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Sports Desk • Wrestling

Royal Rumble 2026

Royal Rumble 2026 was a WWE professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event held on January 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Updated September 12, 20261 min readCited sources

Royal Rumble 2026 was the 39th annual WWE Royal Rumble event, held on January 31, 2026, at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was the first Royal Rumble ever staged outside North America.

What it is

Royal Rumble 2026 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was part of the 2025–2026 Riyadh Season and was promoted as Royal Rumble: Riyadh. The event featured the traditional men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, with winners earning championship opportunities at WrestleMania 42.

Key results

Roman Reigns won the men’s Royal Rumble match, and Liv Morgan won the women’s Royal Rumble match. Drew McIntyre defeated Sami Zayn to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. Gunther defeated AJ Styles in a career match, forcing Styles to retire.

Why it matters

Royal Rumble 2026 was notable as the first Royal Rumble held outside North America, marking a shift in WWE’s global event strategy. The results set the stage for WrestleMania 42, with Reigns and Morgan earning title shots. Canadian viewers could watch via WWE’s international streaming distribution.

In short

  • Held January 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — first Royal Rumble outside North America.
  • Roman Reigns won the men’s Royal Rumble; Liv Morgan won the women’s.
  • Drew McIntyre retained the Undisputed WWE Championship; Gunther forced AJ Styles to retire.
  • Event was part of the 2025–2026 Riyadh Season.
Canadian angle

The event was available to Canadian wrestling fans through WWE’s international streaming distribution, and its results shaped the road to WrestleMania 42, which is of broad interest to Canadian viewers following WWE.

Quick questions

When and where was Royal Rumble 2026 held?
It was held on January 31, 2026, at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Who won the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches?
Roman Reigns won the men’s match, and Liv Morgan won the women’s match.
Why was Royal Rumble 2026 historically significant?
It was the first Royal Rumble event held outside North America.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Rumble_(2026)
    Supports: Date, venue, city, country, annual edition, and branding as Royal Rumble: Riyadh.
  2. WWE — https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/royal-rumble-2026
    Supports: Official event highlights and match winners including Roman Reigns, Liv Morgan, Drew McIntyre, and Gunther.
  3. Netflix Tudum — https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/wwe-royal-rumble-2026-date-news-card-matches
    Supports: Venue location, event results, and reported match outcomes.
  4. ESPN — https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/47701110/when-wwe-royal-rumble-2026-how-watch-espn
    Supports: Date, start time, and WrestleMania 42 implications of the Royal Rumble winners.