We’ve reached the end of 2025, a year full of intensity, drama, and action. 2026 promises plenty of interesting encounters, with the major event – the World Cup 2026 – attracting the most attention from spectators worldwide.
Meanwhile, club football continues to take centre stage. Ready to embark on the adventure? Then dive into our review of the top upcoming football events in January 2026.
Major Upcoming Football Fixtures in January 2026
With the Conference League group stage already concluded, the focus shifts to the Champions League and Europa League. Alongside these, we’ll cover the AFCON 2025 knockout matches.
AFCON 2025 Playoffs
So far, the AFCON 2025 has seen few surprises during the group stage. The tournament’s biggest favourites have qualified, and the main events are underway.
Riyad Mahrez, Brahim Diaz, and Ayoub El Kaabi have been the top scorers in the tournament. Given the unpredictability of AFCON games, here are three matches that you should certainly watch:
- Morocco vs Tanzania – January 4
- Egypt vs Benin – January 5
- Algeria vs DR Congo – January 6
Champions League
The current Champions League edition hasn’t disappointed. Arsenal have been impressive, winning all of their games and conceding only once, against Bayern.
Looking ahead, the following highly anticipated matches in January shouldn’t be missed:
- Inter vs Arsenal – January 21
- Marseille vs Liverpool – January 21
- Benfica vs Real Madrid – January 28
Europa League
With two rounds remaining in the Europa League, we have a general picture, with three teams standing out: Lyon, Midtjylland, and Aston Villa (15 points).
Nice are the only club with no points, repeating last year’s poor results. Nothing is decided yet, and the following matches will have major implications for the table:
- Bologna vs Celtic – January 22
- Braga vs Nottingham – January 22
- Aston Villa vs Salzburg – January 29
Top European Competitions in January 2026
European competitions will resume after a brief December break. We have the top five leagues coming up, and all key matches will be covered.
Premier League
This might be the season for Arsenal to break their 22-year wait for the Premier League trophy. Mikel Arteta’s men sit top of the table with 45 points, while Man City are second with 40.
Aston Villa have been in fantastic form, occupying third place under Unai Emery, while Liverpool are working to end their poor run. January offers plenty of intriguing matchups, so make sure to follow all the action:
- Manchester City vs Chelsea – January 4
- Arsenal vs Liverpool – January 9
- Manchester United vs Manchester City – January 17
Bundesliga
Bayern have dominated the first half of the season, collecting 41 points out of a possible 45, nine more than second-placed Dortmund. Harry Kane is in superb form, having netted 19 goals and chasing his third top scorer title.
Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Leipzig compete for the Champions League spots. Key fixtures in January include:
- Leverkusen vs Stuttgart – January 10
- RB Leipzig vs Bayern – January 17
- Hamburger vs Bayern – January 31
Serie A
The 2025/26 Serie A campaign has been highly competitive. Five teams are battling for the title: Inter (36), Milan (35), Napoli (34), Roma (33), and Juventus (32).
Como, under Cesc Fabregas, come next with 27 points. Given how tough Serie A encounters are, we expect a thrilling race ahead. Make sure you don’t miss these meetings:
- Atalanta vs Roma – January 3
- Inter vs Napoli – January 11
- Roma vs Milan – January 25
La Liga
After Real Madrid dropped points, Barcelona have managed to leapfrog them in the standings. Currently, Hansi Flick’s men have 46 points, compared to Los Blancos’ 42.
Atletico Madrid and Villarreal come next, while Espanyol sit fifth, emerging as a potential dark horse for a Champions League spot. With 20 more rounds to go, here are the most anticipated games in January.
- Espanyol vs Barcelona – January 4
- Real Sociedad vs Barcelona – January 19
- Villarreal vs Real Madrid – January 25
Ligue 1
After 16 rounds, few would have expected Lens to top the table with 37 points. PSG sit second with 36, while Marseille are third (32). The first half of the season was indeed full of surprises.
However, given PSG’s depth and quality, Luis Enrique’s men remain favourites to win their fifth trophy in a row. In the meantime, don’t miss these key January fixtures:
- PSG vs Paris FC – January 4
- PSG vs Lille – January 17
- Marseille vs Lens – January 24
Additional Sports Events to Consider
2026 Australian Open
The 2026 Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, taking place from 18 January to 1 February 2026 at Melbourne Park in Australia. The 114th edition features men’s, women’s, doubles, mixed doubles, and wheelchair events on hard courts.
Jannik Sinner returns as the reigning men’s singles champion, while Madison Keys defends her women’s singles title. Top players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Świątek are all set to compete as favourites. It could also be a last dance for Novak Djokovic, who has a record 10 titles in the competition.
UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett
Justin Gaethje will face Paddy Pimblett in an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the UFC. It’s scheduled for January 24, 2026, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The clash will determine the interim UFC lightweight title holder. The belt was created because reigning champion Ilia Topuria is on personal leave and won’t compete in early 2026.
Gaethje, a former interim champ, is known for his pressure and striking, while Pimblett is a fan-favourite rising contender, with bookmakers also slightly favouring him.