2026 has already delivered one of the busiest football calendars in memory, and there is plenty still to come before the year is out. From club finals in Europe to preparations for the next global tournament, here is how the football year has unfolded and what remains on the schedule.
The Season So Far
The 2025-26 European club season wrapped up in May, with Paris Saint-Germain beating Arsenal on penalties to retain the Champions League title. Domestic leagues crowned their champions around the same time, with Erling Haaland claiming a third Premier League Golden Boot as Manchester City’s talisman.
Key Dates Still to Come
- New European club season kicks off in August, with qualifying rounds for continental competitions
- Domestic leagues, including the Premier League, restart their new campaigns in mid-August
- National team fixtures continue through the autumn as countries build toward future qualifying cycles
- Brazil continues preparations for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the official draw expected later this year
Why This Year Matters
2026 is a landmark year for the sport thanks to the men’s World Cup held across North America earlier in the summer, won by Spain in a final against Argentina. That tournament reshuffled the FIFA rankings at the top, with Spain now sitting above Argentina, France and England.
Club football’s rhythm resumes quickly after any World Cup, and fans are already looking ahead to the next Golden Boot race, detailed in our Premier League Golden Boot race coverage. Meanwhile, the women’s game continues to build momentum following England’s Euro 2025 triumph, a story we cover in full in our Women’s Euro guide.
Looking Ahead
Beyond the immediate weeks, fans can look forward to a new European club season, the continued build-up to Brazil 2027, and Germany’s hosting duties for Women’s Euro 2029 already generating buzz. For weekly form and betting-style previews, our weekly football match predictions will track the biggest fixtures as the new season gets underway.
With so much packed into a single calendar year, football fans have rarely had less downtime between major storylines.