Mid-Year Sports Wrap Up 2026

INTRODUCTION

The first half of 2026 was among the most consequential in recent memory for the business and law of sport. A landmark reform rewrote football’s global transfer system, the largest World Cup in history kicked off across three nations, and the rules governing eligibility and commercial exclusivity were tested as never before. At home, Nigerian sport absorbed a painful result on the football pitch while its strongest performances and boldest ideas came from elsewhere, from a world-class women’s basketball team to an ambitious drive to recruit talent from the diaspora, and the courts delivered rulings that will shape the sector for years. This review sets out the highlights from the first half of 2026 that our Sports, Entertainment and Technology Practice considers most significant, with a short commentary on what each means for the actors we advise.