World championship
Encyclopedia
A world championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest
. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking
systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual (or other entity) in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead they may organise a world cup
, or they may organize both. Often, the use of the term cup or championship in this sense is just a choice of words. Some sports have multiple champions because of multiple organizations such as mixed martial arts, boxing and wrestling.
Certain sports do not have a world championships or a world cup as such, but may have one or several world champions. Professional boxing
for example has several world champions at different weights, but each one of them is decided by a "title fight", not a tournament.
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking
Ranking
A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either 'ranked higher than', 'ranked lower than' or 'ranked equal to' the second....
systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual (or other entity) in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead they may organise a world cup
World cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities - usually international teams or individuals representing their countries - compete for the title of world champion. A world cup is generally considered the premier competition in its sport, with the victor attaining the...
, or they may organize both. Often, the use of the term cup or championship in this sense is just a choice of words. Some sports have multiple champions because of multiple organizations such as mixed martial arts, boxing and wrestling.
Certain sports do not have a world championships or a world cup as such, but may have one or several world champions. Professional boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
for example has several world champions at different weights, but each one of them is decided by a "title fight", not a tournament.
Sports
A full list is presented at List of world cups and world championships- Air sports:
- World Aerobatic Championships
- World Gliding ChampionshipsWorld Gliding ChampionshipsThe World Gliding Championships is a gliding competition held every two years or so by the FAI Gliding Commission. The dates are not always exactly two years apart, often because the contests are sometimes held in the summer in the Southern Hemisphere....
- American football: IFAF World Cup
- Athletics: IAAF World Championships in AthleticsIAAF World Championships in AthleticsThe World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
- Aquatics: FINA World Aquatics Championships
- Auto-Racing:
- FIA Formula One World ChampionshipFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
- FIA World Rally ChampionshipWorld Rally ChampionshipThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
(WRC) - FIA World Touring Car ChampionshipWorld Touring Car ChampionshipFor the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
(WTCC) - FIA GT World Championship
- FIA World Endurance ChampionshipFIA World Endurance ChampionshipThe FIA World Endurance Championship is a proposed auto racing world championship organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile...
- Motorcycle Grand Prix
- FIA Formula One World Championship
- Badminton: World Badminton Championships
- Ball games
- Baseball
- Baseball World Cup
- World Baseball ClassicWorld Baseball ClassicThe World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
- Basketball
- FIBA World ChampionshipFIBA World ChampionshipThe FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
- FIBA World Championship for WomenFIBA World Championship for WomenThe FIBA World Championship for Women is a world basketball tournament for women's national teams held quadrennially...
- FIBA World Championship
- Cricket
- ICC Cricket World Cup
- Women's Cricket World CupWomen's Cricket World CupThe ICC Women's Cricket World Cup is a Women's one-day international cricket competition. The first tournament was held in England in 1973, two years before the first men's ICC Cricket World Cup....
- Football
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, called Football World Championships in many languages. - FIFA Women's World CupFIFA Women's World CupThe FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
- FIFA Club World CupFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
- FIFA World Cup
- Handball
- World Men's Handball ChampionshipWorld Men's Handball ChampionshipThe World Championship in team handball for men has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1938.- History :In 1938, the first indoor handball world championship was played in the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin, Germany on 5 February and 6 February...
- World Women's Handball ChampionshipWorld Women's Handball ChampionshipThe World Championship in team handball for women has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957.- Championships :- Overall medal count :- Participation history :-Largest winning margin:Source: - External links :*...
- World Men's Handball Championship
- Rugby league: Rugby League World CupRugby League World CupThe Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
- Rugby union:
- Rugby World CupRugby World CupThe Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
- Women's Rugby World CupWomen's Rugby World CupThe Women's Rugby World Cup is the premier international competition in rugby union for women. The tournament is organised by the sport's governing body the International Rugby Board...
- Sevens version: Rugby World Cup SevensRugby World Cup SevensThe Rugby World Cup Sevens is the premier international Rugby sevens competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by the men's national sevens teams every four years. The inaugural tournament was held in 1993 in Scotland, the...
(men and women)
- Rugby World Cup
- Softball
- ISF Women's World ChampionshipISF Women's World ChampionshipThe ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now...
- ISF Women's World Championship
- Volleyball: Volleyball World ChampionshipVolleyball World ChampionshipThe FIVB World Championship is an international men's and women's indoor volleyball competition. It is the oldest and most important of all the international events organized by the FIVB and must not be confused with the FIVB World Cup or the FIVB World League/FIVB World Grand Prix.-Origins:The...
- Baseball
- Bridge: World Bridge ChampionshipsWorld Bridge ChampionshipsThe World Bridge Championships consists of several sets of championships organized under the auspices of the World Bridge Federation.-World Bridge Series Championships:...
- Canoeing:
- ICF Canoe Slalom World ChampionshipsICF Canoe Slalom World ChampionshipsThe ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships are an international event in canoeing organized by the International Canoe Federation. The World Championships have taken place every year in non-Summer Olympic years since 2002. From 1949 to 1999, they had taken place in odd-numbered years...
- ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
- ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
- Cross country running:
- IAAF World Cross Country ChampionshipsIAAF World Cross Country ChampionshipsIAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
- IAAF World Cross Country Championships
- CyclingUCI World ChampionshipsThe Union Cycliste Internationale organises UCI World Championships to determine world champion cyclists. These take place annually and are organized around nations rather than trade teams....
:- UCI BMX World ChampionshipsUCI BMX World ChampionshipsUCI BMX World Championships are the world championships for BMX racing held under the regulations of the Union Cycliste Internationale , the sport's international governing body....
- UCI Cyclo-cross World ChampionshipsUCI Cyclo-cross World ChampionshipsThe UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships sponsored by the Union Cycliste Internationale consists of both a men's and women's cyclo-cross world championship:* Men - UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships – Men's elite race...
- UCI Indoor Cycling World ChampionshipsUCI Indoor Cycling World ChampionshipsThe UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the disciplines and distances in Artistic cycling and a tournament of cycle ball. The World Championships are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale.-Men:-Women:...
- UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships
- UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World ChampionshipsUCI Mountain Bike Marathon World ChampionshipsThe UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships is the world championship event for marathon mountain bike races. Inaugurated by the Union Cycliste Internationale in 2003, the event is held annually in single classes for men and women. The 2003 event was organized alongside the UCI Mountain Bike...
- UCI Road World ChampionshipsUCI Road World ChampionshipsThe UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
- UCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsUCI Track Cycling World ChampionshipsThe UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the various disciplines and distances in track cycling and are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
- UCI BMX World Championships
- Dancing
- International DanceSport FederationInternational DanceSport FederationThe World DanceSport Federation , formerly the International DanceSport Federation , is the international governing body of dancesport and Wheelchair DanceSport, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee .Originally founded in 1957 as the...
World Formation danceFormation danceFormation dance is a style of ballroom dancing. It is pattern or shadow team dancing by couples in a formation team. The choreography may be based on a particular dance or a medley of dances...
championships - An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha - Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne World Irish Dancing Championships
- International DanceSport Federation
- Darts
- PDC World Darts ChampionshipPDC World Darts ChampionshipThe PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978...
- PDC World Cup of DartsPDC World Cup of DartsThe PDC World Cup of Darts is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and is one of the three new tournaments being introduced into the PDC calendar. It is broadcast live by Sky Sports....
- PDC Women's World Championship
- World Cricket ChampionshipWorld Cricket Championship (darts)The World Cricket Championship is a darts tournament that uses the rules of darts cricket. It started in 2010 and was won by Phil Taylor after beating Mark Walsh 3-2 in the final.-Results:- External links :*...
- BDO World Darts ChampionshipBDO World Darts ChampionshipThe BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994...
- PDC Under-21 World ChampionshipPDC Under-21 World ChampionshipThe PDC World Youth Championship is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation, for darts players aged between 14 and 21...
- PDC World Darts Championship
- Equestrian:
- FEI World Equestrian Games
- Eventing World ChampionshipEventing World ChampionshipThe Eventing World Championship, or the eventing competition in the World Equestrian Games , began in 1966. It includes both a team and individual competition for the best horses and riders in the sport of eventing...
- Show Jumping World ChampionshipsShow Jumping World ChampionshipsThe Show Jumping World Championships, or the show jumping competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games, was started in 1953, with individual competition. In 1978 Team competitions began, and men and women began competing against one another. From 1990, show jumping was brought together along with...
- Dressage World ChampionshipDressage World ChampionshipThe Dressage World Championship is held every four years. The best horse and rider competitions in the world compete for individual and team titles. The Dressage World Championship is since 1990, held at the World Equestrian Games in conjunction with other equestrian world championships.-Individual...
- Fencing: World Fencing Championships
- Foosball
- Tornado World Championships of Professional Foosball
- Gymnastics: World Gymnastics ChampionshipsWorld Gymnastics ChampionshipsThe Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique organises World Gymnastics Championships for each of the gymnastic disciplines:...
- Judo: World Judo ChampionshipsWorld Judo ChampionshipsThe World Judo Championships are the highest level of international judo competition, along with the Olympic judo competition. The championships are held once every year by the International Judo Federation, and qualified judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their...
- Karatedo:
- Kobe Osaka InternationalKobe Osaka InternationalKobe Osaka International is an international organization dedicated to teaching the Shūkōkai style of Karate. Founded by Tommy Morris in 1991 in Scotland, KOI has affiliates and member dojos in more than 40 countries worldwide and is a member of the World Karate Federation...
World CupWorld CupA World Cup is a type of sporting competition.World Cup commonly refers to:*FIFA World Cup *ICC Cricket World Cup*Rugby World Cup World Cup can also refer to:-Baseball and softball:... - Karate World ChampionshipsKarate World ChampionshipsThe WKF Karate World Championships also known as the World Karate Championships; are the highest level of competition for Karate. The competition is held in a different Country every two years. The most recent events include Madrid in 2002; Monterrey in 2004; Tampere in 2006; Tokyo in 2008, and...
- Kobe Osaka International
- Kickboxing: W.A.K.O. Amateur World Kickboxing Championships
- Lacrosse
- World Lacrosse ChampionshipWorld Lacrosse ChampionshipThe World Lacrosse Championship is the world championship for international men's field lacrosse. From its inception in 1967 through the 2006 event, it was sanctioned by the International Lacrosse Federation...
- World Indoor Lacrosse ChampionshipWorld Indoor Lacrosse ChampionshipThe World Indoor Lacrosse Championship is an international box lacrosse tournament that is held every four years an is sponsored by the Federation of International Lacrosse . First held in 2003, the tournament was sponsored by the International Lacrosse Federation until 2008, when the ILF became...
- Under-19 World Lacrosse ChampionshipsUnder-19 World Lacrosse ChampionshipsThe Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships are held separately for men and women about every 4 years to find the world champions for the under-19 age group in lacrosse...
- World Lacrosse Championship
- Marbles: British and World Marbles ChampionshipBritish and World Marbles Championship-World Marbles at Tinsley Green:The tournament is said to date back several hundred years to 1588 during the reign of Elizabeth I, when is reputed to be the scene of an epic marbles battle between two young men, over the hand of a local milk maiden....
- Offshore Powerboating
- Class 1 World Powerboat ChampionshipClass 1 World Powerboat ChampionshipClass 1, referred to officially as the UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of international offshore powerboat racing, and is officially sanctioned by the Monaco based Union Internationale Motonautique , the world governing body of powerboating...
- Class 1 World Powerboat Championship
- Rink Hockey: Rink Hockey World ChampionshipRink Hockey World ChampionshipThe FIRS Roller Hockey World Cup is a roller hockey competition also referred as the World Championship – A between the best male national teams in the World. It happens every two years and it is organized by FIRS....
- Rowing: World Rowing ChampionshipsWorld Rowing ChampionshipsThe World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA . It is a week long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of the international rowing calendar.The first event was held in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1962...
- Snooker: World Snooker ChampionshipWorld Snooker ChampionshipThe World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
- Speedway:
- Speedway Grand PrixSpeedway Grand PrixSpeedway Grand Prix are a series of stand-alone speedway events over the course of a season used to determine the Speedway World Champion. As of 2008, all of the events take place in Europe.- Event format :...
(formerly: Speedway World ChampionshipSpeedway World ChampionshipThe World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
) - Speedway World CupSpeedway World CupThe Speedway World Cup is an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The first edition of the competition in the current format was in 2001 and it replaced the old World Team Cup competition.-Format:...
(U-21Team Speedway Junior World ChampionshipThe Team Speedway Junior World Championship is an annual speedway event held each year in different countries . The first edition of the competition was in 2005. Current World Champions are Russia team, who won in 2011 Final...
)
- Speedway Grand Prix
- Track and Field: World Championships in Athletics
- Winter Sports:
- Alpine skiingAlpine skiingAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
: Alpine World Skiing ChampionshipsAlpine World Skiing ChampionshipsThe FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are organized by the International Ski Federation . The first world championships in alpine skiing were held in 1931. During the 1930s, the event was held annually in Europe, until interrupted by the outbreak of World War II, preventing a 1940 event... - BandyBandyBandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
: Bandy World ChampionshipsBandy World ChampionshipsThe Bandy World Championships are a competition between bandy-playing nations. The tournament is administrated by the Federation of International Bandy.... - Biathlon: Biathlon World ChampionshipsBiathlon World ChampionshipsThe first Biathlon World Championships was held in 1958, with individual and team contests for men. The number of events has grown significantly over the years. Beginning in 1984, women biathletes had their own World Championships, and finally, from 1989, both genders have been participating in...
- Bobsleigh: FIBT World ChampionshipsFIBT World ChampionshipsThe FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
- Curling: World Curling ChampionshipsWorld Curling ChampionshipsThe World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979...
- Figure Skating: World Figure Skating ChampionshipsWorld Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
- Ice Hockey: Ice Hockey World ChampionshipsIce Hockey World ChampionshipsThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
- Luge:
- FIL World Luge Championships
- FIL World Luge Natural Track ChampionshipsFIL World Luge Natural Track ChampionshipsThe FIL World Luge Natural Track Championships, part of the International Luge Federation have taken place on an almost annual basis in non-Winter Olympics years since 1979. These championships are shown for natural tracks...
- Nordic Skiing: FIS Nordic World Ski ChampionshipsFIS Nordic World Ski ChampionshipsThe FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
- Skeleton: FIBT World ChampionshipsFIBT World ChampionshipsThe FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
- Speed Skating: Several, see overview at World championships speed skating
- Alpine skiing
- Amateur Boxing
- AIBA: World Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsWorld Amateur Boxing ChampionshipsThe World Amateur Boxing Championships is a biennial amateur boxing competition organised by the International Boxing Association , which is the sport governing body. Alongside the Olympic boxing programme, it is the highest level of competition for the sport...
- AIBA: World Amateur Boxing Championships
- Amateur Wrestling:
- FILA: FILA Wrestling World ChampionshipsFILA Wrestling World ChampionshipsFILA Wrestling World Championships is the Amateur Wrestling World Championship organized by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles . The men's Greco-Roman tournament began in 1904...
- FILA: FILA Wrestling World Championships
- Professional Wrestling:
Games
A fuller list can be found on the List of world championships in mind sports page.- World chess championshipWorld Chess ChampionshipThe World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
Eating
- World Pie Eating ChampionshipWorld Pie Eating ChampionshipThe annual World Pie Eating Championship is usually held at Harry's Bar on Wallgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The competition has been held since 1992...