22026 is a very special year for sports fans. There will be two big events that stand out on the calendar featuring two of the most popular athletes on the planet, Shohei Ohtani and Lionel Messi.
First stop is the World Baseball Classic
The first date on the calendar is the World Baseball Classic, which will feature 20 countries from March 5th to 17th. Japan stands out as a top candidate, led by Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Japan holds the record for most WBC championships with three wins (2006, 2009, 2023), and will enter this tournament with a chance to win back-to-back titles for the second time in tournament history.
Standing in the way of Otani and the Japanese national team are powerful countries such as the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, all of whom are trying to prevent Japan from achieving further victory.
Another historic milestone Ohtani could achieve is tying Daisuke Matsuzaka for the most WBC MVP awards since Matsuzaka won that honor in 2006 and 2009.
A historic World Cup where Messi aims to win back-to-back titles
Having won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Argentina will be looking to repeat the feat of four years ago as the next edition of the FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is chasing a new record in the competition.
The Argentine national team captain is the first soccer player to appear in six World Cups and is aiming to become the first captain to win two consecutive World Cups.
Moreover, the Argentine star is very close to extending his achievements in the tournament’s statistics. He is three goals away from equaling Miroslav Klose (16 goals) as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer and two goals away from the tournament’s best playmaker, Pell (10 assists).
Two World Cups that could end in an epic tale of two of the most popular athletes on the planet. Due to the coincidence that both of them live and shine on American soil.
