Imagine sitting in a stadium and watching your favorite sports live. The thrill, the adrenaline rush when you cheer for your favorite player. The emotion you feel throughout the event is surreal. And when it’s one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the feelings are overwhelming, it’s like a dream come true for a sports fan.
In this article, we have listed down the top 10 biggest sporting events in the world for you to add to your bucket list and watch live at least once.
| Sporting Event | Started in |
| FIFA World Cup | 1930 |
| Olympic Games | 1896 |
| Super Bowl | 1967 |
| Wimbledon Championships | 1877 |
| Tour de France | 1903 |
| Cricket World Cup | 1975 |
| Rugby World Cup | 1987 |
| Formula 1 Grand Prix | 1950 |
| NBA Finals | 1947 |
| The Masters Golf Tournament | 1934 |
1. FIFA World Cup
In every four years, football teams from over 200 countries compete for the honor of hoisting the FIFA world cup trophy. The FIFA World Cup was founded in 1930 and is one of the renowned sporting events. It is an international association football competition between the senior men’s national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport’s global governing body. The FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious tournament and mostly viewed event in the world. Seventeen countries have hosted the event, with Qatar being the most recent in 2022. This is one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
2. Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a huge sports event that happens every four years. It brings people together and celebrates how strong and determined humans can be. Over thousands of athletes compete in various forms of sports competitions. It is popular not just for its grandeur status but also for its iconic five-ring symbol.
The creation of the Olympic games was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, held in Olympia, Greece from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. A whole lot of talented folks participate from over the world, so it is regarded as one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
3. Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. It is a significant event in the United States, attracting millions of viewers. The game is hosted by a different city each year, and it has become a national holiday of sorts, with many people hosting Super Bowl parties or watching the game at bars and restaurants.
The first Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967, between the AFL (Kansas City Chiefs) and the NFL champion (Green Bay Packers). The game was originally called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. Later, the term “Super Bowl” was proposed to refer to the championship game. Since then, the Super Bowl has become one of the most recognizable American traditions. Each Super Bowl game has its own MVP (Most Valuable Player), who is typically a standout performer in the game. For the United States, it is one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
4. Wimbledon Championships
It is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is regarded as the most prestigious by many people. It has been held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is played on outdoor grass courts, with retractable roofs over the two main courts since 2019.
It is one of the four grand slam tournaments and is the only major that is played on grass, which is the traditional tennis playing surface. Traditionally, it takes place over two weeks in late June and early July. The traditions of Wimbledon include a strict all-white dress code for competitors and royal patronage. Strawberries and cream are traditionally consumed at the tournament.
5. Tour de France
It is an annual men’s multiple-stage bicycle race and is the most prestigious and challenging. It is one of the three major races in professional cycling, along with the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España. It attracts the best riders from around the world and is held annually for three weeks in July. The race typically includes 20 professional teams, each consisting of 9 riders. The total distance covered in the Tour de France is around 3,600 km (2,235 miles), mainly in France, with occasional visits to other countries such as Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
This event is known for its challenging terrain, which includes both time-trial racing and racing stages. It is considered one of the supreme tests of athletic endurance and is watched by huge crowds along the roadside. The race is also televised worldwide, further highlighting its global popularity. The Tour de France in 2024 will have a different finale in Nice instead of Paris due to the Summer Olympics in Paris. The race will start in Florence, Italy, and feature challenging terrains in the Alps, with a mountain-stage conclusion at the Col de la Couillole. This is a much recognized race globally, and is one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
6. Cricket World Cup
The first Cricket World Cup was held in 1975 in England and consisted of a series of one-day matches with 60 overs per side. Since then, the tournament has evolved, with changes in format and rules. In 1987, the number of overs per side was reduced to 50. It is an international cricket championship held every four years and is considered the premier contest in one-day cricket. The tournament features teams from around the world competing for the title.
The Cricket World Cup has seen many amazing moments. Sunil Valson of India is the only player to have won a World Cup without playing an international match. Chetan Sharma is known as the “World Cup hat-trick man” for being the first person to clean bowl three batsmen in a World Cup match.
The oldest cricketer to play in a Cricket World Cup was Nolan Clarke from the Netherlands, who participated in the 1996 tournament at the age of 47 years and 257 days. Kepler Wessels is the first player to represent two countries in ODI history. He played for Australia from 1982 to 1985 and later represented South Africa in 1991. All these famous figures make it the biggest sporting events in the world.
7. Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union tournament held every four years. It is a high-level event in the sport of rugby and features teams from around the world competing for the prestigious Webb Ellis Cup. The first Rugby World Cup was held in 1987 in Australia and New Zealand. Since then, the tournament has grown in popularity and significance, attracting a global audience and showcasing the best talent in the sport.
The most recent edition of the tournament was held in Japan in 2019, marking the first time it was hosted in Asia. The Rugby World Cup is organized by World Rugby, the global governing body for the sport. The tournament follows a format where teams compete in a series of matches, including pool stages, knockout rounds, and ultimately culminating in a final to determine the world champion. Known as a violent sport, it is also one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
8. Formula 1 Grand Prix
Formula 1 Grand Prix is the premier international championship for single-seater auto racing. It is considered the very best of motorsport and features the world’s best drivers competing in high-performance cars. The championship is organized by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and consists of a series of races held around the world.
The Formula 1 World Championship began in 1950 and has since become one of the most prestigious and widely followed sporting events globally. The championship consists of a series of races called the Grand Prix, which take place on various circuits, including purpose-built tracks, street circuits, and historic venues. The format of a Grand Prix weekend typically includes practice sessions, qualifying sessions, and the race itself.
9. NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where the best teams from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference compete for the NBA title. The series is played under a best-of-seven playoff format, with the team winning four games first being crowned the champion.
It started in 1950 with the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). The series has undergone name changes over the years, including the NBA World Championship Series and the Showdown, before settling on the NBA Finals in 1986.
10. The Masters Golf Tournament
The Masters Tournament, commonly referred to as The Masters, is one of the four major championships in professional golf. It is held annually in Augusta, Georgia, at the Augusta National Golf Club. The tournament is the first major championship of the year and is scheduled for the first full week of April. The Masters Tournament has a rich history dating back to its inception in 1934. Bobby Jones, a legendary golfer, and Clifford Roberts, an investment banker, founded the tournament with the vision of creating a challenging course that would showcase the natural beauty of the area. The Augusta National Golf Club was designed by Jones and Alister MacKenzie and opened in 1932.
The tournament follows a stroke play format, where players compete over four rounds of golf. The field consists of the world’s top professional golfers, as well as amateur players who have earned invitations. The winner of The Masters receives the iconic Green Jacket, which has become synonymous with the tournament.
These were the top 10 biggest sporting events in the world that you don’t want to miss out on, whether it be watching on television or traveling to the destination to absorb the beauty of the grand event live.
