The year 2026 will be particularly eventful for the Olympic Movement. While the International Table Tennis Federation will celebrate its centenary, FIFA will be making a significant commitment with the first 48-team Football World Cup, from June 11 to July 19. The first half of the year should also allow the organizing committee for the French Alps 2030 Games to finalize its venue map and select the additional sports to be included.
Italy will undoubtedly be the epicenter this year: with the Mediterranean Games in Taranto (August 21 to September 3), but especially the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the first major event on the calendar. Asia and Africa will also experience a pivotal year. The OCA will elect a new president at the end of January. and will host the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4, while Dakar will host the Youth Olympic Games. Here are five unmissable events from the next twelve months.
- Milan-Cortina Winter Games (February-March)
The Olympic flame continues its tour of Italy and will arrive in Milan on February 6, the opening day of the 25th Winter Olympic Games. Until February 22, the Italian peninsula will be... the place to beThis edition, the first to include ski mountaineering, will primarily be an opportunity to see the realization of a new, decentralized model. Some competition venues will be more than 300 kilometers apart. An approach " both logical and necessary "This is to ensure a sensible organization from an economic and environmental standpoint, while utilizing Italy's world-renowned facilities," said the IOC. The 14th edition of the Paralympic Winter Games will follow from March 6 to 15. Italy will then become the third country to host the event twice, after Norway and Austria.
- SportAccord Convention (May 24-28)
SportAccord will make its grand return to the calendar this year. The convention did not take place in 2025: planned for Istanbul, it was cancelled due to « the evolution of the political context” and “unresolved issues at the host city level” »She will return to Baku (Azerbaijan) from May 24 to 28. More than 1,500 people are expected to attend. the world's largest gathering of sports leaders "The president of SportAccord, Professor Uğur Erdener, emphasizes that Baku has already proven itself in organizing world-class events and that this moment will be important both for SportAccord and for the entire global sports industry ».
- FIFA World Cup (June 11 to July 19)
Leo Messi's Argentina will defend its World Cup title this summer in North America. This World Cup, the 23rd in history, marks a major change in format: gone are the 32-nation tournament; now 48 teams will participate. Gianni Infantino's desire to ensure broader representation will thus be realized. Africa, the big winner, will double its number of qualified teams: there will be nine, or ten if the Democratic Republic of Congo wins the playoffs in March (compared to five in 2022). FIFA also expects this tournament to break revenue records thanks to the increased number of matches, the dynamism of partners in the United States, Mexico, and Canada (the three host countries), and… historically expensive tickets, which have angered supporters' groups.
- Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (July 23 to August 2)
The Commonwealth Games are entering a new chapter this year. Following the withdrawal of Australia and Canada, Commonwealth Sport has completely revamped its format, and a revamped event will take place in Glasgow this summer. The program has been streamlined to just ten sports (half the number planned for 2022), but with a strong emphasis on swimming, track cycling, and para-sports. This new model offers greater flexibility to potential hosts, reduces organizational costs, and has already secured the Games. the host of the 2030 edition, the centenary edition, Ahmedabad (India). « Glasgow 2026 will be an important first step in our journey to reimagine and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future of major events » Katie Sadleir points out, executive director of Commonwealth Sport. These are promising signs that now need to be confirmed on the ground.
- Dakar Youth Olympic Games (October 31 to November 13)
Africa will experience a major first in 2026 with the hosting of its first Olympic event: the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), scheduled for this autumn in Dakar. The Senegalese capital will welcome some 2.700 athletes from more than 200 countries. On the program: 25 competitive sports, including baseball and wushu, two newcomers to the Youth Olympic Games, and 10 demonstration sports. Dakar 2026's commitment to gender equality will be reflected in quotas distributed equally across the 35 disciplines. Of the 153 events on the program, 73 will be for women, 73 for men, and 7 mixed. For the first time, a refugee Olympic team will also participate in the YOG. A historic edition on all levels, which is expected to launch a powerful momentum across the African continent.
