Sporting calendar 2026

An extra-special sporting year ahead brings some huge international events.

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They come no grander than football's biggest ever World Cup, in which a record 48 nations will compete over five weeks across North America.

English expectations will be as great as ever ahead of their opening match against Croatia, while Scotland have also qualified and the other home nations will bid to join them via the March playoffs.

It's a Winter Olympic and Paralympic year too, with the world's best descending on Italy in February and March, when Milan and the mountain resort town of Cortina d'Aprezzo are hosts.

The Commonwealth Games will be staged in Scotland this summer as Glasgow bids to build on its success as host city in 2014.

India will be targeting a third successive men's T20 World Cup cricket triumph when they co-host the men's tournament with Sri Lanka in February and March.

Rugby union launches its groundbreaking new Nations Championship, a two-part Test series involving 12 top nations from both hemispheres.