Every nation or region in the world is culturally different. Different countries celebrate different festivals as per their beliefs and culture. However, there’s one particular festival that people enjoy across the world irrespective of the culture of origin. These festivals are international sports events where multiple countries take part as contenders for the winner title. From NBA to Formula One and from Tour de France to Wimbledon, the popularity of these global events has skyrocketed over the past few years due to the boom in social media and globalization. We see new heroes in every season of these events, and the sports industry’s worth has increased numerous times in the past few decades.
FIFA World Cup that features stars like Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the biggest sports league globally with its attention and revenue. But several other leagues in the world are equally popular. From Diego Madonna to Kapil Dev and from Roger Federer to Christiano Ronaldo, these events have given us several champions. Every season, fans reach the grounds in large numbers to support their teams and cheer for their favorite players.
The 8 biggest international sports events in the world feature on the list.
8. National Basketball Association:
The National Basketball Association is the most famous basketball league globally. The professional North American men’s basketball league comprises 30 teams, and it is a member of USA Basketball. It is one of the richest sports leagues globally, with the players participating in it is the best-paid athletes in the world. The league was established in New York on June 6, 1946. It was previously known as the Basketball Association of America. The league was started with just 11 teams, and it currently has 30 teams ( 29 from America, 1 from Canada).
7. Tour de France:
As the name suggests, the event is mainly organized in France, and it is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race for men. While the league is mainly organized in France, it makes passes through neighboring countries on several occasions. What’s interesting about the league is that it was first organized in 1903 to boost sales for the newspaper L’Auto. The race is organized in July. Usually, 20 to 22 teams take part in the event, with eight riders in each team. The tour comprises 21 long stages where riders have to cover 3,500 kilometers over a period of 23-days.
6. Wimbledon:
Another popular sports event, Wimbledon or the Championships, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. The tournament is contested on outdoor grass courts and has been held at the All England Club, Wimbledon, London, since 1877. It is one of the 4 Grand Slam tennis tournaments. It is only one of the four major tennis tournaments that are still played on grass. Apart from the sport, the event is popular for strawberry and cream consumption by the fans. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams are some of the league’s most popular players.
5. Super Bowl:
Super Bowl is the event held to determine the National Football League winner. The American football or rugby game is the topmost level of the game in the United States. It is also the greatest television event in the world. More than 111 million viewers are glued to their television during the event. The game’s popularity is not limited to the United States. Still, it has gained popularity in several other countries such as England, Canada, and Mexico. The winner of the league receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
4. ICC Cricket World Cup:
While there are over 100 associate nations that play cricket, there are just 10-12 countries that play the game regularly, and they are holding the flag of the game-high. Stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Wasim Akram, and Muttiah Muralitharan have gained fans worldwide. With the kind of obsession that Asian fans have, the game’s popularity has gone only one way and upward. The ICC Cricket World Cup is held separately for men and women, and 10 to 14 teams feature in the event as per ICC’s decision. The introduction of the T20 world cup has added significantly to the game’s fanbase.
3. UEFA Champions League:
The UEFA Champions League, also called UFL, is a high-level football league played between top-division European clubs every year. The league is organized by the Union of European Football Associations. It is easily one of the most popular football leagues in the world. The league was introduced in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. It is also known as the Super Bowl of football.
2. Olympic Games:
The Olympic Games need an introduction at all. It is easily one of the world’s greatest sports events, with more than 200 countries taking part in it. The Olympic Games happen every four years in different parts of the world. More than 13,000 athletes compete in 33 different games, and the winner, the second-best, and the third-best are given Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. The athletes play under the flag of their respective countries. The first Olympic games were held in 1896 in Athens.
1. FIFA World Cup:
Football is easily the most popular game globally, making FIFA World Cup the world’s biggest sports event. It can simply be called the Football World Cup. The senior men’s national teams that are a part of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) participate in the event. The event is organized every 4 years, and it was first held in 1930. 32 teams currently take part in the event, and nearly half of the world’s population watch the event. France was the winner of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
