The Top Sporting Events Around The World For Travelers To Look Forward To In 2026

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Sports tourism is on the rise, with more than half of all tourists looking to catch some competitive action while on vacation, according to Expedia. In fact, sports-related travel is one of the fastest-growing forms of tourism across the globe. The World Economic Forum has even predicted the sector will surpass $1.7 trillion by 2032. This year stands out as a prime year for it, thanks to huge international competitions. The schedule is packed, and some tournaments even tempt travelers into epic, multi-destination journeys. The planet's most-watched sporting event, the World Cup, for example, stretches across three countries this year: the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, making it the biggest tournament since its inception in 1930.

Sports tournaments boost income for businesses and energize city streets. They throw the spotlight on local culture and highlight the host destinations and their impressive stadiums. If you're there, you're watching real-time, unscripted drama, with spectacle and theater, not just on the field, but also on the streets, where cultures collide, celebrations erupt, and nights run long with atmosphere, energy, and memories well beyond the final whistle. Whether it's athletics, tennis, or soccer you're looking for on your global adventure, there's an event for just about every major sport this year. We've looked to find a balance of destinations with premier tournaments across the world in 2026, and here are 10 of the best you might get the chance to attend.

There are plenty of things you need to know before watching the Winter Olympics in Italy. It runs from February 6 to 22, and this year marks the first time it's to be co-hosted (officially). Milan will handle ice sports, and Cortina d'Ampezzo, hosting for the second time after the 1956 games, takes alpine events. Almost 3,000 athletes from 90 countries will compete in 116 events, including the debut of ski mountaineering, a new sport that is surging in popularity across America. Watch out for athletes such as American skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who has bounced back from a 2024 injury to continue her winning ways, and her compatriot Lindsay Vonn, who is competing at 41 and recently became the oldest skier to win a World Cup downhill race. Canada's ice hockey star Connor McDavid makes his Olympic debut, while the opening ceremony is set to feature Mariah Carey.

Tickets for events at the 2026 Winter Olympics start at around $35 (30 euros), while opening ceremony prices start at $308 (260 euros). Milan will be packed and buzzing, and fan zones showing the events on big screens will pop up across the city. High-speed trains will connect the city with Cortina, and shuttles will run up to mountain venues. Between events, travelers can enjoy world-class attractions, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper at the Santa Maria delle Grazie. You'll need to book that one in advance, as viewings are strictly limited. If you miss out, the Navigli district, with its historic canals, is home to trendy bars, restaurants, galleries, and vintage shops, while Teatro alla Scala is one of Europe's most celebrated opera houses. In Cortina, the 1956 Olympic slopes remain open to the public, while marked snowshoe trails wind through the dramatic Dolomites.

This year, the NFL championship game takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The Seattle Seahawks line up against the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots' cornerback Malcolm Butler dramatically intercepted at the 1-yard line to seal a 28-24 victory. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30pm ET, and Bad Bunny is penciled in for the halftime entertainment.

The stadium holds 68,500 fans, though getting your hands on a ticket won't come cheap. For one, they aren't sold directly to the public. Instead, the NFL distributes them to teams, sponsors, and season ticket holders, with leftovers available for resale through the NFL Ticket Exchange on Ticketmaster or through official hospitality packages from On Location. If you're planning to attend, be prepared for steep resale prices starting around the $7,000 mark.

If you can't make the game but want to enjoy the buildup, the Moscone Center in San Francisco is hosting the Super Bowl Experience from February 3 to 7. With interactive exhibits, player appearances, and photo ops with the Lombardi Trophy, it's an event sure to please any football fan. Elsewhere, the NFL Honors ceremony at the Palace of Fine Arts recognizes the season's best performances. On game day, watch parties will take over bars across the Bay Area, with some venues offering free admission and big screens.

One of golf's most prestigious tournaments, The Masters takes place once more in Augusta, Georgia, for the 90th time from April 9 through 12. Rory McIlroy returns as defending champion after completing his career Grand Slam in 2025, while world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the bookie's favorite. The tournament proper begins on Thursday, with Wednesday's Par 3 Contest offering a relaxed pre-tournament warm-up. By Sunday, the winner will receive the traditional green jacket at around 7 p.m.

Unfortunately, if this was one tournament on your bucket list and you don't already have tickets, you might need to wait until next year. Tickets for the 2026 event have already been allocated through Augusta National Golf Club's lottery system, the tournament's only authorized seller. For those lucky enough to get a golden ticket, prime viewing spots include behind the 12th tee at Amen Corner and the 16th tee at Redbud. Bring your own foldable chair (no armrests permitted) or purchase an official Masters Chair at the Merchandise Shop for $30 and set it down in the spot of your choice. Once your territory is claimed, it's yours for the day.

When you're not on the course watching the action, Augusta sparkles around the Savannah River, with museum visits at either end of the Riverwalk. There's also the Saturday morning Augusta Market, alligator spotting at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, and Boll Weevil Cafe serving up Southern classics in an 1870s warehouse. Foodies also won't want to miss Sconyers Bar-B-Que, an institution in Georgia since 1956, and the French Market Grille for some classic Cajun and Creole cuisine.

The Kentucky Derby returns to Churchill Downs in Louisville on May 2. It's America's most celebrated horse race, and this year is the 152nd event, with the legendary track having hosted the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" since 1875. The winner receives a garland of red roses, as well as the minor detail of a multi-million dollar purse. Derby week kicks off on Thursday with Thurby, when the track fills with the sound of live music, the smell of bourbon, and a sense of laid-back anticipation as attendees await the weekend chaos.

Friday brings the Kentucky Oaks, an event where spectators can enjoy watching the top three-year-old fillies compete while everyone wears pink in support of breast cancer awareness. Saturday is the main event. The Kentucky Derby takes place between 6 and 7 p.m., backed by around 150,000 spectators who traditionally sing "My Old Kentucky Home" as the horses stride toward the starting gate. Tickets are sold as two-day packages for both Friday and Saturday events, and are available through Ticketmaster or Churchill Downs.

If you're looking for other things to do at that time, the city also offers distillery tours, while the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory is a must for baseball fans. There's also the inspirational Muhammad Ali Center, or you can shop till you drop at the numerous outlets and malls. When it's time to give your feet a rest, you can relax with a mint julep, the derby's official bourbon cocktail, or seek out the most delicious hot brown in town at the historic Brown Hotel.

Budapest sprawls along either side of the Danube's gentle curves, connected by historic bridges and adorned with golden domes and Gothic spires. The majestic Parliament building rises like a fairy-tale palace of intricate stonework glowing in the dusk light, while St. Stephen's Basilica soars in a neo-Renaissance splendor, its vast dome offering incredible city views from the top. The hills are crowned with baroque palaces, cobbled lanes, and panoramic views, while the Széchenyi Thermal Baths steam with mineral-rich waters that can unlock some serious morning relaxation when the crowds are thinner.

Then there's the 67,000-capacity Puskás Aréna, named after the legendary Hungarian forward who struck fear into the hearts of defenders back in the '50s and '60s. This modern stadium maintains a traditional atmosphere through the preservation of old features like the brick walls from the original Ferenc Puskás Stadium at the main entrance. It will host the 2026 Champions League final on May 30 — the first time Hungary has hosted the event. The finalists have yet to be decided, but with recent winners Liverpool and Manchester City exposed domestically, England's Arsenal are among the favorites to win.

Tickets have yet to go on sale. Typically, a ballot is held in March or April, so register on the UEFA website if this is an event you'd like to check off your sporting bucket list. Diehard fans can take in all the other European finals on an epic continental trip; the Europa League final takes place at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, while the Conference League is played at the RB Arena in Leipzig, Germany. You can also take in the Women's Champions League final, which will be held at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, Norway.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first to take place in three countries, with the United States leading the way alongside its North American neighbors Canada and Mexico. The event takes over five weeks to conclude due to the tournament expansion from 32 teams to 48. This means 104 matches across the three countries at 16 venues. In the U.S., several incredible cities play host, while in Canada, it's Toronto and Vancouver. Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey provide the estadio in Mexico.

The three host nations have qualified automatically and will play all their matches on home soil. Other notable qualifiers whose fans will be partying their way through the United States include Germany, France, Scotland, England, Japan, and Brazil. Lionel Messi's Argentina (the reigning champions) are among the favorites, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal have also made it. The final is scheduled for MetLife Stadium in the New York-New Jersey area on July 19. Ticket prices start at $60 for group-stage matches, and reach as high as $6,730 for the final.

Tickets are available through FIFA's official website. The first sales phases have passed, with the final phase opening closer to the tournament on a first-come, first-served basis. If official tickets sell out, you can try FIFA's resale marketplace on the same website. Secondary market sites like StubHub and SeatGeek are also selling tickets, but if you can't get into the stadium, all 11 U.S. host cities will have fan festivals with massive screens where you can watch the games.

One of the more challenging races on the Formula 1 calendar is the Monaco Grand Prix, now known as the Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco after the signing of a new multi-year sponsorship deal. Since 1929, this legendary urban circuit has been testing drivers on its narrow streets, where split-second errors can send cars crashing into barriers, and the tunnel section that forces drivers to decelerate on exit from 180 mph to 60 mph in just two seconds. Current champion Lando Norris returns in 2026, hoping to repeat his 2025 victory, while Monaco native Charles Leclerc and four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen are among the challengers.

The excitement builds from practice on June 4 to the Saturday 6 qualifying, culminating in the main event on Sunday. Grandstand tickets start at $36 (30 euros) for the Thursday practice, while Sunday's event sees ticket prices reaching as high as $1,378 (1,150 euros) — no surprise given that Monaco now tops the list of the most expensive places on Earth. Tickets are selling out fast, but are still available through the official platform or the ACM Ticketing Office. For those in Monaco without tickets, the MGP Live Fan Zone at Place d'Armes will show all the action on giant screens, while race simulators, pit stop challenges, live music, and on-stage driver interviews ensure a fabulous day out for all.

When the weekend races are over, Monaco has plenty more attractions. The Oceanographic Museum offers a shark lagoon and thousands of sea creatures. Then there's the changing of the guard at the Prince's Palace, the Old Town's maze of streets, and "The Rock's" stunning coastal views. If you're looking for something more iconic, the Monte Carlo Casino offers Beaux-Arts architecture, opulent interiors, and, of course, gaming tables from which to try your luck.

Glasgow may lack the castles and cobblestone streets of Edinburgh, but according to Rick Steves, it's the most underrated destination in all of Scotland. The slogan "The People Make Glasgow" captures exactly what makes the country's largest city so special — the bold, friendly, and often hilarious nature of the locals ensures that all visitors have a great time. Sports fans visiting Glasgow in 2026 have the Commonwealth Games to look forward to. This multi-sport event brings together 3,000 athletes from 74 nations of the former British Empire and the current Commonwealth, including Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, as well as the British home nations. They compete for medals across 10 events in a scaled-down format of the games after Glasgow stepped in when Australia pulled out of hosting due to soaring costs.

The event runs from July 23 to August 2, and unlike other major sporting competitions, the Commonwealth Games integrates para athletes into national teams, with medals counting equally in the overall tally. Events include athletics, swimming, track cycling, and boxing, with ticket prices starting at $23.50 (£17) for non-medal events available through the official website. For some free cultural treasures, consider a visit to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery or check out the vibrant street art along the City Center Mural Trail. In the evening, a visit to some of the city's legendary pubs is a must, where you can enjoy plentiful live gigs in this UNESCO City of Music.

London's iconic attractions need little introduction. We're all familiar with Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London — they draw in millions of visitors every year. It's even the world's top literary travel destination. But if you're in the capital of the U.K. from June 29 to July 12, you can add another attraction to that list: Wimbledon. It's the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, and the only Grand Slam event played on grass. Traditions like the all-white dress code for players, lashings of strawberries and cream for spectators, and an almost complete absence of any form of advertising are some of the things that help preserve this tournament's timeless elegance.

This year, Ladies' Singles champion Iga Świątek of Poland returns after her dominant 2025 victory, while the Gentleman's title winner Jannik Sinner of Italy aims to score another notch closer to tournament legends Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Bjorn Borg, and Novak Djoković. Tickets can be difficult to score, especially now that the public ballot has closed. However, fans looking to get themselves a seat can still line up each morning in The Queue to get their hands on limited day-of-play tickets. These Show Court and Grounds passes sell on a first-come, one-per-person basis, but for those who miss out, debenture tickets are legally available on the secondary market. Additionally, hospitality packages offer premium seating with Michelin-starred menus.

The world's toughest cycling race, the Tour de France, takes place from July 4 to 26 and gives interested travelers a variety of places to take in the action. The tournament was established as far back as 1903, when French journalist Henri Desgrange sought to boost newspaper sales of the publication for which he wrote. It has developed into a 2,250-mile, three-week endurance test that sends riders across 21 stages. Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar returns as the defending champion in 2026 and is looking to claim his fifth title.

The Tour de France is quite unique for spectators, in that they can follow the race across multiple regions. Official tour operators offer packages where you can actually ride the same routes as the competitors just hours before they arrive. You can also get VIP access to team paddocks, finish lines, and podiums. Alternatively, you can just watch from the roadside for free and take in the atmosphere and thrills. 

The 2026 route starts in Barcelona, Spain, then climbs through the Pyrenees to the dramatic Cirque de Gavarnie before descending to historic cities like Bordeaux and Carcassonne. The race continues through medieval villages in the Dordogne, including Bergerac, then heads into the Alps for time trials at Évian-les-Bains and multiple summit finishes at Alpe d'Huez before the final sprint down the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

We analyzed major sporting events for 2026 listed in trusted publications, such as Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, and USA Today. We then compared them with ranked lists of worldwide sporting events published by companies such as Bleacher Report and prioritized the most popular. However, we also considered the relevance of the tournament for American travelers, while geographic diversity and bucket-list appeal were also factors in our final choice. Events that have already passed this year, such as the Australian Open and the College Football Playoff National Championship, were excluded.