20 Dates Every Football Fan Should Mark This Year

The 2026 football calendar is overflowing with must-see action, from continental championships to the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup. Whether your passion is club silverware, international drama or the growth of the women’s game, these 20 fixtures are non-negotiable entries in any supporter’s diary.

March fires the starting gun with the World Cup Intercontinental Play-Offs in Mexico. Six hopeful nations will be split into two knockout brackets, the semi-final victors meeting top seeds DR Congo and Iraq for the final two tickets to North America’s summer spectacle.

April delivers the climax of Asian club football as the AFC Champions League final descends on Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. The continent’s champion will pocket $12 million and, crucially, a place in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

May is a feast of finals. The CAF Champions League concludes its two-legged decider on 15 and 24 May, with Al-Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance de Tunis all eyeing Africa’s biggest club prize. On 20 May, Istanbul’s Besiktas Park hosts the UEFA Europa League final, where the winner earns automatic entry to next season’s Champions League. Three days later Norway’s Ullevaal Stadion stages the UEFA Women’s Champions League final; Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Lyon are among the clubs hoping to secure a berth in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.

Scottish Cup final day, also 23 May, guarantees a break from the Old Firm dominance—Rangers and Celtic must meet in the quarters, ensuring a smaller club will contest the Hampden Park showpiece. The same afternoon, the English Championship play-off final—labelled the richest game in football—could feature Millwall, Ipswich Town, Hull City or even promotion-chasing Wrexham.

Europe’s third-tier competition concludes on 27 May at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena when the Europa Conference League final offers an unlikely route to continental respect. CONCACAF’s champion will be crowned on 30 May in a single-leg final, the victor advancing to both the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup. Hours later, Budapest’s Puskas Arena stages the UEFA Champions League final; Paris Saint-Germain aim to defend their crown, though Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal lurk. The following day, Wembley Stadium expects another record crowd for the Women’s FA Cup final, underscoring the surging popularity of the women’s game.

June and July belong to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Opening ceremonies take place at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca before 48 nations contest 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico, culminating in the final at New Jersey Stadium.

Club football roars back on 12 August when Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena hosts the UEFA Super Cup, pitting the Champions League holders against the Europa League winners. The English Premier League’s 2026/27 season begins on 22 August—the latest start in its history—giving players a 33-day post-World Cup breather. On the same date, Fiji stages the OFC Men’s Champions League final, wrapping up a two-week tournament in Lautoka and Ba that decides Oceania’s top club. Europe’s elite return to the spotlight on 8 September when the revamped 36-team Champions League group stage kicks off an eight-round slate before the knockout phase.

Mark these 20 dates and you won’t miss a moment of the drama, glory and history set to define 2026.