Top 20 International Sports Events

This is prime sports time around the world.

The French Open recently wrapped up, and Wimbledon crowns its champs this weekend. The famed Palio di Siena was held today, and Pamplona's legendary Running of the Bulls is Monday. The Tour de France starts Saturday, and the British Open begins July 17. Plus, the Beijing Summer Olympics will be held next month with the Opening Ceremony slated for 8:08:08 p.m. CST on 8/8/08.

This spectacular sports schedule got me thinking about the top international sports events, so I decided to take a swing at compiling a Top 20 list. I didn't include any competitions regularly held in the United States (no Super Bowl, no World Series) even if they draw international attention (no Kentucky Derby, no Indianapolis 500).

Of course, the best thing about sports is arguing who's better. So, in the immortal words of a famous sports broadcaster, "Lemme hear ya." Which events should be higher or lower? Which events did I overlook? Debate my list in the comments section below.

Here is my list of the Top 20 International Sports Events:

1. FIFA World Cup: The most prestigious international competition of the world's most popular sport, the soccer World Cup is by far the No. 1 international sports event. Held every four years, no competition stirs national pride around the world the way the World Cup does. The only knock on the World Cup is the puny size of the coveted World Cup trophy. The next World Cup will be held in South Africa in 2010.

2. Summer Olympics: The origins of the Summer Olympic Games date back to the Ancient Olympic Games in 776 B.C. The modern Olympics, which began again in Athens in 1896, have grown into a full-blown international spectacle. This year's historic Olympics in Beijing is expected to feature about 11,000 athletes from 200 countries in 28 different sports.

3. Cricket World Cup: Cricket is the world's second most popular sport—by one estimate, 3 billion people around the world watch or play cricket (just not in the United States). The Cricket World Cup is the premier international cricket competition, contested every four years. The next Cricket World Cup will be held in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2011.

4. Rugby World Cup: One of the largest sporting competitions in the world, the Rugby World Cup pits the top national rugby union teams against one another every four years. New Zealand will play host to the next Rugby World Cup in 2011.

5. Winter Olympics: First held in Chamonix, France, in 1924, the Winter Games have less history—and less participation—than their summer counterpart. About 2,600 athletes from 80 nations competed at the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy. The next Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver in 2010.

6. Wimbledon: The grand dame of Grand Slams, Wimbledon is the oldest tennis championship in the world. Known for its elegant traditions and strict etiquette, Wimbledon also is where legends are born. Champions such as Rod Laver, Björn Borg, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer all ruled Wimbledon's grass courts.

7. Tour de France: The world's most famous bicycle race dates back to 1903. The crown jewel of the cycling circuit, the Tour de France winds its way more than 2,200 miles across France (and into neighboring countries), culminating in grand fashion down the Champs-Élysées in Paris. From 1999 to 2005, the Tour de France was owned by seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.

8. British Open: The oldest of golf's major championships, the British Open is contested on the famed links courses of Scotland and England, including St. Andrews, known as the "Home of Golf." The British Open, which was first held in 1860, tees off annually the third weekend in July. This year's Open will be missing Tiger Woods for the first time in 14 years.

9. IAAF World Championships: The World Championships are the premier track and field competition after the Summer Olympics. The 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, drew nearly 2,000 athletes from 200 countries to compete in 47 events. Contested every other year, the World Championships will be held next summer in Berlin.

10. Monaco Grand Prix: Considered "the jewel of the Formula One crown," the Monaco Grand Prix is the most glamorous automobile race in the world. First held in 1929, the race winds its way through the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine.

11. UEFA European Football Championship: The European championship is arguably the second biggest soccer tournament behind the World Cup, pitting the national teams from around Europe in competition every four years. Spain just beat Germany to win Euro 2008 on Sunday in Vienna, Austria.

12. FIBA World Championship: A sport with uniquely American roots, basketball is increasingly becoming a global game. But the world's biggest basketball tournament has been held every four years since 1950. The 2010 World Championship will be held in Turkey.

13. French Open: The second of tennis' Grand Slam events, the French Open in Paris is known for its distinctive clay courts, which sometimes prove difficult for the game's best players, such as Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, who have never won at Roland Garros.

14. Ice Hockey World Championship: The top international hockey tournament dates back to the European Championship, which began in 1910. The championship, which includes at least 40 national teams competing in three divisions, is much more popular in Europe because it conflicts with the NHL playoffs in North America.

15. Palio di Siena: As much pageant as competition, the Palio is a bareback horse race around Siena's Piazza del Campo. The horses and riders represent each of the city's contrade, or neighborhoods. Held twice annually (on July 2 and August 16), the modern races' origins date back to about 1650.

16. 24 Hours of Le Mans: The king of high-speed endurance races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (also known as the Grand Prix of Endurance) has been held annually since 1923 in Le Mans, France. First intended to showcase reliable sports cars, the race forces teams of drivers to navigate closed public roads while fighting fatigue.

17. World Curling Championships: The preeminent curling competition is held every year in different host cities for men, women and mixed teams. Originally known as the Scotch Cup, the men's competition was first held in 1959 between Canada and Scotland. The women's competition started in 1979, and the mixed tournament began this year.

18. FIFA Women's World Cup: The most important women's soccer tournament was first contested in 1991. The 1999 World Cup final—famously won by Brandi Chastain for the United States—drew more than 90,000 fans to the Rose Bowl, setting a world record for attendance at a women's sporting event. Germany, which has won the past two titles, will play host to the next World Cup in 2011.

19. Volvo Ocean Race: We chose this quadrennial global yacht race for two reasons—1. It goes around the world; and 2. An EF-sponsored yacht, EF Language, won the race in 1998, when it was known as the Whitbread Round the World Race. The 2008-09 race starts in October 11 in Alicante, Spain.

20. Running of the Bulls: This legendary event in Pamplona, Spain, is less about athletic prowess and competition and more about pure survival. Thousands of people flock to the festival of San Fermín to run through a half-mile stretch of cobbled streets while being chased by bulls. The encierro dates back to the late 13th century but gained worldwide notoriety when Ernest Hemingway wrote The Sun Also Rises in 1926.

Honorable mention: America's Cup (sailing), Australian Open (tennis), Calgary Stampede (rodeo), Giro d'Italia (cycling), Pan-American Games (athletics), Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (horse racing), Ryder Cup (golf), World Baseball Classic, Women's British Open (golf), World University Games (athletics).

Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images from trumpetflickr via Flickr

Comments

[justin]

how sweet it was living in Boston's North End when Italia won the 2006 FIFA World Cup!

http://flickr.com/photos/isolatediguana/186058856/in/photostream/

[Greg]

Great post. If we're talking international sports events, they should be exciting to a wide spectrum of the population, and should field talent from all over the world.

Thus, I would add the other two tennis Grand Slams (Australian Open and US Open).

Tennis is right up there with soccer ('football') as a sport that most of the world fields talent in (unlike baseball, hockey, cricket, rugby, the Winter Olympics, and, uh, curling).

And while other sports also field talent widely (cycling, golf, car racing), I don't see that they excite crowds in quite the same way as soccer or tennis.

Basketball may belong up there with soccer and tennis -- exciting and ever more international -- but basketball's international stars mostly ply their trade in North America, taking away some global luster.

If you need the two extra spots to squeeze in the Australian and US Opens, how about nudging aside the horses and the bulls?

So there's the case for more tennis. It's either based in fact, or I'm just punch-drunk on that incredible Wimbledon final yesterday.

[Eric from EF]

Yeah, I struggled with how much soccer and tennis to include. In reality, the list could be predominantly soccer and tennis.

Instead, I opted to be more far-ranging. Hence, curling got a nod over the Aussie Open, for instance.

I also really wanted to include a couple of nontraditional events, like the Palio and the Running the of Bulls. Plus, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Palio since visiting Siena six years ago.

Of course, if I made the list today, tennis probably would dominate. And Wimbledon might be No. 1. That match yesterday was amazing. Wow!

Love your input. Thanks for the comments.

[Dave]

There is no such tournament as the "British Open." That is the name Americans generally refer to it as, but it is actually called "The Open Championships." I don't know why the name British Open became popular, possibly because it ties in with the US Open and because people think calling it The Open Championships devalues the other comps?

[Eric from EF]

Thanks, Dave, for the comment.

Yes, you're correct that the British Open is officially named "The Open Championship." The tournament is referred to as the British Open to distinguish it not only from the U.S. Open but also from other countries' "open" championships.

The PGA Tour and major media outlets, including the Associated Press, officially refer to the tournament as the British Open.

[rod]

basketball over rugby or cricket ??? wake up! you must be yankee noodle !

[Eric from EF]

Rod, I'll admit that I know next to nothing about rugby or cricket. And I'll concede that I may indeed be a yankee noodle. But I gave rugby and cricket their props — they're ranked third and fourth behind only the World Cup and the Summer Olympics. Basketball, which is a growing global game, is only ranked 12th.

Having said that, though, I do appreciate the comment, Rod. Thanks for reading, and thanks for participating.