Quick Read
- The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble takes place on Saturday, January 31, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- It marks the first time the iconic event has been held outside North America.
- Winners of the 30-man and 30-woman Royal Rumble matches earn a main event title shot at WrestleMania 42.
- Confirmed participants include Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, and Charlotte Flair.
- AJ Styles will face Gunther in a career-threatening match.
RIYADH (Azat TV) – The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will host its 2026 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event on Saturday, January 31, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking a significant milestone as the iconic event ventures outside North America for the first time. This highly anticipated show serves as the official kickoff for the “Road to WrestleMania 42,” where the winners of both the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches will earn the coveted opportunity to main-event the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment.
Historic International Debut and Broadcast Details
The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble is set to electrify the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, a pivotal location for WWE’s expanding global footprint. Scheduled for Saturday, January 31, the event will begin at 7 p.m. GMT, a notably convenient time for European audiences, including fans in the United Kingdom, who are typically accustomed to watching live WWE events in the early hours of the morning. This timing translates to a 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT start for North American viewers, ensuring broad accessibility.
For fans in the UK, the event will be exclusively available for live streaming and replays via Netflix, requiring a subscription starting at £5.99. In the United States, ESPN will broadcast the Royal Rumble, further solidifying its reach across major sports platforms. This international staging underscores WWE’s strategic efforts to broaden its audience and bring its premier events to new territories, building on previous engagements in Saudi Arabia such as the “Greatest Royal Rumble” held in Jeddah in 2018, which featured a 50-man exhibition match won by Braun Strowman, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
High-Stakes Matches and Confirmed Entrants
Beyond the two titular Royal Rumble matches, the card features several high-profile bouts with significant implications. Drew McIntyre is slated to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against a challenger yet to be determined, who will emerge from a fatal-four-way match at “Saturday Night’s Main Event.”
One of the most dramatic contests announced is a career-threatening match between AJ Styles and Gunther. Under the stipulated terms, Styles must retire from active competition if he loses, adding immense personal stakes to an already intense rivalry. These matches promise to deliver compelling narratives and athletic showcases alongside the chaos and unpredictability of the Royal Rumble itself.
The Royal Rumble matches, each featuring 30 competitors, will see participants enter the ring at timed intervals, aiming to eliminate opponents by tossing them over the top rope until only one remains. While the full list of 30 entrants for both the men’s and women’s matches will continue to fill up in the days leading to the event, and surprise entrants are a hallmark of the Royal Rumble, several prominent names have already been confirmed by ESPN and Yahoo Sports:
Men’s Royal Rumble (Confirmed Entrants):
- Cody Rhodes
- Gunther
- Jey Uso
- Penta
- Dragon Lee
- Rey Mysterio
- Solo Sikoa
- R-Truth
- Roman Reigns
Women’s Royal Rumble (Confirmed Entrants):
- Liv Morgan
- Raquel Rodriguez
- Roxanne Perez
- Rhea Ripley
- IYO SKY
- Asuka
- Bayley
- Lyra Valkyria
- Charlotte Flair
- Alexa Bliss
- Chelsea Green
- Jordynne Grace
- Giulia
- Nia Jax
- Lash Legend
The Road to WrestleMania 42 Begins
The significance of winning a Royal Rumble match cannot be overstated. Each victor earns a guaranteed main event championship opportunity at WrestleMania 42, giving them the right to challenge any reigning world champion of their choosing. This direct path to the grandest stage of them all makes the Royal Rumble one of the most coveted victories in professional wrestling, setting the tone for the entire year’s storylines.
This year’s event marks the 33rd installment of the men’s Royal Rumble match and the ninth for the women. Throughout its history, the Royal Rumble has been a stage for unforgettable moments, including unexpected returns and pivotal debuts. Notable instances cited by Yahoo Sports include Edge’s dramatic return in 2020, AJ Styles’ memorable WWE debut in 2016, and the returns of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss last year, underscoring the event’s capacity for generating buzz and shaping careers.
The decision to host the 2026 Royal Rumble in Riyadh represents a strategic acceleration of WWE’s international expansion, not merely as a one-off event but as a foundational step in integrating major pay-per-views into new global markets, thereby diversifying its revenue streams and amplifying its brand presence beyond traditional North American strongholds.