Big events to watch out for in 2026

NEXT year promises trips around the Moon, footballing spectacles and a battle for control of the US Congress.

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US PRESIDENT Donald Trump.

(AFP)

Here are five big events to watch out for in 2026.

Climate: Will the world act?

The world is already experiencing record heat — and things are likely to get hotter in 2026.

Last year was the warmest on record, but the UN says there is an 80% chance that at least one year will be even hotter by 2029.

How will nations react? COP30 in Brazil recently showed that multilateralism in climate action is not dead, despite the US boycott and geopolitical conflicts.

“2026 must be the year in which international climate diplomacy reinvents itself,” said Rebecca Thissen, from Climate Action Network. “COPs are not an end in themselves but a high point in an international political agenda that desperately needs to get on the same page.”

A close eye will be kept on how many countries respond to Colombia’s invitation to the first international conference on phasing out fossil fuels in April.

Aleksandar Rankovic, director of The Common Initiative think tank, was disappointed by COP30’s outcome and wondered if the “Gen Z-led rebellions that have emerged worldwide will start fighting for climate as well” in 2026.

Biggest football World Cup

The biggest World Cup in history will see 48 countries competing in the US, Canada and Mexico, under the gaze of US President Donald Trump. The most-watched sports event in the world will unfold over nearly six weeks, from June 11 to July 19, with the US providing 11 of the 16 venues. Trump's tensions with the co-hosts over tariffs and immigration could make for a politically charged competition.