Top 10 Sports Events - Candidly ranked by Howard Hillman

Top 10
sports events
of the world

rankings you can trust

Top 10 rankings
World's top
sports events

Summer Olympics
FIFA World Cup
Winter Olympics
European Football Championship
Super Bowl
Tour de France
Masters Golf Tournament
Wimbledon
World's Figure Skating Championship
New York City Marathon

Criteria

Major criteria include degree of international participation, television viewership, and media coverage.

Brief descriptions

Summer Olympics

It's the world's most international and prestigious sporting event Next host city: Rio de Janeiro (2016).

FIFA World Cup

About 10% of the world's population watch the final football (soccer) match on TV. Next host nations: Russia (2018), Qatar (2022).

Winter Olympics

Several thousand athletes from over 80 countries compete in nearly 100 medal events. Next host venue: PyeongChang, South Korea (2014).

UEFA European Football Championship

Europe's prestigious football (soccer) teams compete. Final game draws over 100 million TV viewers.

Super Bowl

It's the NFL championship game (American-style football). TV audience exceeds 100 million.

Tour de France

This bicycle race dates back to 1903. The modern-day route is usually about 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) long and takes several weeks to complete.

Masters Golf Tournament

This USA event is the most esteemed of the world's four Grand Slam golf tournaments. It's played on an exceptionally beautiful course.

Wimbledon

Of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, this London venue is the oldest and has the most cachet. Unlike the other four, it's played on grass.

World Figure Skating Championship

Only the Olympic skating competition outshines it. There are short and freestyle programs in the men's, ladies', pairs', and ice dancing medal categories.

New York City Marathon

It is the largest annual marathon in terms of participants (40,000+) and curbside spectators (2,000,000+). Runners hail from more than 100 countries.