diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 68b1c7d356c866a2c495e322b873459b06ff0b69..e87b1a64f78d1c910de32649bb0c2ef9b4966f70 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ Note: Upstart/SysV init based OS types are not supported.
   - [cri-o](http://cri-o.io/) v1.27 (experimental: see [CRI-O Note](docs/cri-o.md). Only on fedora, ubuntu and centos based OS)
 - Network Plugin
   - [cni-plugins](https://github.com/containernetworking/plugins) v1.2.0
-  - [calico](https://github.com/projectcalico/calico) v3.25.2
+  - [calico](https://github.com/projectcalico/calico) v3.26.1
   - [cilium](https://github.com/cilium/cilium) v1.13.4
   - [flannel](https://github.com/flannel-io/flannel) v0.22.0
   - [kube-ovn](https://github.com/alauda/kube-ovn) v1.11.5
diff --git a/roles/download/defaults/main/main.yml b/roles/download/defaults/main/main.yml
index 2211162839e49e4cc9004a399fe0e74ad38baab6..64f3d767fbf0818f448377d63892eedc53983a1d 100644
--- a/roles/download/defaults/main/main.yml
+++ b/roles/download/defaults/main/main.yml
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ github_image_repo: "ghcr.io"
 
 # TODO(mattymo): Move calico versions to roles/network_plugins/calico/defaults
 # after migration to container download
-calico_version: "v3.25.2"
+calico_version: "v3.26.1"
 calico_ctl_version: "{{ calico_version }}"
 calico_cni_version: "{{ calico_version }}"
 calico_flexvol_version: "{{ calico_version }}"
diff --git a/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-cr.yml.j2 b/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-cr.yml.j2
index 2e379a364b85f093ac1e5afc1cf7e70c7352933d..d00c9e9a72fedc56bc1d5bb697203b3fe546e77b 100644
--- a/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-cr.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-cr.yml.j2
@@ -1,6 +1,39 @@
 ---
 kind: ClusterRole
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+metadata:
+  name: calico-cni-plugin
+rules:
+  - apiGroups: [""]
+    resources:
+      - pods
+      - nodes
+      - namespaces
+    verbs:
+      - get
+  - apiGroups: [""]
+    resources:
+      - pods/status
+    verbs:
+      - patch
+  - apiGroups: ["crd.projectcalico.org"]
+    resources:
+      - blockaffinities
+      - ipamblocks
+      - ipamhandles
+      - clusterinformations
+      - ippools
+      - ipreservations
+      - ipamconfigs
+    verbs:
+      - get
+      - list
+      - create
+      - update
+      - delete
+---
+kind: ClusterRole
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 metadata:
   name: calico-node
   namespace: kube-system
@@ -78,6 +111,7 @@ rules:
       - globalfelixconfigs
       - felixconfigurations
       - bgppeers
+      - bgpfilters
       - globalbgpconfigs
       - bgpconfigurations
       - ippools
@@ -164,6 +198,6 @@ rules:
     resources:
       - serviceaccounts/token
     resourceNames:
-      - calico-node
+      - calico-cni-plugin
     verbs:
       - create
diff --git a/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-crb.yml.j2 b/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-crb.yml.j2
index f747bfd18171a0bd9d89ee78e87c5c92b0b050e9..add99ba5253a70186c3f7c86be01429d369855b9 100644
--- a/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-crb.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-crb.yml.j2
@@ -11,3 +11,18 @@ subjects:
 - kind: ServiceAccount
   name: calico-node
   namespace: kube-system
+
+---
+
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+kind: ClusterRoleBinding
+metadata:
+  name: calico-cni-plugin
+roleRef:
+  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
+  kind: ClusterRole
+  name: calico-cni-plugin
+subjects:
+- kind: ServiceAccount
+  name: calico-cni-plugin
+  namespace: kube-system
diff --git a/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-node-sa.yml.j2 b/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-node-sa.yml.j2
index ea721b3f3d8f28c28205e85f55add543116c0051..07433039bdd8b9ee99c425e04dd320c20fab7e11 100644
--- a/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-node-sa.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/network_plugin/calico/templates/calico-node-sa.yml.j2
@@ -4,3 +4,10 @@ kind: ServiceAccount
 metadata:
   name: calico-node
   namespace: kube-system
+
+---
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: ServiceAccount
+metadata:
+  name: calico-cni-plugin
+  namespace: kube-system