Why Mexico, Dubai and Italy are the countries to watch in sport in 2026

Thursday 01 January 2026 14.00
| Updated:

Saturday 20 December 2025 16:03

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This time last year, AM City asked me to identify three countries that make 2025 a landmark year in sport.

My three choices are Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and the United States.

By today’s standards, the year in Saudi Arabia was relatively calm although punctuated by some unpleasant moments, most notably the acquisition of EA’s console gaming business by the Public Investment Fund which became the world’s largest leveraged corporate acquisition.

But fiscal constraints still remain in the kingdom, which are unlikely to ease until 2027. Therefore, in 2026 we should not expect too much aid from the country.

This year’s hosting of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco is the first of five editions to be hosted in the country (which will conclude in 2029). Moreover, the Moroccan men’s team won the Arab Cup and so far won the CAF Women’s Champions League.

With the AFCON tournament underway in the country, Morocco’s relentless rise in sports shows no signs of abating.

Regarding the United States, is there anything else that needs to be said? From Donald Trump fueling World Cup hysteria to private equity investors, through the NBA’s expansion into Europe, the country is just one step away from the most exciting things in sports.

And with the world soccer tournament set to be held in the United States in 2026, I’m inclined to again list the US as one of the countries to watch in the coming year.

However, I don’t want to be too predictable.

Mexico and its neighboring countries

Instead, I’ll highlight Mexico (one of the FIFA World Cup hosts) as one country I should keep an eye on. Ultimately, FIFA’s showcase competition can only be carried out successfully if Central American countries play their part.

This cannot be guaranteed, as relations between Mexico and the United States are described as good. At their worst, they are characterized as icy creatures.

How Mexico conducts its relations with its neighbors will determine the success of the World Cup and will be a test of how Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, manages her relationship with Trump.

Cross-border movements between football fans and others, linked to migration issues, will test relations between them, although Sheinbaum will also face challenges at home.

Significant levels of violent crime and murder will provide a deeply disturbing backdrop to a World Cup. With the potential for large numbers of visitors entering the country, drugs and organized gangs could cause problems.

At the same time, the Mexican government is grappling with a restive Gen Z population worried about social inequality, environmental degradation, and the aforementioned crime. There have been riots involving this demographic group; The World Cup may add impetus to their grievances and activism.

Italian sporting revival?

One of the countries hoping to qualify for next summer’s tournament is Italy, although the country’s men’s team must first qualify through a series of play-off matches. This cannot be guaranteed, indeed this team has experienced several bad years, as have its clubs in international competitions.

Once great but now in a significant decline, the decline of Italian football is reflected in the decline of Ferrari which continues to stutter and stumble in Formula 1. The recruitment of Lewis Hamilton should mark the rebirth of a once dominant team, even though this season has fallen short of expectations.

Italy’s image, reputation and soft power have arguably been damaged by their underperforming icon, although perhaps the country is in transition.

The Winter Olympics will once again be held in Italy, just twenty years since it last hosted the event. Milan’s San Siro Stadium will host the opening ceremony, as the venue nears the end of its life. This year, an agreement was finally reached for the AC and Inter football teams to build a new home.

This should be a symbol of the transformation of Italian sport; tennis saw the emergence of the ‘Jannik Sinner’ era, while in 2025 Italy became the first nation to win both the Men’s Davis Cup and the Women’s Billie Jean King Cup in the same year.

If the Italian football team can win a few more games and Lewis Hamilton can drive faster, then 2026 could be an important year for the country.

Dubai sports strategy

As Saudi Arabia considers its sporting future and Qatar increasingly makes use of its expensively built sporting infrastructure, Dubai is a relatively low-profile member of the international sporting community.

Of course, Dubai has established itself as an important destination for golf, rugby and tennis events, but the Emirate’s focus over the last thirty years has been on tourism, and on building its national airline and airport (through a series of sports sponsorship deals, of course).

However, it has been more than twenty years since rumors of the Dubai Investment Company buying an English Premier League football club, the Emirates is not taking part in the F1 race, and there are no major sporting hosting opportunities that its regional rivals can enjoy.

All this may be about to change.

In November 2025, Dubai launched its Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033, which aims to transform Dubai into the world’s leading sports city by 2033. The plan targets the generation of a much larger sports economy, driven by stronger engagement with sport, increased spectator numbers and the staging of events.

The emirate will catch up by 2026 in its efforts to catch up with its Gulf rivals. Nevertheless, with funds to spend and a newfound strategic orientation, Dubai is likely to become a very active member of the international sports community in the coming years.

Simon Chadwick is professor of sports and geopolitical economics at Scheme Business School in Paris