The UFC promoted Ciryl Gane to undisputed heavyweight champion on September 19 and booked his first defense against Josh Hokit for UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden - a day after Dana White dismissed the idea.
Real Madrid beat Santiago Wanderers 3-1 at the Bernabeu on 19 September 2026 to take the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup for the first time, before a competition-record crowd of 52,117. Wanderers finished with eight men.
Dawit Seare outkicked Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the final metres of the world 5km road title race in Copenhagen on 19 September, winning in an Eritrean record 12:56 to the Norwegian's national-record 12:59.
Flamengo's 1-1 draw with Independiente del Valle on 17 September completed the Copa Libertadores last four: Fluminense play Palmeiras, Estudiantes face Flamengo, with the final set for 28 November in Montevideo.
Besiktas opened the 2026/27 Europa League league phase by beating Marseille 4-1 in Istanbul on 17 September 2026, a fourth consecutive defeat for Bruno Genesio's side days before Le Classique against PSG.
Sunderland ended a 53-year absence from European football on 16 September 2026, beating AZ Alkmaar 1-0 at the Stadium of Light through Enzo Le Fée's 66th-minute penalty in their Europa League league phase opener.
Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 on September 13 to win his first US Open and a second major of 2026. The loss extends the American men's Grand Slam drought to 23 years.
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall said on 14 September 2026 he is vacating the title because eye complications leave him unable to get medical clearance. Interim champion Ciryl Gane is expected to be elevated.
Ben Shelton beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in a quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m. ET on September 9, 2026, the latest finish in US Open history. His September 11 semifinal against Frances Tiafoe put an American two wins from the first US men's title in New York since 2003.
Kimi Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid, becoming the first Italian to win at Monza since 1966.
Manchester City have agreed a £125m fee with Chelsea for Enzo Fernández on deadline day, matching the British transfer record Liverpool set for Alexander Isak. The deal is agreed but not complete, with a medical still to come.
Alex Bregman hit three homers as the Chicago Cubs blasted a franchise-record nine home runs in a 17-3 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, ending 21 years with Argentina. He leaves as its all-time leading scorer with 125 goals in 207 games, and will keep playing for Inter Miami.
Novak Djokovic, visibly unwell, lost his opening match at the US Open for the first time, falling in five sets to Argentina's Mariano Navone.
The 2026-27 Europa League and Conference League phase draws were held in Monaco, sending Besiktas up against Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen and Celtic, while Trabzonspor dropped into the Conference League against Freiburg and Red Star Belgrade.
UEFA's 2026/27 Champions League league phase draw in Monaco pits PSG against Barcelona and Manchester City, Real Madrid against Arsenal and Inter Milan, and Manchester United against Bayern Munich in a rerun of the 1999 final.
Serena and Venus Williams received a wild card into US Open women's doubles, their ninth appearance together at the tournament and first since 2022.