Passing of the torch
The 2026 Fifa World Cup is not just unique because it will, for the first time, involve as many as 48 teams, the event is also going to be special because it is set to be an outstanding confluence of generations like never before. Many of the established stars will walk into the sunset, while a young band of footballing geniuses are ready to take on the baton to mark the dawn of a new era. So while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will probably take their last bows, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal of Spain and Argentina’s Nico Paz, 21, will sketch their dribbles of the future. The Fifa World Cup this time has all the potential to be an unforgettable spectacle of expertise and talent.
Yamal undoubtedly is at the forefront to be a showstopper, but don’t rule out the other dazzling youngsters full of footballing promise. Like Desire Doue of France, who might turn out to be a midfield magician, or Gilberto Mora, the 17-year-old Mexican who became the youngest to score a goal in Liga MX history. Germany’s Jamal Musiala, 22, and Belgium’s 23-year-old dazzler Jeremy Doku will also be there to make the World Cup the stage of rising stars. .
Step up, challengers
The duopoly of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, while being a riveting affair, may also rob the charm of unpredictability in men’s tennis in the coming year. Sinner and Alcaraz shared all the grand slams of 2025. Wouldn’t it be interesting if a couple of new names come up to serve these aces a stiff challenge? Who could they be?
Jakub Mensik, the 20-year-old Czech, is certainly one of them. With an almost unplayable first serve, Mensik stunned the world and his idol, Novak Djokovic, in the Miami Open final in March. He is still learning the tricks of the trade, but one feels we will hear more about him in 2026.
The other rising tennis player to watch out for in the coming year will be Joao Fonseca, the 19-year-old Brazilian who many believe to be the next big thing in men’s tennis. Like Mensik, Fonseca too still has a lot to do before graduating to the next level. But it’s his talent which excites the pundits. However, the young gun needs to go deeper in the slams to make a mark. Having climbed the ranking ladder real fast — from 730 to 145 to 24 — Fonseca sure can do a lot of things.
Knight on a mission
How about a D. Gukesh vs R. Praggnanandhaa duel on the chess board for a world title? For Indian chess enthusiasts, that’s a lip-smacking prospect in 2026. But for that, Praggnanandhaa will first have to tame his Candidates challengers.
Praggnanandhaa qualified for the Candidates by topping the FIDE 2025 circuit and will be the only Indian at the eight-player tournament, which is to be held in Cyprus from March 28 to April 16. The job is not easy.
Magnus Carlsen thinks Praggnanandhaa will only rank third, behind Americans Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, on the list of favourites to win the
Candidates. But the 20-year-old has often proved predictions wrong. If he does,
Gukesh will love to face his friend in a World Championship contest across the
board. And for the ever-rising stature of Indian chess, it will truly be a moment
to savour.
Hoping for home high
A cricket World Cup in India brings with it an avalanche of expectations. That India are the defending champions adds to the intrigue. The India Women’s team gifted countrymen the high of a world title a few months back. The onus is now on the men.
Given that T20 is the favourite format of the times we live in, the prospect of the Indian men’s team winning a World Cup in India raises the excitement level several notches. Remember what happened in 2011 when Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men lifted the ODI World Cup at the Wankhede in Mumbai? Expect a similar, or even bigger, explosion of celebrations if Suryakumar Yadav’s boys lift the trophy on March 8.
But before that, Team India will have to cross many hurdles one by one. They will do well to start with bringing a sense of stability within the dressing room. Under
Gautam Gambhir’s watch, the current Indian team, though rich in talent, often seems to be in a state of flux, trying too many things too hard. They are the champions, they have some of the world’s best players, they have talented youngsters like Abhishek Sharma, they know the conditions the best, they will enjoy raucous home support... What more do you need in a World Cup?
A Chennai constant
And after we have looked at all the youngsters who could make 2026 his own, it’s time to turn our focus on the latest grand old man of Indian cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Will Dhoni play in IPL 2026? He will, in all probability, as the Chennai Super Kings top brass have gone on record to say that their former captain has promised his availability. But should Dhoni play in IPL 2026? Well, given his stature and record, nobody has the right to decide on the 44-year-old’s future. But one wonders if he is serving his beloved CSK the best by being a player. He has shrunken his role as a player by his own choice, coming out to bat at ridiculously low positions. Fact is, many believe he is still good enough to bat at his usual position, but Dhoni himself thinks he is not fit enough for that.
In that case, perhaps it would be wiser for him to slip into a mentor’s role and let the others at CSK learn to fight in his absence. It will be interesting to see how Dhoni warms up to IPL 2026. Given his habit of making sudden calls about his future, nothing can be ruled out.