How To Watch WWE Royal Rumble 2026: Date, Start Time, Match Card, Location & Stream

The road to WrestleMania 42 begins in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the 39th annual Royal Rumble Premium Live Event on Saturday, January 31.

It was Jey Uso who shocked the world this past February when he shoved John Cena off the ring apron and won the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble Match. He would go on to challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41, where he again stunned the WWE Universe by forcing The Ring General to tap out.

Even though she came up short in her bid to defeat Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship at the 'Showcase of the Immortals', Charlotte Flair made history last year by becoming the first two-time winner of the Women's Royal Rumble Match.

Which two Superstars will punch their tickets to WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas when the men's and women's over-the-top rope challenges take place outside of North America for the first time ever? Perhaps Cody Rhodes will emerge to make some history of his own.

The American Nightmare missed out on the opportunity to win three consecutive Royal Rumble Matches in 2025, a feat that's never been accomplished before, but for a good reason. He was the WWE Champion at the time. Thanks to Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu, that's no longer the case.

The Scottish Warrior defeated Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell Match to win the third WWE Title of his career, and he worked in a secret no-rematch clause into the contract language beforehand. That has now left Cody with no other choice than to head to Saudi Arabia to earn another opportunity at the WWE Championship the old-fashioned way.

MORE: Every WWE Royal Rumble Winner, Ranked

If Rhodes is able to outlast 29 other men, he will tie WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin with the most Men's Royal Rumble Match victories in company history.

As for Drew McIntyre, he'll be defending his newly won WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble against Sami Zayn.

The Underdog from the Underground defeated Randy Orton, Damian Priest, Trick Williams in a Fatal 4-Way Match at Saturday Night's Main Event to become the No. 1 Contender.

This year's Royal Rumble could also mark the end of AJ Styles' professional wrestling career. The former WWE Champion has vowed to beat Gunther or retire from WWE earlier than he may have intended. Will the career killer add another name to his trophy case alongside Goldberg and John Cena? We'll find out at the end of the month.

Here's everything we currently know about this year's Royal Rumble. Check back for updates as more matches are announced in the coming weeks.

WWE Royal Rumble date:

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

WWE Royal Rumble time:

Time: 2 p.m. EST

WWE Royal Rumble location:

Location: KAFD, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

How to watch the WWE Royal Rumble:

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited. Also available via paid ESPN subscriptions with Fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV Streaming, Spectrum TV and Verizon in the United States. International streaming available on Netflix.

WWE Royal Rumble Match Card (Announced):

The 2026 Men's Royal Rumble Match: Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Jey Uso, Gunther, Rey Mysterio, Jacob Fatu, Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, Bronson Reed, Austin Theory, Dragon Lee, Penta, Je'Von Evans, Oba Femi and Solo Sikoa have declared for the match.

The 2025 Women's Royal Rumble Match: Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Liv Morgan, Roxanne Perez, Raquel Rodriguez, Bayley, Lyra Valkyria, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Jordynne Grace, Chelsea Green, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Lash Legend, Nia Jax and Giulia have all declared for the match.

Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship

Gunther vs. AJ Styles - if Styles loses, then he must retire from WWE

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