26 Bold Predictions for 2026: Bills, Orioles Win Titles; USA Makes World Cup Run

The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Orioles breaking through to capture elusive championships?! The United States men's national team making noise at the World Cup?! Fernando Mendoza serving as the savior of the New York Jets?!

We asked our FOX Sports writers to look into their crystal balls to see what 2026 will bring in the sports world.

Here are their 26 boldest predictions for the upcoming year:

1. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith Wins the Heisman

Smith has been the best player in the country for two consecutive years, according to everyone except voters for major college football awards. He singlehandedly flipped Ohio State into a national title team in just four games in 2024, and he did it as a true freshman. In 2025, he finished sixth in the Heisman voting, the only wideout to receive enough votes to make the top 10, and voters of the Biletnikoff didn’t pick him. Well, 2026 is the year for all arguments for age and lasting impact on the sport laid to rest and to crown Smith for the player he has been since he entered the sport. – RJ Young

[Read more: Inside Jeremiah Smith's rise to stardom]

2. Buffalo Bills FINALLY Win the Super Bowl

A mere 31 years after they lost the last of their four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s, the Bills bring a title to Title-less Town, and defeat the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LX. Forced to play three straight playoff games on the road after losing the AFC East to the Patriots, the Bills will actually cruise through the AFC playoff field with the Kansas City Chiefs mercifully out of the way. Bills fans will then not only flock to Santa Clara, Califronia, for the big game, but they’ll pack their soon-to-be demolished stadium in Orchard Park, New York for an outdoor viewing party (in a blizzard, of course). It’ll still be snowing two days later when more than a million Bills fans line Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo to watch snow plows carry their conquering heroes in a parade they’ve been waiting for all their lives. – Ralph Vacchiano

3. USA Makes 2026 World Cup Semis

With all due respect to FOX Sports colleagues Landon Donovan, Brad Guzan, Stu Holden, Cobi Jones and Alexi Lalas, I was shocked that none of those greats has the U.S. surviving the quarterfinals. Sure, reaching the Round of 16 like they did at the 2022, 2014 and 2010 World Cups will now require winning a knockout game because of the expanded field — something the USMNT has done once in 10 World Cup appearances all-time. 

But as a seeded team with a wholly manageable draw, the co-hosts are the favorites to win Group D, ensuring they face a third-place finisher in the new round of 32. Playing at home, with the entire country on the bandwagon, the U.S. can’t settle for more of the same. Momentum builds at World Cups. When a team gets hot, they can ride the wave far longer than pure talent says they should. 

It costs nothing to dream. Under a coach who once led perennial underachievers Tottenham to a Champions League final, the bar must be set higher. Mauricio Pochettino already has. He’s telling anyone who’ll listen that the World Cup trophy itself is within reach. Everything would have to go perfectly to reach even the semis. They’d need some luck to make it that far. But to paraphrase Pochettino: Why can’t they? – Doug McIntyre

[Read more: USA Can Dream the 'Impossible']

4. College Football Playoff Expands to 24 Teams

It simply has to just to keep stakeholders and fans happy. Acrimony engulfed the sport following Lane Kiffin’s decision to leave Ole Miss to become head coach at LSU just as he’d finished leading the Rebels to their best-ever season (11-1) and their first berth in the College Football Playoff. His decision meant that leading a team four games away from playing for the national championship wasn’t as important as his $13.28-million contract in Baton Rouge.

Disbelief and anger filtered throughout the sport when Notre Dame decided to forgo playing in the postseason altogether after the Fighting Irish learned they were not selected for the CFP. This can’t go on. But it will unless the CFP board of managers fix it, and the best way to do that is to double the field. – RJ Young

5. Baltimore Orioles Win World Series

Baltimore owns the sixth-longest championship drought in Major League Baseball, but that's all about to change in 2026 when the Orioles win the World Series. It would be their first title since 1983, when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies and eventual Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr. was a 23-year-old putting the finishing touches on his first career MVP Award. The O's are long overdue for a trip back to the Fall Classic, and now they finally look primed to reach baseball utopia. Their aggressive offseason really took flight this winter when they signed first baseman Pete Alonso and his 264 career home runs to a monster deal: $155 million for five years. Now, they have one of the filthiest lineups in baseball, and who knows, it just might be good enough to dethrone the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. Maybe the blockbuster move that brought Alonso to the Birds was their missing piece. – Deesha Thosar

6. New York Jets Go All-In on Fernando Mendoza

Packaging their two first-round picks in 2026 (and quite possibly much more), the Jets will trade into the top three of the NFL Draft to select Indiana's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. He isn’t the no-brainer franchise quarterback that sometimes leads off a draft class, but Mendoza’s prototypical size, mobility, lightning-quick release and leadership make him this year’s surest thing at the game’s most important position.  – Rob Rang

[Read more: Is Mendoza a 'Game Manager' or a 'Game Changer'?]

7. Ryan Day Leaves Ohio State for the NFL After Another National Title

From pitchforks and profanity following a fourth consecutive loss to Michigan in 2024 to an indomitable legacy that will be remembered favorably by fans for generations to come. That’s what awaits Ohio State head coach Ryan Day in the not-so-distant future when he rides the stellar tandem of quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith to another national championship next season. It will be, at a minimum, his second title in a three-year span and could potentially complete a three-peat depending on what happens in the coming weeks with his current squad. At that point, with a résumé only a handful of coaches can match, Day will be ready to leave college football behind for the chance to chase an even bigger prize in the NFL. He might even bring a few of his former players with him. – Michael Cohen

8. Philip Rivers Plays One More Season … With the Chiefs

If you thought the unretirement of the 44-year-old Rivers was a short-term thing, you underestimate the competitiveness of a professional athlete. And now that Rivers is getting another taste of NFL life, he’s going to find it tough to give it right back up. So after falling short of helping the Daniel Jones-less Colts to the playoffs, Rivers will send out feelers to let teams know he wants to keep playing at least one more season. And that’s when he’ll get a surprising offer: Come to Kansas City and be a placeholder until Patrick Mahomes returns from his torn ACL. The chance to potentially play for Andy Reid and maybe even ride along on a Super Bowl quest will be too much to pass up. Plus, he’ll get to extend his NFL health insurance for his gigantic family for another year. – Ralph Vacchiano

9. Young Red Sox Star Roman Anthony Wins AL MVP honors

Sure, if we were going to pick the likeliest candidate from this year’s crop of Rookie of the Year finalists to contend for an MVP trophy in 2026, it would make sense to start in Sacramento, where Nick Kurtz just produced one of the greatest rookie seasons ever for the Athletics. But that’s not thinking bold enough. Instead, Anthony’s elite combination of all-around skills will come together so quickly that he vaults past the likes of Yankees star Aaron Judge and Royals slugger Bobby Witt Jr. to take home AL MVP honors in his second MLB season. Anthony slashed .329/.419/.512 over his final 56 games with the Red Sox, showcased elite plate discipline and absolutely obliterated the ball with a 60.3 percent hard-hit rate that would have led MLB had he qualified. If he can get the ball in the air more often to tap into his tremendous power potential, the rise to superstardom could happen fast. – Rowan Kavner 

10. Will Power Captures 2026 INDYCAR Title

Jettisoned by Team Penske, Will Power wins the 2026 INDYCAR title in his first season at Andretti. Power wins three races and finishes on the podium in seven others to capture the championship as he goes on a revenge tour for Penske not keeping him after 17 years of dedication to the organization. Power will be gracious in winning his third title but admits that the third one was the sweetest because it proved any doubters wrong. –Bob Pockrass

11. Messi, Argentina Repeat as World Cup Champs

Winning the World Cup is hard: just eight nations have done it in the men’s tournament’s almost 100-year history. Doing it twice in a row? That’s almost unheard of. Just three teams, men’s or women’s, have done it in 31 World Cups all time: the Carli Lloyd/Alex Morgan/Megan Rapinoe-led U.S. women in 2015 and 2019, Italy’s men way back in 1934 and 1938, and Pele’s Brazil in 1958 and 1962. 

Lionel Messi cemented his legacy as soccer’s GOAT when he willed Argentina to his first World Cup title in Qatar in 2022. And while the 38-year-old still hasn’t confirmed that he’ll help the Albiceleste defend their crown in 2026 in the U.S., his home since joining Inter Miami three years ago, only injury will prevent Messi from captaining his country once again next summer. Surely the chance to make more history with his compatriots will be irresistible: Argentina, which also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, has a chance to claim four consecutive major trophies — something no nation or player — not even Pele, still the only man to win three World Cups — has ever accomplished. – Doug McIntyre

12. Los Angeles Chargers Win Super Bowl on Their Home Field

The Chargers are 11-5, and they’ve done it without both starting offensive tackles and other key injuries. They also have just over $100 million in 2026 cap space, third-most of any team, and likely a second-place schedule that includes home games against the Jets and Raiders. Head coach Jim Harbaugh should have everything in place to truly contend with Justin Herbert, and with the Chiefs down a peg, Denver’s the main obstacle to to a potential deep run in the AFC playoffs. The Super Bowl is at SoFi Stadium in Feb. 2027, so that’s the biggest home-field advantage of all. – Greg Auman

13. Michigan Wolverines Cut Down Nets in Indianapolis

I think Michigan is the best team that I’ve watched on both ends of the floor. Its slow start was understandable, given all the new transfers, but it showed its potential at the Players Era Tournament in wins over San Diego State, Auburn and Gonzaga by an average of 36.6 points. The Wolverines have the best frontcourt trio in the country with forward Yaxel Lendeborg’s versatility, center Aday Mara’s length and forward Morez Johnson Jr.’s rugged scoring and rebounding. They surround their big men with a nice pass-first point guard in Elliot Cadeau and shooters like guard Nimari Burnett and forward Will Tschetter. Guard Roddy Gayle Jr. is an explosive slasher, and even freshman guard Trey McKinney has carved out a role among the veterans. This team has no weaknesses. – Casey Jacobsen

14. USWNT’s ‘Triple Espresso’ Reunites

Since winning a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. women's national team has been in a state of development and growth when it comes to its player pool and what the squad will look like at the next World Cup. It’s been especially helpful to get to know new and younger players with the likes of the famed Triple Espresso — Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson — unavailable. Rodman has been called up a couple of times this year but has mostly been dealing with injuries (there was back pain as well as an MCL sprain), while Swanson and Wilson were out on maternity leave and recently welcomed baby girls. The USWNT will have to qualify for the 2027 World Cup, so I predict at some point in this next year that we will see coach Emma Hayes start to solidify her core World Cup group, which will mean the return of this talented trio. – Laken Litman

15. Tennessee Titans Hire Mike McCarthy as Head Coach 

Tennessee needs a seasoned head coach that is, ideally, offensive minded, giving No. 1 pick Cam Ward continuity with scheme and playcalling as a young quarterback. With 18 seasons of NFL head coaching experience, McCarthy checks both boxes. His experience coaching Aaron Rodgers and working under Jerry Jones also indicates an ability to collaborate with big personalities, which should be appealing to a floundering Titans’ franchise. McCarthy and Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker — Tennessee’s top football executive — spent a decade together in Green Bay (2009-18), so there’s a strong connection there too. At the very least, McCarthy is a high-floor, moderate-ceiling coach that can stabilize Tennessee. – Ben Arthur

16. Indiana Runs It Back, Wins Back-to-Back Big Ten titles

It’s crazy to think of the success head coach Curt Cignetti has already had in just two seasons at Indiana. In Year 1, the Hoosiers went 11-1 in the regular season and made the College Football Playoff. In Year 2, he led his team to a 13-0 regular season record and a Big Ten championship. Transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and IU secured the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP. This is a team that is certainly a favorite to win the national championship and while some of the talent will head to the NFL, Cignetti has proven he can work the transfer portal to his advantage. There are already tons of quality quarterbacks in the portal and there’s no reason not to think Cignetti will build a strong, national title-contending team again next season. – Laken Litman

17. Minnesota Vikings Sign Aaron Rodgers as QB1

Coach Kevin O’Connell admitted he and Rodgers spoke last offseason when the veteran QB ultimately landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the time, the Vikings were committed to J.J. McCarthy, a former top 10 draft pick. But after a year of action (and two years in the league), McCarthy still looks a ways away from leading the organization to a playoff berth. And so O’Connell will go after Rodgers for real this time. The Vikings will sell it as a chance for McCarthy to develop off the field for another year while Rodgers runs the show. And maybe that’ll work out for everyone involved. But O’Connell’s reputation is built upon QB play. He can’t risk it with another year of what McCarthy did in 2024. That might just get the coach fired. –Henry McKenna

18. Pete Alonso Leads MLB in Home Runs in First Season in Baltimore 

If this prediction comes to fruition, it would be an even tougher pill to swallow for a Mets fanbase already reeling after watching a trio of fan favorites (Alonso, center fielder Brandon Nimmo, closer Edwin Díaz) depart this winter. But Alonso’s coming off a year in which he recorded career highs in both hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, and "Walltimore" in left field at Camden Yards is a thing of the past. The Orioles’ decision to move in the left-field fence last season transformed the ballpark back into one of the more favorable venues for righty mashers. Alonso hit 38 home runs last season; based on his expected home run total, he would have hit 45 if he played all of his games in Baltimore. Now, that total won’t likely be enough to surpass the likes of Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Cal Raleigh in 2026, but it doesn’t take much to envision the possibility of a home-run surge in Alonso’s first season with his new club. – Rowan Kavner 

19. Chiefs Reach Playoffs Despite Mahomes’ Injury, Kelce’s Retirement

If you think Mahomes is down and out, you’re sorely mistaken. We saw the Chiefs thrive in tight games in 2023 — only to fall short in them in 2024. The 2026 campaign should be a steadier year, even with the quarterback likely missing the first month due to an ACL injury. Coach Andy Reid will make sure they have a QB who can handle the offense (maybe Philip Rivers, as Ralph suggested above). And the Chiefs should get back into the playoff mix with a roster that should see major turnover this offseason, including the departure of Kelce. Could he play another year? Sure. But he had a hard time committing to a return this year. It’ll only get harder next year. His retirement will bring about the end of an era for the Chiefs. But it shouldn’t be the end of their dynasty. – Henry McKenna

20. Only One QB Goes in the First Round of the NFL Draft

Despite several teams needing a franchise quarterback amid a weak free agent class, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza will be the only quarterback selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. That statement might raise eyebrows due to the number of teams in search of a QB1, but the 2026 class lacks the blue-chip quarterback prospects to warrant first-round consideration. While Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Oregon’s Dante Moore could enter the conversation, their lack of inexperience as collegiate starters could prompt them to wait until 2027 to make the jump to the NFL. The preseason hype led us to believe the 2026 quarterback class had the potential to be epic, but it looks like a "one-man" show at this point. – Bucky Brooks

[Read more: Ranking the 18 Best QB Prospects Ahead of 2026 NFL Draft]

21. Quarterback Kyler Murray Joins Mike McDaniel in Miami

After stuffing him on the injured reserve list with a foot injury for the second half of the season, the Arizona Cardinals appear ready to grant the shifty quarterback Murray his release, allowing him to move on to greener pastures. The possibility of joining an offensive guru like McDaniel, with legit offensive weapons like De’Von Achane, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as potential teammates would be appealing to the Oklahoma product. Playing for the Dolphins keeps Murray in a warm-weather climate, and Murray would be a good fit for McDaniel’s system, giving him the most talented signal-caller he’s had in Miami.  – Eric D. Williams

22. Michael Jordan Named NASCAR Brand Ambassador

Basketball Hall-of-Famer and 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan, in an attempt to unify NASCAR after the contentious lawsuit that consumed the sport in 2025, accepts a role as NASCAR Brand Ambassador. He agrees to make five appearances on behalf of NASCAR on what is considered a national stage or media platform. He can’t talk about whether his team is making money or not. – Bob Pockrass

23. New York Mets Righty Nolan McLean Wins Cy Young Award

Not only will the New York Mets' breakout starting pitcher win his first career Cy Young Award in 2026, but that means he'll also be in line to win National League Rookie of the Year honors. Yes, that's just how high his projections are for next season. The 24-year-old righthander is coming off a strong debut in the big leagues, with his 2.06 ERA and 57 strikeouts in eight starts and 48 innings pitched drawing comparisons to legendary former Mets rookies like Jacob deGrom... and even Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. Though it's way too early in McLean's career to go that bold, it's not so far-fetched to prognosticate how dominant he will be in his first full season in the majors next year. So, watch out, Paul Skenes. There's another elite righty in the league coming for your trophy. – Deesha Thosar

24. Robert Saleh Takes Over as Coach for the Cleveland Browns

Saleh would provide Cleveland with some much-needed leadership and stability if given the opportunity to serve as a head coach again, should the Browns decide to move on from Kevin Stefanski. Saleh finished 20-36 during his time with the Jets after a midseason firing in 2024, which doesn’t look so bad given the state of that franchise now. Saleh would have to bring in a legit offensive coordinator with a background in Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system to work with whoever the Browns choose to go with at quarterback. Saleh had positive things to say about Shedeur Sanders earlier this year, but the Browns have two first-round picks and will likely try to find their franchise quarterback in the draft. And with an already strong defense, Saleh could have an opportunity to turn things around quickly in Cleveland. – Eric D. Williams

25. Rick Pitino Wins Title With St. John’s in '26-27 Season, Retires on Top

A stunning loss in last year’s Round of 32 cut short what many believed could have been a fairytale season for St. John’s, which won both the Big East regular season and Big East Tournament titles under second-year head coach Rick Pitino. The Red Storm retooled their roster via the transfer portal but seem a player or two short of competing for a national championship during the 2025-26 campaign. Fueled by back-to-back shortcomings, Pitino and billionaire donor Mike Repole compile a super team for the 2026-27 season that brings St. John’s its first national championship in program history. It will be Pitino’s third national title overall — he won previously at Kentucky in 1996 and Louisville in 2013 — and the capstone achievement that finally ushers him into retirement, where he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. – Michael Cohen

26. Chiefs Land Ohio State Defensive Standout Caleb Downs 

The Chiefs need to prioritize bolstering the offensive skill positions this offseason, but I don’t see them hesitating if Downs falls in their lap this spring. The best defensive back in college football, the Buckeyes star would give Steve Spagnuolo a versatile chess piece at safety that is already well-versed in NFL concepts, having played under Matt Patricia at Ohio State. As fearsome pass-rusher Chris Jones continues to get older, pairing Downs with Trent McDuffie in the back end would supercharge a Kansas City defense built around strong secondary play. –Ben Arthur

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