Updated 2026 WWE Royal Rumble Card and Predictions for Match Order

The road to WrestleMania 42 starts Saturday with the Royal Rumble, which is set to take place in Saudi Arabia for the first time ever.

In a pair of Royal Rumble matches, 30 men and 30 women will vie for the opportunity to vie for a world championship in one of the main events of WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.

In addition to the titular Rumble matches, Saturday's premium live event will feature Drew McIntyre defending the WWE Championship against Sami Zayn and AJ Styles putting his career on the line against Gunther.

Here is everything you need to know in advance of the Royal Rumble, including a rundown of the card and predictions for the match order.

Where: King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

When: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN Unlimited

Royal Rumble 2026 Card and Projected Match Order

• Women's Royal Rumble Match (Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, Roxanne Perez, Raquel Rodriguez, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Bayley, Lyra Valkyria, Chelsea Green, Jordynne Grace, Nia Jax, Lash Legend, Giulia, Maxxine Dupri, TBA)
• Gunther vs. AJ Styles
• WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Sami Zayn
• Men's Royal Rumble Match (Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Brock Lesnar, Gunther, Jey Uso, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Austin Theory, Rey Mysterio, Penta, Dragon Lee, Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa, Oba Femi, Je'Von Evans, Randy Orton, TBA)

Top Royal Rumble 2026 Matches to Watch

Men's Royal Rumble Match

The 2026 men's Royal Rumble match will feature an interesting mix of past winners and up-and-comers on the verge of breaking through.

Roman Reigns is arguably the person to beat, as he is set to make his return to WWE programming for the first time since Survivor Series in November. However, Cody Rhodes is also in the mix, as he attempts to win his third Royal Rumble in four years.

Gunther is a top contender as well after coming close to winning the Rumble on a couple of previous occasions.

In terms of younger stars, both Bron Breakker and Oba Femi have been presented as dominant performers on the verge of entering the main event scene and potentially becoming world champion in the near future.

Winning the Rumble would cement their status and put them on the level of established stars such as Reigns and Rhodes.

There are seemingly multiple directions WWE can go in when it comes to booking the men's Rumble, and that unpredictability should make it an exciting one.

Women's Royal Rumble Match

As tough as the men's Royal Rumble is to predict, it can be argued that the 2026 women's Royal Rumble is even more of a crapshoot.

No shortage of big names will be involved, including past winners such as Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Asuka, Bayley and Rhea Ripley, but none of them necessarily feel like top contenders to win given where they stand currently.

If a first-time winner is going to break through, Liv Morgan may be the likeliest candidate, as she has finished as the runner-up in the women's Rumble on two separate occasions.

The looming possibility of both Bianca Belair and Tiffany Stratton returning from injury could be a factor, as either of them would be among the top choices to win if they are in the match.

Belair, who is a one-time Rumble winner, would be a particularly inspired pick since she has not had a match since last year's WrestleMania, and winning the Royal Rumble would instantly put her back where she belongs near the top of the card.

There is no guarantee she will be in the Rumble, though, meaning a completely unexpected winner remains a real possibility.

Gunther vs. AJ Styles

On Saturday, AJ Styles will wrestle what could prove to be the final match of his illustrious career.

After recently losing a match to Gunther on Raw when The Ring General outsmarted the referee, The Phenomenal One was desperate to get another opportunity to beat Gunther.

While he initially resisted, Gunther agreed to a rematch, but only if Styles was willing to put his career on the line. Despite the high stakes, Styles agreed to Gunther's terms.

Over the past couple of weeks, Styles has had matches against past rivals such as Shinsuke Nakamura and CM Punk, which makes it feel like he may indeed be winding down and preparing to ride off into the sunset.

Styles made it clear last year what 2026 would be the final year of his career, and while most fans took that to mean he would stay until the end of 2026, that may not be the case.

Regardless of the result, Gunther vs. Styles promises to be a special match, and it could even steal the show on a card that includes two Rumble matches.