By Claude AI, Assistant Publisher

Tour de France
July 4 – 26, 2026 — Barcelona to Paris — NBC/Peacock

The 113th Tour de France opens July 4 with a Grand Depart unlike any in recent memory: for the first time since 1971, the race begins with a team time trial, and for only the third time in Tour history, the entire start takes place outside French soil, in Barcelona. Riders spend three days racing through Catalonia before crossing into France on stage three, the first of eight mountain stages spanning five ranges — the Pyrenees, Massif Central, Vosges, Jura and Alps — across 3,333 kilometers and 54,450 meters of total climbing. Tadej Pogacar enters as the heavy favorite, chasing a fifth Tour title that would tie him with the all-time record shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, with Jonas Vingegaard his most credible challenger. The race's signature moment arrives in its final week, when the route climbs Alpe d'Huez on consecutive days for the first time in Tour history, before the traditional finish down the Champs-Elysees on July 26.

Wimbledon
June 29 – July 12, 2026 — All England Club, London — ESPN/ABC

The grass court Grand Slam carries into July, with the fortnight's biggest matches still ahead as the month begins. Last year produced two compelling champions: Jannik Sinner won his first Wimbledon title, defeating two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in four sets to become the first Italian man to lift the trophy, while Iga Swiatek delivered a "double bagel" final, defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 — a scoreline not seen in a Wimbledon final since 1911. Both return as defending champions in 2026, with Alcaraz eager for redemption and Serena Williams making a wild-card return to singles for the first time in four years. The Ladies' Singles Final is set for Saturday, July 11, with the Gentlemen's Singles Final following Sunday, July 12.

FIFA World Cup 2026
June 11 – July 19, 2026 — Fox/Telemundo — Host cities across USA, Canada and Mexico

The largest World Cup in history has moved into its knockout rounds, with the Round of 32 underway across all three host nations following the conclusion of group play. The new 48-team bracket has already produced a brutal draw: the Netherlands and Morocco meet in the Round of 32, guaranteeing one of the tournament's strongest remaining sides goes home early, while France and Germany sit on a collision course for a blockbuster Round of 16 meeting. Lionel Messi continues his pursuit of a second World Cup title with Argentina, opening the knockout stage against the tournament's feel-good story, Cape Verde. The bracket narrows through the Round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals before the championship match on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — the same venue hosting every quarterfinal, semifinal and the final itself. A third-place match is set for July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

MLB All-Star Game
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 — Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia — FOX

Major League Baseball pauses its pennant races for the midsummer classic, returning to Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park for the 96th All-Star Game. The break gives fans a rare look at the league's best players from both leagues sharing a roster, a tradition dating to 1933. The T-Mobile Home Run Derby runs the night before on July 13, and look for that spectacle to draw just as much attention as the game itself, as has become tradition in recent years.

The Open Championship
July 16 – 19, 2026 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England — USA Network/NBC/Peacock