5 of the World’s Biggest Sporting Events That Should be on Your Travel Bucket List

Sports travel is a huge business, with millions of people jetting around the world every year to the biggest events. With some competitions, you just can’t beat the electric atmosphere and the feeling of being a part of a crowd that’s witnessing history in the making.

For many people, major sporting events sit high up on travel bucket lists. It could be argued that there are five key competitions that can’t be rivaled by any others, and it should be everyone’s ambition to attend at least one of them.

The Olympics - A Global Spectacle

There aren’t any older or more prestigious sporting events out there than the Olympics, which have been going on in one shape or form since the 8th century BC. The ancient Greeks did a lot for the world, and intense contests to test participants’ physical prowess were among the most influential things they introduced.

 Now, the Olympic Games take place every four years, with the last edition set in Tokyo in 2021. In 2024, the games are set to return to Paris for the first time since 1924. The festivities will go off at the Stade de France, which is the sixth-largest sporting arena in Europe with a capacity of more than 80,000. Tickets have sold like hotcakes for the event, but many who can’t make it to the stadium will still take the trip to Paris to revel in the atmosphere. The city will be in party mode for more than a fortnight, as the events run from July 26 until August 11.

Super Bowl - The Ultimate American Football Showdown

The NFL is the most important sports league in the USA, and the Super Bowl is the pinnacle of the competitive calendar in the country. When the culminating event of the football season comes around every first Sunday of February, more than 115 million Americans are glued to their television sets to watch the action. That’s just a little under half the total population. Of course, the ultimate dream of most football fans is to attend the event in person. Along with seeing the two best franchises from the year’s NFL competition come to a head, there are also plenty of accompanying festivities such as the world-famous Super Bowl halftime show.

Some people may be put off trying to go to the event because they believe flight prices might be inflated. This isn’t the case, though, and airline tickets to Super Bowl LVIII are cheaper than most people think. In 2024, it’s going to be held at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada, and there are several low-cost carriers that fly to Las Vegas. These include Frontier Airlines, which has cheap flights from major cities including Chicago, Atlanta, and San Francisco. If you've considered going to the Super Bowl before but thought it was out of your price range, you may want to investigate the costs further.

FIFA World Cup - Soccer's Grand Stage

There’s no greater sporting spectacle than the soccer World Cup, and it’s watched by 1.5 billion people around the planet. The great thing about the competition is that it lasts for almost a whole month and the matches occur at various locations around the host country. This allows the selected World Cup finals nation to transform into a feverish place with constant buzzing festivities happening everywhere. The last two locations were met with some trepidation prior to their respective competitions, but both Russia and Qatar put on amazing shows.

Now, attention is turning to North America, where the next edition of the competition is set for 2026. It will be split between host cities in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, with most of the matches scheduled for the former. The Canadian matches will take place in Toronto and Vancouver. People who want to travel to watch the event will need to plan carefully, as closer to the time the venues of certain group games will be announced. For example, if you’re an England supporter, you’ll want to take note of where they are playing their early games. Getting tickets for the knockout stages and the final will be much more difficult, but it’s still worth staying in the country and watching them among other global soccer fans for an unbeatable environment.

The Masters - Golf's Green Jacket

Every April since 1934, the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia has held golf’s most prestigious tournament, the Masters. The course is impeccable and it’s an extremely exclusive location only frequented by the elite. When the best in the business come to town in spring each year, they compete for the iconic green jacket that puts some among the all-time greats in the sport.

You don’t have to be a golfer to love the experience of the masters, and watching the drama unfold at Amen Corner is highly memorable. Of course, tickets to the event are hard to come by, and you’re looking at prices of around $3,000 once the tournament rounds start. Because the venue can only host a select number of people, this could be the most difficult bucket list sporting event to attend.

Wimbledon - A Tennis Tradition

There are four major tennis grand slams around the world, but Wimbledon is the biggest of them all and the most coveted prize by the best players in the world. It’s the oldest and grandest of all the competitions in the sport, and the matches are held on the pristine green of the iconic location’s courts.

This is another annual event, and there are various ways to enjoy it. Getting tickets to watch courtside is the best option, but you can also sit on the famous hill located to the north of the No.1 Court and view the big screen. This is one of the favorite spots for Ground Pass Ticket Holders to sit and see the action unfold.

These are, without a doubt, the best sporting events in the world. They offer a great opportunity for travelers to venture to new places and experience electric atmospheres. Some tickets are hard to come by, so anyone thinking of visiting one of these competitions needs to plan long in advance.