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What are the biggest sporting events in the world? I answer this question in this article by highlighting the most popular competitions from various sports. The list was based on popularity, prize pools, prestige, cultural impact, and other important factors.
You can count yourself lucky if you can attend at least a few of these in your lifetime and the experience will be mesmerizing.
The FIFA World Cup
- Frequency: 4 Years
- Location: Various
- Sport: Soccer
The FIFA World Cup is played every four years in both men’s and women’s competitions. The tournament itself takes an entire month to unfold before the final match takes place. It involves 32 countries that’re battling it out for supremacy in the soccer world.
The passion from the fans is absolutely undeniable during the tournament and you will see insane scenes every time.
When the World Cup is playing, the entire world is watching. The viewership for each is always in the billions and the tournament history is full of exciting moments.
The first-ever FIFA World Cup took place in 1930 in Uruguay. The host nation won the championship game against Argentina and the U.S. finished in third place.
The success of the Olympic soccer tournaments was a big reason why the World Cup was created, and it remains the biggest competition in the sport up to this day.
The Olympic Games
- Frequency: 4 Years
- Location: Various
- Sport: Multi-Sport
Here’s another one of the biggest world sporting events in terms of viewership and cultural relevance. The Olympic Games feature the world’s greatest athletes in many different disciplines who’re competing for the ultimate bragging rights.
Many memorable moments have happened at the Olympic Games over the years. Most notably, the U.S. men’s hockey team pulled off an unbelievable upset over the Soviet Union in 1980, also known as the Miracle on Ice.
The Olympic Games are no stranger to controversy either. This includes briberies, boycotts, doping allegations, and a terrorist massacre that occurred at the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany. Oh, and there’s the Tonya Harding incident – how could we forget that one?
The Super Bowl
- Frequency: Annual
- Location: United States
- Sport: Football
It’s three hours of complete madness as two NFL teams fight for eternal glory in the greatest American sports competition. The Super Bowl draws in over 100 million viewers every year and it keeps people entertained with hilariously over-the-top commercials.
Winning the Super Bowl is very much a prestigious honor that’s coveted by every NFL team. Each year the fans are salivating over the possibility that their favorite teams could compete for a world championship. The quest for a Lombardi Trophy is always on every NFL player’s mind.
The era that ushered in the Super Bowl was back in 1966 when the AFL–NFL merger took place. It serves as the final NFL game every season. As of 2022, 20 out of 32 NFL teams have won a Super Bowl, with 15 teams holding multiple titles.
March Madness
- Frequency: Annual
- Location: United States
- Sport: Men’s College Basketball
It’s a tournament that’s full of single-elimination thrillers – March Madness is the culmination of greatness in men’s college basketball. The tournament is mega-popular and rakes in a ton of advertising dollars. In 2022, it generated $1.05 billion in national TV advertising sales.
The first-ever March Madness tournament was held in 1939 by Ohio State coach Harold Olsen. 68 collegiate teams competed for all the glory, with the University of Oregon capturing a championship before any other school.
The school that’s dominated March Madness is UCLA with 11 national championships. Dick Vitale, who’s become the face of March Madness, always offers colorful commentary on the games. “That’s awesome, baby!” is easily one of Vitale’s most famous lines.
UEFA Champions League Final
- Frequency: Annual
- Location: Europe
- Sport: Soccer
I also have to recognize the UEFA Champions League Final as one of the world’s biggest sports events. The tournament historically has been dominated by Spanish clubs. Real Madrid has won 14 UEFA Champions League titles, which is the most of any soccer club.
There’s no denying that the Champions League Final is a global event viewed by many people around the world. An average of 76 million viewers tune in every year to watch the final match. It’s arguably the most popular sporting event involving soccer aside from the FIFA World Cup.
Prior to 1992-93, the tournament was known as the European Cup. Initially, the champions of each respective league in Europe were invited to compete in the tournament. Now, changes were made to allow more big teams from the best European leagues to qualify.
The NBA Championship
- Frequency: Annual
- Location: United States
- Sport: Basketball
It’s one of the biggest sporting events in the world that has to do with basketball. The NBA Championship is the Super Bowl of basketball, with the best American teams competing for a world title. It’s a best-of-seven series between the Eastern and Western Conference champions.
Many of the elite NBA players are competing for a title virtually every season. A few notable names include Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James, who’s the so-called “King” of basketball. James and Curry are tied for the most championships among active players (4).
The NBA Championship continues to gain recognition and popularity around the world every year. It’s typically broadcasted in over 200 countries, and in 2022, the average viewership for each game was 12.4 million people.
The World Series
- Frequency: Annual
- Location: United States
- Sport: Baseball
Baseball is known as “America’s pastime” because it was invented in 1840, which means it’s been around now for nearly two centuries. The World Series is also the culmination of a grueling, 162-game regular season schedule.
Why do so many people love the World Series? Every year you can expect there to be heroics from some of the game’s unsung heroes. I’m talking about walk-off home runs, no-hitters, and many other memorable clutch moments.
The World Series has been around now since 1903, and it’s contested between the American and National League champions. The most-viewed World Series game took place in 1986 (60 million viewers). Now, the series averages roughly 13 million viewers per game.
Cricket World Cup
- Frequency: 4 Years
- Location: Various
- Sport: Cricket
Similar to the FIFA World Cup, this particular tournament represents the pinnacle of cricket. It’s been around since 1975, with England serving as the first official host country. The West Indies won the first tournament over Australia.
Cricket is played all over the world. However, the countries that excel at it are Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, and the West Indies. Many proponents of cricket argue that the sport is going through a major cultural transition.
Betting on the Biggest Sports Events
The best betting sites cover all of the biggest sporting events in the world. As long as you’re having fun and know what you’re doing, sports betting can be a fun hobby. You have the opportunity to win some extra cash while witnessing history in the making.
Sports betting also comes with a lot of benefits. You can have a ton of fun without having to break the bank. The entertainment value it provides at such a cheap price is something that you can’t beat.
