popularity..

Northern Ireland was originally chosen to host alongside their neighbours, but will miss out due to financial issues surrounding the Casement Park redevelopment project.

Spain is the defending champion after winning the 2024 final against England, and they could be a tough nut to crack in their bid to win the title for the fifth time.

Germany (3), Italy (2) and France (2) are other multiple winners of the UEFA European Championship.

Summer Olympic Games 2028

The 2028 Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in the United States from July 14-30, 2028.

Los Angeles will be the host city, with various events scheduled to be held at other venues spread across the Greater Los Angeles area and Oklahoma City.

This will be the fifth Summer Olympics and ninth Olympics overall to be hosted by the US. Los Angeles previously hosted the Summer Games in 1932 and 1984.

The 2028 Summer Olympics are expected to include 351 events in 36 sports, an increase of 22 events and four sports from the previous edition.

FIFA World Cup 2030

The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Matches will also be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to honour the centenary of the first World Cup in 1930.

North Africa has never previously staged the tournament, so Morocco’s selection as one of the host nations is a major boost for football in the region.

FIFA is considering a proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams as a one-off event to celebrate the tournament’s 100th anniversary.

Expanding to 64 teams increases the number of matches from 104 to 128, presenting significant challenges in terms of organization and infrastructure.