A sport-by-sport guide to the biggest events of 2026

This year’s sporting calendar is packed, spanning global tournaments, major championships and long-established fixtures across multiple disciplines, which will provide plenty of opportunities for sports betting UK audiences.

Below is a summary of the key events to look out for in each sport, along with some of the main storylines.

NFL

Super Bowl LX wraps up the NFL season on 8 February at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots after both came through their conference championships.

Alongside the game, Bad Bunny will be performing at halftime, keeping up the Super Bowl tradition of mixing sport with massive music acts.

Football

Football takes over the summer with the Men’s FIFA World Cup from 11 June to 19 July across the USA, Canada and Mexico. It’s the first expanded tournament with 48 teams, but England will be hoping they can finally bring it home, giving fans plenty to debate and follow for sports tips along the way.

The FA Cup final is at Wembley on 16 May. This year’s competition has been chaotic, with several big names already out – including reigning champions Crystal Palace.

The Premier League season wraps up on 24 May. Arsenal currently lead the table, but it’s far from decided. With the title race shifting week by week, expect a tense finish.

Rugby

The Men’s Six Nations runs from 5th February to 14th March, bringing together England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy. The Women’s Six Nations follows from 11 April to 17 May.

The women’s competition comes after their recent World Cup win, so there’ll be extra focus on how that success carries into the championship.

Horse racing

Horse racing’s biggest moments arrive in spring. The Cheltenham Festival runs from 10-13 March, with championship races like the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, and Gold Cup being the standouts.

Then there’s the Grand National at Aintree on 11 April. Form alone is never enough here – it’s a race where anything can happen, and early betting markets won’t tell you much.

Cricket

The Men’s T20 World Cup happens early this year, from 7 February to 8 March across India and Sri Lanka. For England, there’s extra pressure after their recent Ashes defeat reopened questions about selection and adaptability.

Back home, The Hundred returns on 21 July. The Oval Invincibles are defending champions, with the final at Lord’s on 16 August.

Tennis

After the Australian Open wraps up in early February, the grass-court season begins. The Queen’s Club Championship runs from 8-14 June (women) and 15-21 June (men) – women were admitted for the first time in 2025.

It’s likely a warm-up for Wimbledon, which starts on 29 June. The women’s final is on 11 July, men’s on 12th July. Expect the Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz rivalry to dominate discussions.

The US Open closes out the Grand Slam season from 30 August to 13 September in New York.

Golf

The Masters at Augusta National runs from 9-12 April. Rory McIlroy will be hoping to retain his title after completing the career Grand Slam there last year.

The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale from 16-19 July. Then the Solheim Cup wraps up the major moments from 11-13 September at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands, with Europe facing the USA in women’s team golf.

Summer sport

The Commonwealth Games were originally supposed to take place in Victoria, Australia, but financial restraints meant that cancellation was likely. That was until Glasgow stepped in to host, which will now take place from 23 July to 2 August. The European Athletics Championships follow at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium from 10–16 August.

In between, the London Athletics Diamond League meet returns on 18 July at the London Stadium for a one-day showcase.