For sports fans nationwide, and especially in Philadelphia and the surrounding region, 2026 is shaping up to be a special year. Beyond the usual slate of hometown games, the city will host several high-profile national sporting contests.
What follows is a chronological look at some of the marquee events.
Saint Joseph’s University will host first- and second-round games of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship on March 20 and 22 at Xfinity Mobile Arena (home of the 76ers and Flyers). The tournament is widely regarded as college sports’ most anticipated annual event.
Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square will host the PGA Championship from May 11–17, marking the second time the event has been held at the historic venue. Aronimink last hosted the event in 1962 and traces its origins to 1896. Scottie Scheffler will enter as the defending champion.
The ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, the longest-running professional sporting event in Atlantic City, will be held May 29–31, at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel’s Bay Course in Galloway, New Jersey. First played in 1986, the tournament features many of the world’s top female professional golfers competing for a $1.75 million prize.
Philadelphia will serve as a host city for the FIFA World Cup, with six matches scheduled at Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Eagles). The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, with matches in Philadelphia taking place between June 14 and July 4.
MLB All-Star Weekend will take place at Citizens Bank Park (home of the Phillies) from July 11–14. All events will be held at Citizens Bank Park and the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The four-day celebration will include the first round of the MLB Draft on Saturday, July 11, followed by All-Star Sunday on July 12, featuring the All-Star Futures Game and a celebrity event. The T-Mobile Home Run Derby is scheduled for July 13, with the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on July 14.
Outside the Philadelphia area, 2026 will also feature several marquee international sporting events. The Winter Olympic Games are scheduled for February 6–22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, with 116 events contested across eight sports. The Paralympic Winter Games will follow at the same venues from March 6–14, featuring competition in six disciplines: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.
Additionally, on a global scale, the FIFA World Cup will mark a historic milestone. Held once every four years, the tournament will be the first World Cup jointly hosted by three nations (United States, Canada, and Mexico), and the first to feature an expanded field of 48 teams.
Beyond the events already confirmed, additional sporting announcements are expected as part of the broader celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary in July. Several potential events were referenced in a video message released by President Donald Trump in December.
On June 14, Flag Day and President Trump’s 80th birthday, the White House is set to host what has been described as a “one-of-a-kind” UFC event, organized by Dana White, the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and one of Trump’s longtime close associates. No fighters have been announced for the event at this time.
The White House is also expected to host the “Patriot Games,” an event President Trump described as follows: “In the fall, we will host the first ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes — one young man and one young woman from each state and territory.”
According to the president, the games are tentatively planned for the Fall, though it remains to be seen whether the event will ultimately come to fruition, as some observers have expressed skepticism.
For Philadelphia-area sports fans, 2026 offers a rare opportunity to witness some of the game’s biggest moments close to home, while also unfolding against a broader backdrop of global competition and national celebration.
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