From the Olympics to the UEFA Euro, here are the major sports events in 2024 that will keep you on the edge of your seats.
Sports is one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Billions of people around the globe rally at the stadiums or tune in to their television sets to watch their sporting idols in action. As we enter 2024, there is one pertinent question in the minds of the masses — which are the major sports events to look out for in the new year?
The year 2024 is studded with significant sports events across a vast multitude of disciplines. It also brings back one of the grandest competitions in the history of sports — the Olympics. Even in specific sports like football, cricket, tennis and badminton (among others), there are n number of major events one can look forward to.
Now that we have piqued your interest, let us take a close look at all the major sports events in 2024 for which you need to mark the dates in your calendars.
Which are the biggest sports events taking place in 2024?
AFC Asian Cup (Football)
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When: 12 January to 10 February
After the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar is set to host yet another major international tournament in the form of the AFC Asian Cup 2024. The quadrennial intercontinental tournament will see some of the biggest names in Asian football go head-to-head against each other. It might also serve as the perfect platform for Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri (the third-highest goal scorer in international football among active players) to bid farewell to the sport, at least in his national team’s threads.
Africa Cup of Nations (Football)
When: 13 January to 11 February
African players have made their mark playing club football all around the world, especially in Europe. The Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be hosted by Ivory Coast in 2024, will see footballing superstars like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Vincent Aboubakar and Andre Onana (among several others) in action. Senegal, the defending champions, will head to the tournament as the favourites, but they are likely to face a steep challenge for the crown from the likes of Egypt and Cameroon.
Australian Open (Tennis)
When: 14 to 28 January
The first tennis Grand Slam of the year is supposed to mark the return of the Spanish legend Rafael Nadal after a one-year hiatus that saw him drop out of the top 100 in the ATP men’s singles rankings. A battle between rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is always one to look out for, and what better place is there for tennis fans to witness the spectacle than the iconic Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia?
ICC U-19 Men’s World Cup (Cricket)
When: 19 January to 11 February
Albeit bilateral series in all three formats of the game will be going on in several corners of the world, the first major cricketing tournament of 2024 comes in the form of the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup (to be played in South Africa). The future stars of the game will look to stamp their authority in the international sphere and pave their paths towards getting selected for the senior sides.
For the winning captain, the prospect is all the more alluring as he gets to join an elite list of players which includes the likes of Mohammed Kaif, Virat Kohli, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Shimron Hetmyer and Prithvi Shaw, among others.
Super Bowl LVIII (American Football)
When: 11 February
One of the most iconic sports events in a calendar year, the Super Bowl is watched by nearly all of the US. The Super Bowl LVIII is the championship game for the National Football League 2023 and will be hosted at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
It marks the first Super Bowl that will be played in the state of Nevada and the third straight year that the Super Bowl will be played in the western USA. American singer and songwriter Usher Raymond IV (popularly known as Usher) is slated to perform in the halftime show for 2024.
Masters Tournament (Golf)
When: 8 to 14 April
The first major golf event of the year will be the Masters Tournament in April at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. From Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka to Wyndham Clark, the competition will see a host of stars fighting for glory.
PGA Championship (Golf)
When: 13 to 19 May
Right after the 2024 Masters Tournament, the golf action will move across the USA to the Valhalla Golf Course in Maine for arguably the most prestigious event of the sport, the PGA Championship. Defending champion Brooks Koepka will be looking to win his second consecutive title in Maine, but his task will be cut out.
Interestingly, the PGA Championship also has one of the highest payouts in any sports event across all disciplines.
French Open (Tennis)
When: 20 May to 9 June
After he missed out on the 2023 edition owing to his injury, Rafael Nadal will be looking forward to the French Open in 2024, more so because he holds the record for the most title wins at this Grand Slam (14). However, the Spaniard will be up against the likes of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and many more, all of whom have proved to the world why they stand an equal chance (if not more) of winning the coveted silverware at the Roland Garros in Paris.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (Cricket)
When: 4 to 30 June
According to the International Cricket Council’s plans till 2031, fans of the sport are set to witness a minimum of one ICC event (for the senior men’s division) every year, and 2024 is no different. After the ODI World Cup in 2023, the shortest format of international cricket will become the talk of the town owing to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June.
The tournament will also see the USA acting as a co-host alongside the West Indies. In the process, the North American nation will host an ICC tournament for the first time in its history.
UEFA Euro (Football)
When: 14 June to 14 July
Football fans around the globe are in for a blockbuster summer in 2024. The proceedings will kick-start with the UEFA Euro in Germany. From Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema, and Robert Lewandowski to Marcus Rashford, Toni Kroos, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, the quadrennial tournament will see a constellation of stars battling for European glory.
The 2024 edition of the tournament might also see Ronaldo making a final appearance in the Portuguese jersey, and it will be a fairytale ending to the maestro’s career if he retires from international football holding the sliver trophy over his head (he once won it in in 2016).
Copa America (Football)
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When: 20 June to 14 July
If Europe is gearing up for the UEFA Euro in the summer of 2024, the American nations are looking forward to the Copa America. Neymar Jr, Lionel Messi, Vincius Jr, Angel Di Maria, Emiliano Martinez… the list of stars to look out for in the competition is long. The tournament will be held in the USA, and might just set the stage for Messi to draw curtains on his international career. However, Argentina (the defending champions) will be wary of the threat other teams pose to them, especially Brazil, their arch-nemesis.
Wimbledon Open (Tennis)
When: 1 to 14 July
Perhaps the most prestigious Grand Slam in the history of tennis, the Wimbledon Open in 2024 will serve as the perfect platform for the players to get all the match time they need before heading to the Olympics in August. Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, will be hoping for his second win at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, but his route to the silverware win won’t be easy.
The Olympics (multi-sports event)
When: 26 July to 11 August
The grandest sports event in 2024, without a speck of doubt, will be the Olympics. While China and the USA are almost guaranteed to compete for the top two spots in Paris, athletes from other nations will also be looking to make their mark. From footballers to tennis players, shuttlers and hockey players, top athletes from most major sports disciplines will be present in this grand confluence of sports that happens once in every four years.
US Open (Tennis)
When: 26 August to 8 September
Right after the Olympics, a few of the top tennis players may be seen withdrawing from the US Open (as has been the case in the past). However, in no way can that undermine the significance that the last tennis Grand Slam of the year holds. Slated to be contested in the iconic Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, the US Open is one of the oldest sports competitions in the world with a rich heritage.
FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (Football)
When: 16 October to 3 November
In a bid to achieve gender equality, FIFA, the apex global governing body in football, lays great emphasis on promoting women’s participation. If their efforts behind making the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 a global spectacle is anything to go by, the U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2024 also promises to be an illustrious tournament. The tournament will be hosted by the Dominican Republic and will mark the first FIFA competition that the country will play host to.
BWF World Tour Finals (Badminton)
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When: 11 to 15 December
Summing up the list of the major sports events in 2024 is a badminton competition. After numerous tournaments throughout the year, the badminton action will come down to the grandest honour in the sport, the BWF World Tour Finals. The tournament will be played in Hangzhou, China and will see only the top shuttlers competing for the crown.
(Hero and featured image credit: @paris2024/Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Which is the biggest sports event in 2024?
The Paris Olympics is the biggest sports event in 2024.
– What tournaments are going to take place in 2024?
A host of major tournaments are going to take place in 2024, such as the Olympics, UEFA Euro, Copa America, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and more.
Uddipta writes about sports and watches besides occasionally venturing into the world of automobiles and technology. He was associated with the Indian Express in the capacity of a sub-editor at their Lifestyle desk. A journalism and mass communication student from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, Uddipta devotes most of his leisure time to photography and filmmaking. He has contributed photographs to Vogue Italia and several exhibits, and has directed award-winning short films screened at film festivals in India and abroad.
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