The Winter Olympics are in the rear-view mirror now — the medals packed away, the snow settling back into the mountains — but sport, as ever, barely pauses for breath. Seasons turn, engines fire, and old rivalries sharpen.
I’m Ossian Shine, Global Sports Editor for Reuters, and each week I’ll guide you through what matters next — the storylines, the stakes and the subplots worth your time in the days ahead.
Coming up this week: Thailand hosts MotoGP’s season opener; Alpine skiers chase crystal globes across Soldeu and Garmisch; and stadiums from Dortmund to Soweto brace for rivalry-charged showdowns.
Here’s your inside track to the action:
MOTORCYCLING
Thailand ignites MotoGP’s last 1,000cc roar
MotoGP doesn’t do quiet seasons, but 2026 feels particularly transitional — a championship suspended between what it has been and what it is about to become. On Saturday, Thailand opens a 22-race campaign that also marks the closing chapter of the sport’s 1,000cc bike era. From 2027, the top class trims down to smaller, 850cc engines — a move designed to slow top speeds down as bikes threaten to outgrow circuits, and encourage closer racing.
Reigning champion Marc Marquez enters 2026 carrying both his seventh MotoGP crown and the weight of a season-ending injury — another reminder of the physical toll that has defined much of his career. After years of arm and shoulder trauma, every crash now carries consequences, making risk management as crucial as outright aggression over the long haul.
His younger brother, Alex Marquez, stepped out of Marc’s shadow last year when he finished runner-up with Gresini Racing, establishing himself as a consistent front-runner capable of winning races and sustaining a title challenge.
A strong start and a steady campaign would not only reinforce his status as a contender but also elevate him into the centre of the rider conversation for the next era.
Thailand Grand Prix, Buriram, Thailand — February 27 – March 1
ALPINE SKIING
With Vonn sidelined, skiing’s elite hurtle from Olympics to World Cup showdown
As the Milano Cortina Olympics recede into the distance — and U.S. great Lindsey Vonn embarks on the long road to recovery after repeated leg surgery — the world’s top skiers do what they do best: go skiing again.
There are still World Cup crystal globes to be won and the men and women are back in action this weekend in Germany and Andorra, respectively.
Vonn still leads the women’s downhill standings, but she cannot defend her 144-point lead over Germany’s Emma Aicher, a double silver medallist in Cortina who now looks the favourite to claim the season title.
American Breezy Johnson — now the world and Olympic downhill champion — will be seeking her first World Cup win to cap what has already been a landmark year.
The women race a downhill on Friday and two super-Gs on Saturday and Sunday in Soldeu. The men, meanwhile, are racing downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Saturday followed by a super-G on Sunday. Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt leads the downhill, super-G and overall World Cup standings.
FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany and Soldeu, Andorra — February 25 – March 1
SOCCER
Der Klassiker arrives as Dortmund run out of hiding places
Some matches nudge a season along. Others pull back the curtain and leave nowhere to hide. Saturday at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park feels very much like the latter for the second-place hosts Borussia Dortmund, who go into Der Klassiker — German football’s biggest rivalry — eight points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Those eight points are tangible evidence of the late goals conceded and missed moments that felt minor in October but will start to look terminal come March.
Dortmund’s crushing midweek exit to Atalanta in the Champions League removed their last hiding place of the season. Europe had been cast as Dortmund’s stage — one where their speed and swagger could still unsettle anyone. Instead, a 4-1 second-leg defeat in Italy offered a familiar reminder that energy and footballing bombast can get you places, just not always where you want to be.
Which is why Saturday’s game against the aristocrats of German football takes on even more weight. Win, and the arithmetic tightens and belief can breathe again. Draw, and hope starts to feel theoretical. Lose, and one suspects Bayern can begin ordering the red and white ticker tape for another procession.
Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich, Bundesliga, Dortmund, Germany — February 28
Old giants collide as South Africa’s defining derby returns
The Soweto Derby remains South Africa’s great sporting occasion — bigger, noisier and more emotionally loaded than anything else on the calendar. On Saturday, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs fill the vast bowl of Soccer City once more. The backdrop is familiar but newly charged: both are trying to loosen Mamelodi Sundowns’ grip on the Premier Soccer League after eight straight titles, with a ninth looming. Sundowns have set the modern standard; this season, at least, the old giants are pushing back.
Pirates sit level on points and trail only on goals scored, knowing a draw would lift them top again. Chiefs have more ground to make up but remain within reach. The mathematics matter, yet the derby has never been governed solely by arithmetic. Across the country, loyalties still divide along black and gold, inherited or rebelliously chosen.
Pirates, formed in 1937, are Soweto’s original club. Chiefs emerged in 1970 when Kaizer Motaung, inspired by his time with the Atlanta Chiefs in the NASL, broke away and built what became the “Glamour Boys” — a powerhouse during apartheid-era football and, for decades, the country’s dominant force.
This will be their 184th meeting, with 94,000 seats gone in hours. Rugby may hold the nation’s global trophies, but football still holds its pulse.
Orlando Pirates v Kaizer Chiefs, Soweto, South Africa — February 28
EXTRA TIME
What else we’re watching
Soccer: The World Cup trophy arrives in Guadalajara on Sunday, days after violent unrest followed the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Celebrations will unfold under a tense backdrop as organisers seek to reassure fans ahead of the 2026 tournament.
Basketball: The Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors on Saturday in a pivotal Pacific Division clash, with playoff positioning tightening and both teams chasing momentum as LeBron James and Stephen Curry renew their rivalry.
Sailing: SailGP’s 2026 season returns to Sydney Harbour for its third round, with 11 F50 teams battling for points. Twilight racing debuts amid unpredictable winds and tight channels, as home favourites Australia chase glory.
Ice hockey: The Pittsburgh Penguins visit the New York Rangers on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Playoff-chasing Pittsburgh aim to maintain momentum in the Eastern Conference, while the Rangers seek a home win despite slipping out of postseason contention.
Soccer: The sport’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), meets in Hensol, Wales, for its annual general meeting, where officials will review the Laws of the Game ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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Editing by Yasmeen Serhan and Toby Chopra; Visual Production by Jeremy Schultz