This hub maps the single-sport world championships overseen by their international federations and the continental bodies that organize qualifiers, regional titles, and development pathways. It is designed for quick navigation across sports while preserving clarity on who governs what: from FIFA and World Rugby to UCI, FEI, and specialized federations in paddling and angling. Use the summary table to scan global flagships, then jump to the continental lists to locate the regional authority for your country or club. Where a sport has multiple disciplines, the flagship may be a multi-discipline world championship umbrella, while qualification is often routed through continental confederations and their championship calendars.
What counts as a single-sport world championship?
A single-sport world championship is the premier global title event run by the sport’s recognized international federation. It crowns world champions in a specific sport or discipline set, typically on a recurring cycle. Some sports emphasize national teams (e.g., football, rugby union, ice hockey), others emphasize individual and trade-team formats (e.g., cycling, equestrian), and some combine both. In a few cases, parallel federations govern distinct sub-disciplines under a broader activity umbrella, such as fishing and paddling. Continental bodies coordinate qualifiers and regional championships that feed into the world event or maintain a complementary calendar that helps rank and seed competitors.
Selected single-sport world championships and their international federations
| Sport | International federation | Flagship world championship | Notes / disciplines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football | FIFA | FIFA World Cup | Men’s and women’s world cups; global club competitions exist separately. |
| Basketball | FIBA | FIBA Basketball World Cup | Senior world cups plus youth and 3x3 world championships. |
| Cricket | ICC | Cricket World Cup | Men’s and women’s world cups; T20 formats have distinct world championships. |
| Rugby union | World Rugby | Rugby World Cup | Men’s and women’s fifteens; separate sevens world championships and series. |
| Ice hockey | IIHF | Ice Hockey World Championship | Top division plus lower divisions with promotion/relegation; women’s worlds. |
| Equestrian | FEI | FEI World Championships | Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Endurance, Vaulting, Driving held on cycles. |
| Fishing (angling) | CIPS (FIPSed, FIPS-M, FIPS-Mouche) | World Championships (various) | Freshwater, sea, and fly sub-federations; IGFA maintains records; CMAS governs spearfishing worlds. |
| Orienteering | IOF | World Orienteering Championships | Foot-O flagships; SkiO, MTB-O, and TrailO have separate worlds. |
| Golf | IGF | World Amateur Team Championships | Eisenhower (men) and Espirito Santo (women); Olympic Golf under IGF remit. |
| Cycling | UCI | UCI World Championships | Road, Track, MTB, BMX Racing/Freestyle, Cyclo-cross; UCI WorldTour is season-long. |
| Kayaking & paddling | ICF | ICF World Championships | Sprint, Slalom, Marathon, Wildwater, Ocean Racing, Canoe Polo; ISA runs SUP Worlds; IDBF runs Dragon Boat Worlds; World Rowing (FISA) runs World Rowing Championships. |
Continental governing bodies and qualification pathways
Continental federations sit between national associations and the international federation. They deliver regional championships that act as qualifiers, ranking opportunities, or stand-alone major titles. Their calendars often mirror the global structure by discipline and age group, and they support officiating, anti-doping education, club competitions, and talent pipelines. If you are trying to locate the correct entry route for your team or athlete, begin with your national federation, then find the corresponding continental body below. That continental body will list the championship schedule, technical regulations, entry criteria, and any quota allocation rules that apply to your country or club.
Continental federations by sport (selection)
Football
- UEFA (Europe)
- CONMEBOL (South America)
- AFC (Asia)
- CAF (Africa)
- CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean)
- OFC (Oceania)
Basketball
- FIBA Europe
- FIBA Americas
- FIBA Asia
- FIBA Africa
- FIBA Oceania
Volleyball
- CEV (Europe)
- NORCECA (North, Central America & Caribbean)
- AVC (Asia)
- CAVB (Africa)
- CSV (South America)
Handball
- EHF (Europe)
- AHF (Asia)
- CAHB (Africa)
- NACHC (North America & Caribbean)
- SCAHC (South & Central America)
- OCHF (Oceania)
Rugby union
- Rugby Europe
- Sudamérica Rugby
- Asia Rugby
- Rugby Africa
- Rugby Americas North
- Oceania Rugby
Field hockey
- European Hockey Federation (EHF)
- Asian Hockey Federation (AHF)
- African Hockey Federation (AfHF)
- Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF)
- Oceania Hockey Federation (OHF)
Water sports (aquatics)
- LEN (Europe)
- Asian Aquatics
- Africa Aquatics
- PanAm Aquatics
- Oceania Aquatics
Table tennis
- ETTU (Europe)
- ATTU (Asia)
- ITTF Americas
- ATTF (Africa)
- OTTF (Oceania)
Cycling
- UEC (Europe)
- COPACI (Americas)
- ACC (Asia)
- CAC (Africa)
- OCC (Oceania)
Golf
- EGA (Europe)
- APGC (Asia-Pacific)
- AGF (Africa)
- South American Golf Federation
Canoe/kayak
- ECA (Europe)
- ACC (Asia)
- PA-Canoe (Americas)
- CAC (Africa)
- OCC (Oceania)
Rowing
- European Rowing (ER)
Equestrian
- European Equestrian Federation (EEF)
- Asian Equestrian Federation (AEF)
- Pan American Equestrian Confederation (PAEC)
Go deeper
Explore detailed, sport-by-sport coverage of the global flagships on the International sport federations (single-sport world championships) page: /events/competitions/single-sport-world-championships/.
Browse the selection of continental, sport-specific federations and their regional championship structures here: /events/competitions/sport-specific-selection/.