Calendar of Major Sporting Events in August 2026
August 2026 promises to be an eventful month for sports fans. Ukrainian athletes will compete in international tournaments for medals, ranking points, and new achievements, while around the world, new seasons will kick off in popular team sports. Throughout the month, a series of major events will take place, drawing the attention of fans from around the world.
August will kick off with one of the month’s major sporting events—the European Aquatics Championships, which will be hosted by Paris. With no other major multisport events taking place this year, this continental championship will allow fans to once again experience the atmosphere of a large-scale tournament.
For Ukraine, the main medal hopes are traditionally tied to diving, where Oleksii Sereda, Marko Hrytsenko, Kyrylo Bolyukh, and Kseniia Baylo will compete. The synchronized swimming team will also draw particular attention, as it will compete in all Olympic disciplines for the first time. In swimming, Vladislav Bukhov and Nikita Sheremet will lead the team, while in high diving, the Ukrainians hope to continue their successful performances from this season.
Another major event in August will be the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Ukrainian fans will see nearly all of the national team’s top athletes: Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Iryna Herashchenko, Oleg Doroshchuk, Mykhailo Kokhan, Artur Felfner, and Viktoria Tkachuk. The tournament will be crucial in the context of qualifying for the World Championships.
At the end of the month, the final Grand Slam tournament of the season—the U.S. Open—will begin. Following their successful performances at previous majors, Ukrainian tennis players will once again compete for spots in the later rounds of the tournament. There are particularly high expectations for Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, for whom the results in New York could impact their positions in the WTA Championship race.
Among other major events is the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, where Taisiia Onofriichuk will compete for medals and Ukraine’s first-ever Olympic qualification spot. Her main rivals will be Daria Varfolomeev, Sofia Rafaelli, and Stiliana Nikolova.
Equally important will be the World Canoe and Kayak Championships, which will play a key role in the race for Olympic qualifying spots. Ukraine’s main hopes are traditionally pinned on Lyudmyla Luzan and Anastasia Rybachok, who remain among the strongest athletes in women’s canoeing this season.
Also in August, the World Championships in modern pentathlon, rowing, badminton, sailing, and mountain biking will take place. Qualifying for the 2027 Basketball World Cup will also continue—the Ukrainian national team will play crucial matches against Greece and Montenegro.
Among the continental championships, the European Volleyball Championships deserve special attention. In beach volleyball, the winners will earn a direct spot at the 2028 Olympic Games, and Ukraine will be represented by three women’s pairs. The highest expectations are pinned on Valentina Davydova and Angelina Khmil.
Later, the European Women’s Volleyball Championship will begin, where the Ukrainian national team, following its historic debut in the Nations League, will aim to build on its progress and compete for a spot in the playoffs.
Other events include the Europe Smash table tennis tournament, where Margarita Pesotska will represent Ukraine, as well as the upcoming rounds of the Diamond League in track and field.
August will also mark the start of the new season in Europe’s leading soccer leagues—in France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and England. Fans will be able to follow the performances of Ukrainian players: Illia Zabarnyi at PSG, Artem Dovbyk at Bologna, Vladyslav Chekh at Monza, Yukhim Konoplya at Borussia Dortmund, Artem Stepanov at Utrecht, and Vitalii Mykolenko at Everton.
August will be just as action-packed for cycling fans. The Women’s Tour de France kicks off, where defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will attempt to defend her title. Yulia Biryukova will represent Ukraine as part of the Laboral Kutxa — Fundación Euskadi team.
At the end of the month, the Vuelta a España—the third and final Grand Tour of the season—will begin. With Jonas Vingegaard sitting out the race and uncertainty surrounding Tadej Pogačar’s participation, the battle for victory could be more wide open. João Almeida is among the contenders.
The Formula 1 season will also resume in August. After the summer break, the championship will resume with the Dutch Grand Prix at the Zandvoort circuit, known for its fast corners, challenging layout, and unique atmosphere amid the sand dunes.
As a reminder, Artem Dovbyk has officially transferred to Bologna.
FIFA plans to change the governance model for its major soccer tournaments. The organization is creating a new company to which it will transfer the commercial rights to the World Cups, and it intends to sell a portion of its shares to investors. One of the main contenders to participate in the project is said to be the fund of American billionaire Joshua Kushner—the brother of Ivanka Trump’s husband.
