Top Upcoming Football Events in October 2026
The football season is gradually picking up. Alongside club football, we have witnessed the restructured system in national football. The break is lasting almost a month, and top national teams are competing in different competitions.
With September approaching its end, in this article, we will cover top matches and tournaments for the upcoming month.
Major Upcoming Football Fixtures in October 2026
The Champions League and Europa League have both kicked off. We will also see the Conference League, which is an ideal opportunity for low-ranked teams to establish themselves. Here are the top matches and a brief overview for each competition.
Champions League
The 2026/27 Champions League opened with several statement performances. Defending champions PSG demolished Slovan Bratislava 6-1, while Barcelona beat Feyenoord 5-1 and Bayern Munich cruised past Bodø/Glimt 5-0.
Arsenal earned an important 0-1 victory at Napoli, with Real Madrid and Liverpool also starting with wins. Entering October, PSG remain among the leading title contenders alongside Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern and Real Madrid. You can catch all the action by following the matches below.
- Roma vs Real Madrid - October 14
- Manchester City vs PSG - October 14
- PSG vs Barcelona - October 20
Europa League
The Europa League's opening round produced dominant wins and notable surprises. Juventus highlighted their credentials with a 5-0 victory over NEC Nijmegen, while Crystal Palace defeated Lech Poznań 4-0 and Benfica recorded an impressive 0-2 away win against Milan.
Bayer Leverkusen, Lyon and Bournemouth also collected three points. Juventus entered the campaign as the leading outright favourite, with Milan, Leverkusen and Bournemouth among the other prominent contenders as the competition moves into October.
- Lyon vs Crystal Palace - October 15
- Hoffenheim vs Besiktas - October 15
- Bournemouth vs Milan - October 22
Conference League
Unlike the Champions League and Europa League which have already started, the 2026/27 Conference League league phase begins on 15 October. Brighton head the early outright market, with Atalanta, Monaco and Freiburg also considered leading contenders.
Braga and Ajax add further European pedigree to a competitive 36-team field. Each club will play six league-phase matches, with the campaign eventually leading to the final in Istanbul on 2 June 2027.
- Hajduk Split vs Ajax - October 15
- Ajax vs Atalanta - October 22
- Monaco vs Freiburg - October 22
Top European Competitions in October 2026
The top 5 European Leagues have already started the campaign. Let's check out what bettors should expect in October.
Premier League
Manchester City have made the strongest start to the 2026/27 Premier League, winning their opening five matches, while Arsenal remain firmly in pursuit. Brighton have provided one of the early surprises, sitting among the leading teams after an impressive opening.
At the other end, Tottenham's winless start has been particularly disappointing. Arsenal and Manchester City remain the main title favourites, while Liverpool and Chelsea are among the teams to join the race.
- Liverpool vs Manchester City - October 11
- Chelsea vs Manchester United - October 31
- Liverpool vs Arsenal - October 31
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga has already produced an intriguing race, with Borussia Dortmund winning their first four matches to move ahead of Bayern Munich. Freiburg have been another early standout, matching Bayern's points total after four rounds, while promoted Elversberg have started encouragingly.
Bayern remain the established title favourites after dominating last season, but Dortmund's perfect opening suggests a genuine challenge could develop. Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are other teams worth monitoring as the campaign progresses.
- Bayern Munich vs Leipzig - October 17
- Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart - October 31
- Bayern Munich vs Dortmund - October 31
Serie A
Serie A has begun with an unusually crowded battle near the top. Roma, Inter and Lazio all collected 13 points from their opening five matches, while Cagliari emerged as an unexpected early challenger. AC Milan and Juventus have remained close behind, but Napoli's inconsistent start has left them with ground to recover.
- Juventus vs Lazio - October 18
- Napoli vs Roma - October 24
- Inter vs Fiorentina - October 25
La Liga
Barcelona have made a spectacular start to their LaLiga title defence, winning their opening seven matches while scoring 31 goals and conceding only seven. Atlético Madrid have emerged as their closest early challenger, and Real Betis have also impressed near the top.
Real Madrid remain one of Barcelona's principal title rivals despite already dropping ground. With Barcelona chasing a third consecutive championship, October should provide further clues about whether Atlético and Madrid can prevent another successful Catalan title defence.
- Real Madrid vs Villarreal - October 10
- Betis vs Barcelona - October 17
- Barcelona vs Real Madrid - October 25
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 has produced perhaps the biggest early surprise among Europe's major leagues. Monaco lead the standings, with Lyon and Paris FC also enjoying excellent starts, while perennial champions PSG sit outside the leading positions.
Marseille's struggles have been even more striking, leaving them near the bottom after the opening weeks. PSG remain the obvious team to watch after dominating French football in recent seasons, but Monaco's strong beginning could make the 2026/27 title race considerably more interesting.
- Lens vs Lyon - October 9
- Monaco vs Lille - October 25
- PSG vs Lyon - October 25
Additional Sports Events to Consider
Alongside the top European leagues and competitions, we will also feature less popular events. In the subsequent paragraphs, we will be covering:
- Shanghai Masters
- AFC Challenge League
- 2026 World Series
2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters
The 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters takes place from 7-18 October at Shanghai's Qi Zhong Tennis Centre. As an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, it features a 96-player singles draw on outdoor hard courts, with 1,000 ranking points available to the champion. Traditionally, the event attracts many of the world's leading players.
2026–27 AFC Challenge League Season
The 2026–27 AFC Challenge League, Asia's third-tier men's continental club competition, moves into its group stage during the autumn. Teams are divided into five groups of four, with three groups representing the West Region and two the East.
Qualification rules differ between the regions, ultimately producing eight quarter-finalists. The knockout phase features two-legged quarter-finals and semi-finals before a single-match final.
2026 World Series Baseball
The 2026 World Series is scheduled for 23–31 October. The champions of the American League and National League meet in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to four victories crowned MLB champion.
Game 1 will be hosted by the pennant winner with the superior regular-season record, which also receives overall home-field advantage. If the matchup goes the full distance, the decisive Game 7 will take place on 31 October.
