Month: September 2025

At its most noble level, international sports brings people together across borders and encourages friendship and exchange. But, at its basest level, the fervor sport invokes can trigger violence and even lead to illegal activities. This guide highlights a range of resources researchers can use to explore the many facets of international sports.

The most important and famous international sport is the Olympic Games. The first official international game in any sport was a cricket match played between the United States and Canada in 1844. The Olympics have a strong impact on the host cities and countries, largely because they are seen as a seal of approval from the world’s community that a city or country is a successful, open and well-developed society. This can have a significant economic effect as people travel from around the world to see the events and spend money in the local economy.

Other important international sporting events include the FIFA World Cup, which stirs national pride in fans around the globe, and a number of other multi-sport competitions such as the Universiade and Six Nations Rugby tournament. The Olympic Games and the World Cup are also influenced by political, economic and cultural factors that make up the larger global context in which they occur.

In addition to the global context, international sport is regulated on the national level by international governing bodies like FIFA and the IOC. These bodies are responsible for regulating the technical aspects of their sport at the Olympic Games and disseminating the values of Olympism through their activity.

Millions of fans follow their favorite athletes, identifying with and even imitating them. These emotional connections translate into brand loyalty that can be leveraged to drive conversions and revenue. Athlete endorsements can be effective for a variety of products and services, including sports apparel and nutrition.

Endorsement agreements can include licensing or royalty arrangements, where the athlete earns a percentage of sales or a flat fee for product use. Royalty-based agreements can be more lucrative for athletes and may give them more control over how their likeness is used. They can also provide long-term partnerships that allow athletes to become true ambassadors of the brand, deepening the connection between them and consumers.

When a brand partners with an admired athlete, it can gain a competitive edge and stand out in the market. When competing products offer similar features, the one endorsed by an iconic athlete can gain consumer preference due to its recognizable association with a well-known figure.

Athlete-backed brands can build a sense of authenticity with their audiences by sharing behind-the-scenes content, such as how the athlete uses the product in his or her daily routine. Athlete-backed brands can also create a sense of exclusivity and urgency with limited editions or exclusive signature gear. By using a suite of audience data and sentiment analytics, marketers can measure the success of their campaigns and optimize future efforts.

With just a handful of spots at next summer’s FIFA World Cup still up for grabs, international qualifiers are taking center stage around the globe. These intense contests serve to not only determine who plays in the final tournament, but also showcase the best talent that the game has to offer. And while qualification systems across the continents differ, they all aim to do the same: identify the top teams for each confederation.

The European qualification process began in September 2024, and is set to continue with double-headers in June, September, October and November before wrapping up in December. The 12 group winners qualify automatically, while second-placed teams move on to the second round of play-offs.

Sixteen nations (twelve group runners-up plus four of the best Nations League group winners, based on their overall ranking that finished outside the top two in their qualifying groups) are drawn into one of four paths, playing a single round of two-legged play-off ties (semifinals followed by finals). The winner of each path qualifies for the World Cup.

Meanwhile, in Asia, the first round of qualifications concluded Tuesday with Japan and Iran clinching their places in the next stage. The remaining eight countries — including Iraq, Oman and Saudi Arabia — will advance to the fourth round. The group winners and runners-up of each of the four groups will then compete in a two-legged tie to decide the two Asian qualifiers for the interconfederation playoffs.

ATHLETICS

In the sport of track and field, there are few competitions more highly anticipated than World Athletics Championship. Held in odd years to avoid clashing with the Olympic Games, which are contested on a quadrennial basis in even years, Worlds offers the planet’s preeminent runners, jumpers and throwers a chance to become an Ultimate Champion in their event. The best athletes are able to produce their finest, most dynamic performances at this biennial competition.

A handful of years ago, as a member of the heritage department at World Athletics trawled through the archive to prepare for the new department’s launch, he came across a scrapbook that had been filled out by someone from the organization’s headquarters in London. It related to the inaugural World Championships in 1983, and it was a rudimentary piece of official documentation that spoke volumes about the event and the state of the sport in those days.

AUSTRALIA

Team Australia will be strong in Tokyo and will feature dual Olympians, including 20km race walker Jemima Montag and triple jumper Nicola Zagame. Further, teenage world 800m champion Cameron Myers (ACT) will lead an all-star line up of metric milers and the nation’s most promising long jumper, Delta Amidzovski, will also be in action in Japan.

Esports tournament news can range from breaking news and in-depth match analysis to exclusive interviews and behind the scenes content. These stories shape the world of competitive gaming.

The esports industry has grown at a staggering pace in recent years, and today some of the biggest video game tournaments in history rival some of the most popular traditional sports events. Backed by major video game companies, esports competitions feature teams of professional gamers competing in highly specialized games to earn the right to play for millions of fans around the globe.

Teams are represented by organizations, sponsors or cities and play against other teams in scheduled matches. The best performing teams advance to the playoffs or championships, where they compete for massive prize pools and global recognition. Esports tournaments are played out on a wide variety of platforms and are organized according to defined rules. This consistency enables spectators to follow the action across all platforms, from streaming live events on their mobile phones while commuting to watching in-person at world class arenas.

The esports tournament landscape continues to evolve, with new technologies bringing the world closer together. Better internet infrastructure, especially 5G networks, allow participants to compete with players from anywhere in the world without having to worry about lag or connection issues. Meanwhile, some tournaments are now experimenting with AR displays for the live audience that show game information and player stats as overlays in the physical space.

When it comes to World Series highlights, no one can top the 1975 Boston Red Sox comeback from a 3–1 deficit in Game 7. This game has become legendary for its nail-biting turns of events including Carlton Fisk’s walk-off home run. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series four games to three and finally broke the Curse of the Bambino after 86 years.

The 2024 World Series pitted the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a classic matchup. The Dodgers took the first two games but the Yankees rallied back to take game 4. Game 5 was another wild ride with the Yankees blowing a five-run lead in the fifth and then falling short of their second title in five years.

The deciding game was full of mistakes and incredible moments with the Yankees muffed a fly ball by Aaron Judge, a catcher’s interference call on Shohei Ohtani and a high throw by Gerrit Cole that led to a bases loaded walk. Yet the Yankees still had Giancarlo Stanton who rescued them with his two-run sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth. The moment is a must-see for baseball fans who want to see what it takes to be a champion.