Royal Rumble 2026: Liv Morgan wins as WWE heads to Riyadh

Introduction

The royal rumble remains one of WWE’s most important annual events, produced since 1988 and now a cornerstone of the company’s calendar. The 2026 edition is especially significant: held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it is the first Royal Rumble conducted outside North America and officially begins the road to WrestleMania 42. With winners of the men’s and women’s 30-person matches earning championship opportunities in Las Vegas, the event has immediate implications for WWE’s title picture and fan engagement worldwide.

Main body

Event overview

Royal Rumble 2026 featured a four-match card and served as the first of WWE’s “Big Four” premium live events for the year. The show was headlined by two traditional 30-person Royal Rumble matches — one for men and one for women — with the victors receiving championship matches at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas in April. The card also included a defence of the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Undisputed Championship and in-ring action

Drew McIntyre defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn. Zayn earned the title opportunity by winning last weekend’s Fatal 4-Way on Saturday Night’s Main Event, making him an overwhelming crowd favourite in Riyadh. Other in-ring moments noted from coverage included a tense exchange between Styles and Gunther, where “The Ring General” set up a superplex, but Styles escaped and later delivered a powerbomb for a near-fall.

Men’s Royal Rumble highlights

The men’s 30-person match produced several standout moments. Coverage and highlight packages called out names such as Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Oba Femi and Bron Breakker among the match’s notable entrants, contributing to an event described as unforgettable by some outlets.

Women’s Royal Rumble

In the women’s 30-person Royal Rumble match, Liv Morgan emerged as the winner, with Tiffany Stratton finishing second. Morgan’s victory secures her a championship match at WrestleMania 42 and positions her as a central figure in the promotion’s upcoming storyline build towards April.

Conclusion

Royal Rumble 2026 marked a historic geographical shift for WWE, staging the long-running match format in Riyadh for the first time. With Liv Morgan crowned in the women’s Rumble and high-profile performances in the men’s match, the event set concrete stakes heading into WrestleMania 42. Fans and analysts will be watching how title matches and rivalries coming out of Riyadh influence WWE’s creative direction in the coming months.