Overview
- The expanded FIFA World Cup runs June 11–July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico with 48 teams and 104 matches.
- The Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics open in February, followed by the Paralympics March 6–15, featuring new events such as ski mountaineering and the return of NHL players in men’s ice hockey.
- North Rhine–Westphalia hosts marquee stops including Winterberg’s Bob and Skeleton World Cup (Jan 3–5) and Snowboard World Cup (Mar 21–22), Cologne’s DHB-Pokal Final Four (Apr 18–19) and Champions League Final Four (Jun 13–14), the Equestrian World Championships in Aachen (Aug 11–23) and the Flag Football World Championship in Düsseldorf (Aug 13–16).
- Other global highlights include the Tour de France starting in Barcelona (Jul 4–26), the Australian Open (Jan 18–Feb 1) and a revamped Formula 1 season featuring Audi’s new works team and a major rules package with smaller, lighter cars and 100% sustainable fuel.
- Fan-facing changes include an earlier 6 p.m. kickoff for the Champions League final on May 30, in-stadium display of added time in Germany’s top two leagues from 2026, RTL joining ARD/ZDF as a Free-TV DFB-Pokal partner, and the debut World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest (Sep 11–13).