Ever wonder what sports fans in the US, UK, Canada and Australia are actually typing into Google on a Sunday? Today, 18 October 2026, the answer is: a lot. College football had one of its wildest Saturdays in years, the MLB playoffs are down to the final stretch, the NFL has landed in London again and the Rugby League World Cup is in full swing down under. Here are the top sports searches today and what’s behind each one. Canadian fans share much of the US appetite for the NFL, MLB and NBA, so many of these stories travel north too.
College Football: Auburn vs Georgia and a Week of Upsets
The Google Trends chart said it all. ‘Auburn vs Georgia’ passed a million searches, while Tennessee vs Alabama and Florida State vs Miami each topped 500,000. Fans wanted to know how the top of the rankings got scrambled.
Auburn beat No. 1 Georgia 27-24 on a 34-yard walk-off field goal by Alex McPherson. Georgia, Texas and Alabama all lost on the same day, which hasn’t happened since 1966, according to Fox Sports. Ohio State survived Indiana, though an injury to quarterback Julian Sayin changed the conversation, and Florida came back to beat Texas. Jeremiah Smith, meanwhile, remains the heavy Heisman favourite in the odds.
MLB Playoffs: Brewers Roll On, ALCS Is Level
The Milwaukee Brewers swept the Dodgers in the NLCS, ending Los Angeles’ bid for a three-peat and sending Milwaukee to the World Series. Jake Bauers was named NLCS MVP. In the American League, the Rays beat the Guardians in Game 4, after a rain postponement, to level the ALCS. Oddsmakers now have the Brewers as World Series favourites after the sweep.
NFL Week 6: London Calling Again
For UK fans, the big search is the NFL’s last London game of the season: Texans vs Jaguars at Wembley, with a 2:30 pm local kick-off. Jacksonville (4-1) are finishing a back-to-back stint in London, while Houston (1-4) arrived looking for a spark, according to the Jaguars’ official site. Back in the States, Bears fans were glued to Caleb Williams’ injury status ahead of the Falcons game.
Premier League: Leeds vs Manchester United
Leeds hosted Manchester United at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon. Leeds’ unbeaten start ended with a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal, while United arrived after a 2-0 Champions League loss at Atlético Madrid. Leeds also won the last meeting 2-1 back in April. We didn’t have the final score when this was published, so check the official Premier League site. If you missed Wednesday’s Champions League drama, read our Man City 2-4 PSG match report.
Rugby League World Cup: Australia’s Big Night
Aussie fans are glued to the Rugby League World Cup, which began on 15 October. Australia beat New Zealand in the opener in Sydney, coming back from behind several times, and Jack Bostock sealed it in the final minutes with his third try on his Kangaroos debut. More than 40,000 fans turned up, the biggest Test crowd in Sydney in 50 years, per this match report. Australia play Fiji at Suncorp Stadium on 25 October, and the final is on 15 November.
NBA Is Almost Here
With the 2026-27 season about to tip off, fans are hunting for title odds. Oddsmakers have the Spurs and Thunder as Finals favourites, and Victor Wembanyama leads the MVP market ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić. We covered the key dates and contenders in our NBA 2026-27 season preview.
Why Do These Searches Spike?
Fans usually search ‘X vs Y’ right after a shock result, and again before kick-off. Time zones matter too: Australians search overnight, the UK around lunch and the US East Coast in the morning. New to some of these sports? Start with our guide to the top 10 most popular sports in the world.
Quick FAQ
What are the most searched sports today?
College football (especially Auburn vs Georgia), the MLB playoffs, NFL Week 6 including the Wembley game, the Premier League and the Rugby League World Cup.
Which big events are on 18 October 2026?
Texans vs Jaguars in London, Leeds vs Manchester United, more NFL Week 6 games and a Rugby League World Cup match in Newcastle, Australia.
Information is accurate as of Sunday 18 October 2026 and may change as scores come in. Images are illustrative stock photos from Unsplash (photographers: Patrick Ogilvie, Matt Dodd, Billy Brodzinski) and do not show the events described.