March is a busy and important month in the sports calendar. European soccer leagues are entering the latter stages of the season, domestic cup competitions are approaching their finals, and UEFA tournaments move into the knockout rounds. The international break then brings World Cup qualifying play-offs and high-profile friendlies. Outside soccer, the NBA playoff race intensifies, March Madness begins in college basketball, tennis heads to Indian Wells and Miami for the Sunshine Swing, and MLB prepares for Opening Day.
In this article, we go through all the major sporting events you should know about this month.
Contents
Key soccer fixtures in March 2026
Domestic leagues
| Date | League | Fixture |
| Mar 4 | Premier League | Aston Villa vs Chelsea |
| Mar 4 | Premier League | Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest |
| Mar 6 | Ligue 1 | Paris Saint-Germain vs AS Monaco |
| Mar 6 | Bundesliga | Bayern Munich vs Borussia Monchengladbach |
| Mar 8 | Serie A | AC Milan vs Inter Milan |
| Mar 14 | Bundesliga | Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich |
| Mar 15 | Premier League | Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur |
| Mar 22 | La Liga | Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid |
Premier League
March is shaping up to be huge in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal still lead the table, but Manchester City have closed the gap significantly over the past few weeks. A City win against Nottingham Forest would move them within two points of Arsenal, which means every matchday could swing the title race.
Behind them, the Champions League battle is just as competitive. Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Chelsea are all pushing for the top four, and several of those teams face each other during March.
La Liga
Barcelona have opened up a small 4-point lead over Real Madrid, so the Madrid derby later this month will have more than local pride riding on it — it could directly shape the title race depending on Barcelona’s results around the same time.
Serie A
Inter Milan have opened up a 10-point lead at the top of the table, but the battle for Champions League places is far more competitive. AC Milan, Napoli, Roma, Como and Juventus are all within striking distance of the top four. Add into that one of the spiciest rivalries in soccer, the Milan derby, and Serie A could be in for an exciting month.
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich are flying in the Bundesliga, opening up an 11-point lead after beating second place Borussia Dortmund 3-2 last time out. They face last year’s title winner Bayer Leverkusen in March, who are trying to claw their way into the Champions League qualification places.
Ligue 1
The Ligue 1 title race is alive and well, which isn’t usual in France (usually PSG are comfortable by now), but RC Lens are pushing them all the way at the minute. A big game that could impact the title is PSG vs Monaco on 6th March. If PSG drop points, it will make the title race even more interesting.
UEFA knockout rounds
Mid-March is dominated by the round of 16 across all three UEFA club competitions.
Champions League round of 16
| Tie | First leg | Second leg |
| Galatasaray vs Liverpool | Mar 10 | Mar 18 |
| Atalanta vs Bayern Munich | Mar 10 | Mar 18 |
| Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham | Mar 10 | Mar 18 |
| Newcastle United vs Barcelona | Mar 10 | Mar 18 |
| Leverkusen vs Arsenal | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting CP | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| Real Madrid vs Manchester City | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
All of the Champions League knockout games will be worth a watch, but the standout tie here is Real Madrid vs Manchester City, which effectively brings together two of the tournament favorites in the round of 16.
An important thing to know involves Galatasaray supporters being banned from the away leg at Liverpool following UEFA disciplinary action. Crowd dynamics at Anfield often matter in European nights, so that absence could influence the atmosphere.
Europa League round of 16
| Tie | First leg | Second leg |
| Bologna vs AS Roma | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Lille vs Aston Villa | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Panathinaikos vs Real Betis | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Stuttgart vs FC Porto | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Celta Vigo vs Lyon | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Ferencvaros vs Braga | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Genk vs Freiburg | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Nottingham Forest vs Midtjylland | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
The Europa League round of 16 often brings together clubs that are balancing strong domestic seasons with European ambitions.
One of the more intriguing ties this month is Bologna vs Roma, which effectively turns into an all-Italian knockout between two teams familiar with each other’s style. Matches between sides from the same league can be difficult to price because tactical familiarity often produces tighter games than expected.
Another matchup to watch is Lille vs Aston Villa, with Villa continuing their push to establish themselves as a consistent European contender. English clubs have historically taken the competition more seriously in recent seasons, particularly once the knockout rounds begin.
Conference League round of 16
| Tie | First leg | Second leg |
| AZ Alkmaar vs Sparta Prague | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Lech Poznan vs Shakhtar Donetsk | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Rijeka vs Strasbourg | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Samsunspor vs Rayo Vallecano | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Celje vs AEK Athens | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Fiorentina vs Rakow Czestochowa | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| Sigma Olomouc vs Mainz 05 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
The Conference League usually features a wider gap in club quality compared with the Champions League or Europa League, which can lead to more unpredictable results.
Clubs from the major European leagues often enter these rounds as favorites, but travel and unfamiliar opponents can still create difficult first legs.
Domestic cup competitions
| Competition | Date | Fixture / Stage |
| EFL Cup (Carabao Cup) Final | Mar 22 | Final: Arsenal vs Manchester City |
| FA Cup | Mar 6–9 | Fifth round |
| Coupe de France | Mar 4–5 | Quarter-finals |
Domestic cup competitions also reach important stages during March. The EFL Cup final sees Arsenal face Manchester City at Wembley, giving one of the two clubs an early chance to lift silverware.
The FA Cup fifth round also takes place during the month, with several Premier League clubs still competing as the tournament moves toward the quarter-finals.
In France, the Coupe de France quarter-finals take place without Paris Saint-Germain, who were eliminated earlier in the competition. PSG have dominated French football in recent years, so their absence opens the door for other clubs to win a major domestic trophy they might not normally have a realistic chance of lifting.
World Cup qualifying play-offs
The March international window also decides several final qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with both the European play-offs and the inter-confederation tournament taking place.
European World Cup qualifying play-offs
| Date | Fixture |
| Mar 26 | Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Mar 26 | Poland vs Albania |
| Mar 26 | Ukraine vs Sweden |
| Mar 26 | Italy vs Northern Ireland |
| Mar 31 | Play-off Final 1 |
| Mar 31 | Play-off Final 2 |
The European play-offs begin with single-leg semi-finals on March 26, with the winners advancing to the play-off finals on March 31, also played as single-leg knockout matches.
The teams that win those finals secure the remaining UEFA qualification spots for the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA inter-confederation play-off tournament
| Date | Fixture |
| Mar 26 | Bolivia vs Suriname |
| Mar 27 | New Caledonia vs Jamaica |
| Mar 31 | DR Congo vs Winner (New Caledonia / Jamaica) |
| Apr 1 | Iraq vs Winner (Bolivia / Suriname) |
The inter-confederation play-offs determine the final two places at the 2026 World Cup.
Two semi-finals take place on March 26 and 27, with the winners advancing to the finals. The seeded teams DR Congo and Iraq enter directly in those finals, which are played on March 31 and April 1.
Both finals are single-leg knockout matches, with the winners securing the final qualification spots for the tournament.
International friendlies in March 2026
| Date | Fixture |
| Mar 26 | Brazil vs France |
| Mar 27 | England vs Uruguay |
| Mar 27 | Switzerland vs Germany |
| Mar 28 | USA vs Belgium |
| Mar 31 | England vs Japan |
| Mar 31 | Brazil vs Croatia |
Several high-profile friendlies take place during the March international window. A number of these matches are being played in the United States, effectively acting as early test events ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Managers also tend to rotate heavily during friendlies, using the window to experiment with tactics and give minutes to fringe players. That means starting lineups often matter more than reputation when these games are priced in betting markets.
Basketball
March brings meaningful basketball across three competitions: the NBA regular-season run toward the playoffs, the EuroLeague race for playoff positioning, and the start of March Madness in the United States.
NBA
| Date | Matchup |
| Mar 5 | Nuggets vs Lakers (DEN–LAK) |
| Mar 9 | Thunder vs Nuggets (OKC–DEN) |
| Mar 10 | Spurs vs Celtics (SAS–BOS) |
| Mar 12 | Spurs vs Nuggets (SAS–DEN) |
| Mar 12 | Thunder vs Celtics (OKC–BOS) |
| Mar 14 | Lakers vs Nuggets (LAK–DEN) |
Several of these games involve teams currently competing near the top of their conferences. Oklahoma City vs Denver is particularly notable given both teams’ strong seasons in the Western Conference, while OKC vs Boston brings together two teams that have spent much of the year near the top of their respective standings. The Nuggets also meet the Lakers twice in March, a matchup that has produced several high-profile playoff series in recent seasons.
EuroLeague
| Date | Matchup |
| Mar 17 | Olympiacos vs Fenerbahçe (OLY–FEN) |
This game sits late in the EuroLeague regular season and directly affects playoff positioning. Both teams are competing near the top of the standings, so the result could influence which clubs secure home-court advantage when the postseason begins.
NCAA Division I tournament (March Madness)
| Stage | Dates |
| Selection Sunday | Mar 15 |
| First Four | Mar 17–18 |
| First Round | Mar 19–20 |
| Second Round | Mar 21–22 |
| Sweet 16 | Mar 26–27 |
| Elite Eight | Mar 28–29 |
The NCAA Division I tournament begins in mid-March and quickly becomes one of the busiest betting events on the basketball calendar. The Elite Eight (Mar 28–29) closes out the main March portion of the tournament and determines the four teams that advance to the Final Four in early April.
Tennis
March is dominated by the “Sunshine Swing,” a pair of back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments in the United States. Indian Wells and Miami attract most of the world’s top players, while the Charleston Open begins the clay-court season for the WTA Tour at the end of the month.
| Tournament | Level | Dates | Surface |
| Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open) | ATP 1000 / WTA 1000 | Mar 4–15 | Hard |
| Miami Open | ATP 1000 / WTA 1000 | Mar 17–29 | Hard |
| Charleston Open | WTA 500 | Mar 30 – Apr 5 | Clay |
Indian Wells opens the Sunshine Swing and regularly attracts the strongest fields outside the Grand Slams. Confirmed ATP entrants include Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic, with most of the world’s top-ranked players typically competing.
The tour then moves to Florida for the Miami Open (Mar 17–29), the second half of the Sunshine Double. The event traditionally features a similarly strong field, with Alcaraz, Sinner, and Djokovic also included on the ATP entry list.
The Charleston Open (Mar 30 – Apr 5) begins the WTA clay season. Confirmed players include Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Belinda Bencic, with additional top players often joining the field once the full entry list is finalized.
Baseball
March is a transitional month for baseball. MLB Spring Training runs through most of the month, the World Baseball Classic takes place alongside it, and the Major League Baseball regular season begins at the end of March.
| Event | Dates | Notes |
| MLB Spring Training | Feb – Mar | Preseason exhibition games |
| World Baseball Classic | Mar 5–17 | International tournament |
| World Baseball Classic Final | Mar 17 | Championship game |
| MLB Opening Day | Mar 26 | Start of the regular season |
Spring Training games are essentially preseason exhibitions played across Arizona and Florida. Teams use them to test prospects, rotate pitchers, and finalize their Opening Day rosters. Because lineups change frequently and many starters play limited innings, results can be unpredictable compared with regular-season MLB games.
Running alongside this is the World Baseball Classic (Mar 5–17), the sport’s premier international tournament. National teams featuring MLB stars compete for the title, and the games are treated far more seriously than Spring Training matchups. The tournament culminates with the final on March 17, typically one of the most watched international baseball games.
Once the Classic concludes, attention shifts back to Major League Baseball as Opening Day on March 26 begins the 2026 regular season and daily MLB betting markets return.
Esports
March includes several Tier-1 esports tournaments across Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2, with major LAN events taking place in Europe.
| Tournament | Game | Dates | Location |
| PGL Wallachia Season 7 | Dota 2 | Mar 7–15 | Bucharest, Romania |
| BLAST Open Spring 2026 | CS2 | Mar 19–30 | Europe |
| ESL One Birmingham 2026 | Dota 2 | Mar 22–29 | Birmingham, UK |
PGL Wallachia Season 7 (Mar 7–15) features a 16-team field competing for a $1 million prize pool. Twelve teams received direct invitations, including Team Spirit, Team Liquid, BetBoom Team, Tundra Esports, and Natus Vincere, while the remaining four spots are filled through regional qualifiers.
Later in the month, BLAST Open Spring 2026 (Mar 19–30) is one of the first large Counter-Strike 2 tournaments of the year, bringing together top teams from the BLAST circuit along with qualified teams for a multi-stage event.
The month finishes with ESL One Birmingham (Mar 22–29), another major Dota 2 event with 16 confirmed teams, including Team Spirit, OG, Tundra Esports, BetBoom Team, and Team Falcons, competing for a $1 million prize pool in front of a live crowd in the UK.
MMA
| Event | Date | Location |
| UFC 326 | Mar 7 | Las Vegas, USA |
| PFL Madrid | Mar 20 | Madrid, Spain |
| Karate Combat 60 | Mar 21 | Miami, USA |
| PFL Pittsburgh | Mar 28 | Pittsburgh, USA |
UFC 326
The UFC’s March PPV features a full fight card headlined by Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight championship. The card also includes several ranked bouts across multiple divisions, making it one of the stronger UFC events early in the year.
- Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev – UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Caio Borralho vs Reinier de Ridder – Middleweight
- Renato Moicano vs Brian Ortega – Lightweight
- Rob Font vs Raul Rosas Jr. – Bantamweight
- Gregory Rodrigues vs Brunno Ferreira – Middleweight
PFL Madrid
PFL’s first event in Spain takes place in Madrid and features a mix of championship bouts and showcase fights as part of the promotion’s international schedule.
- Costello van Steenis vs Fabian Edwards – Middleweight title
- AJ McKee vs Ádám Borics – Featherweight
- Denis Goltsov vs Linton Vassell – Heavyweight
- Acoidan Duque vs Alexandr Shabliy – Lightweight
Karate Combat 60
Karate Combat 60 is headlined by a vacant featherweight championship fight between Adam Noi and Luiz Rocha, contested over five three-minute rounds under the promotion’s striking-only ruleset.
- Adam Noi vs Luiz Rocha – Vacant Featherweight Championship
PFL Pittsburgh
The PFL Pittsburgh card (Mar 28) is headlined by a middleweight fight between former Bellator champion Johnny Eblen (16-1) and Bryan Battle (12-2, 1 NC). The co-main event features Dalton Rosta vs Impa Kasanganay, another middleweight matchup.
- Johnny Eblen vs Bryan Battle – Middleweight
- Dalton Rosta vs Impa Kasanganay – Middleweight
- Ariane Lipski da Silva vs Sumiko Inaba – Women’s Flyweight
- Alexei Pergande vs Julio Arce – Featherweight
- Lazaro Dayron vs Jacob Thrall – Bantamweight
