International single-sport world championships are the flagship events that crown world champions under the authority of each sport's global federation. This page maps the core world titles and clarifies how disciplines are grouped, how teams or athletes typically qualify, and where continental bodies fit. Use the sections below to scan each sport's world event, then follow the related links to continental federations when you need regional contacts, qualifiers, or regulations.
Football — FIFA — FIFA World Cup
FIFA governs association football worldwide and stages the FIFA World Cup, the pinnacle national-team tournament. The men's and women's editions run on quadrennial cycles with continent-based qualifying managed by six confederations. In addition to senior events, FIFA sanctions youth world cups (U-20, U-17), futsal and beach soccer world cups, and a range of club and age-group competitions. Format and slot allocations are defined in FIFA regulations and distributed via continental pathways.
- Flagship: FIFA World Cup (Men, Women)
- Disciplines: 11-a-side; futsal; beach soccer
- Qualification: UEFA, CONMEBOL, AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, OFC routes
Basketball — FIBA — FIBA Basketball World Cup
FIBA organizes the FIBA Basketball World Cup for senior national teams and oversees the Women's Basketball World Cup. Qualification windows run through FIBA's continental zones with home-and-away windows. FIBA also runs world championships for youth categories and 3x3 basketball, whose tournament structure, ranking points, and qualification are governed by specialized 3x3 regulations.
- Flagships: FIBA Basketball World Cup; FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup
- Disciplines: 5-on-5, 3x3
- Qualification: FIBA Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa, Oceania
Cricket — ICC — Cricket World Cup
The International Cricket Council (ICC) sanctions the Cricket World Cup (ODI format) and the men's and women's ICC T20 World Cups, alongside the World Test Championship for the Test format. Qualification involves global and regional pathways, including league-based ranking and qualifying tournaments. Playing conditions, DRS policies, and code of conduct sit under ICC regulations.
- Flagships: ICC Cricket World Cup (ODI); ICC T20 World Cup; ICC Women's events
- Disciplines: Test, ODI, T20
- Qualification: ICC pathway combining leagues and regional qualifiers
Rugby union — World Rugby — Rugby World Cup
World Rugby runs the Rugby World Cup for men's and women's fifteens and the Rugby World Cup Sevens. Qualification blends automatic berths from prior performance with regional qualification through continental rugby bodies. World Rugby also sets the Laws of the Game, player welfare standards, international windows, and eligibility criteria across fifteens and sevens.
- Flagships: Rugby World Cup (Men, Women); Rugby World Cup Sevens
- Disciplines: XVs, Sevens
- Qualification: Regional routes via Rugby Europe, Asia Rugby, Rugby Africa, Rugby Americas North, Sudamérica Rugby, Oceania Rugby
Ice hockey — IIHF — Ice Hockey World Championship
The IIHF organizes annual men's and women's Ice Hockey World Championships using a tiered divisional system with promotion and relegation. Junior championships (U20, U18) mirror this structure. Team rosters, transfer rules, and officiating standards are harmonized under the IIHF statutes and sport regulations.
- Flagships: IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship; IIHF Women's World Championship
- Structure: Top Division plus lower divisions with promotion/relegation
- Age-grade: World Juniors (U20), U18 Worlds
Equestrian — FEI — FEI World Championships
The FEI governs Olympic equestrian disciplines and several non-Olympic ones. Its FEI World Championships are staged by discipline, most commonly for Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Endurance, Vaulting, and Driving. Qualification is discipline-specific and may include ranking thresholds, Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs), and continental quota distribution managed in cooperation with national federations.
- Flagship umbrella: FEI World Championships
- Disciplines: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Endurance, Vaulting, Driving
- Pathways: MERs, rankings, continental allocations
Fishing (angling) — CIPS/FIPS — World Championships; CMAS — Spearfishing; IGFA — records/regs
CIPS is the confederation for sport fishing with technical commissions as sub-federations: FIPSed (freshwater), FIPS-M (sea), and FIPS-Mouche (fly). Each runs discipline-specific world championships for bank, boat, feeder, carp, and other formats. CMAS governs underwater sports including spearfishing and stages Spearfishing World Championships. IGFA does not run a single unified world championship but issues global angling rules and maintains world records across tackle classes and species.
- CIPS sub-federations: FIPSed (freshwater), FIPS-M (sea), FIPS-Mouche (fly)
- CMAS: Spearfishing Worlds
- IGFA: international angling rules and world records
Orienteering — IOF — World Orienteering Championships
The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) sanctions the World Orienteering Championships for Foot-O and organizes world championships for Ski Orienteering, Mountain Bike Orienteering, and Trail Orienteering. Event formats include sprint, middle, long, and relay variants. Qualification typically combines national quotas with World Cup points and regional championship results.
- Flagships: WOC (Foot-O); SkiO, MTB-O, TrailO Worlds
- Formats: Sprint, Middle, Long, Relays
- Pathways: quotas, rankings, regional results
Golf — IGF — Olympic Golf; World Amateur Team Championships
The International Golf Federation (IGF) represents golf within the Olympic Movement, administering Olympic Golf qualification via world rankings. The IGF also directs the World Amateur Team Championships: the Eisenhower Trophy (men) and the Espirito Santo Trophy (women). Professional tours operate independently, but IGF coordinates anti-doping and international governance matters relevant to multi-sport events.
- Flagships: Olympic Golf; WATC (Eisenhower, Espirito Santo)
- Qualification: world rankings and national entries
- Scope: amateur focus under IGF; pros run via tours
Cycling — UCI — UCI World Championships; UCI WorldTour
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) governs cycling across multiple disciplines. Its world championships cover Road, Track, Mountain Bike, Cyclo-cross, BMX Racing and Freestyle, and other specialty categories. In selected years, many disciplines are combined into a single mega event branded as UCI World Championships. The UCI WorldTour is a season-long road calendar and ranking system rather than a world championship in itself.
- Flagships: UCI Worlds in Road, Track, MTB, CX, BMX Racing/Freestyle
- Structure: elite and age-group categories per discipline
- Note: UCI WorldTour is a season ranking, not a world championship
Kayaking & paddling — ICF — World Championships; ISA — SUP Worlds; IDBF — Dragon Boat Worlds; World Rowing — World Rowing Championships
Paddle sports are split among several global bodies. The International Canoe Federation (ICF) runs world championships for Canoe Sprint, Canoe Slalom, Marathon, Wildwater, Ocean Racing, and Canoe Polo. The International Surfing Association (ISA) governs SUP racing and SUP surfing at its World SUP and Paddleboard Championships. The International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) sanctions Dragon Boat World Championships. World Rowing (formerly FISA) governs rowing and stages the World Rowing Championships across Olympic and non-Olympic boat classes.
- ICF Worlds: Sprint, Slalom, Marathon, Wildwater, Ocean Racing, Canoe Polo
- ISA: World SUP and Paddleboard Championships
- IDBF: Dragon Boat World Championships
- World Rowing: World Rowing Championships
At-a-glance summary
| Sport | Federation | World event | Disciplines / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football | FIFA | FIFA World Cup | Senior men and women; futsal and beach soccer worlds exist |
| Basketball | FIBA | FIBA Basketball World Cup | 5-on-5; separate women's; 3x3 worlds |
| Cricket | ICC | Cricket World Cup | ODI and T20 worlds; Test championship league |
| Rugby union | World Rugby | Rugby World Cup | XVs and Sevens worlds; regional qualifiers |
| Ice hockey | IIHF | Ice Hockey World Championship | Annual with promotion/relegation; women's worlds |
| Equestrian | FEI | FEI World Championships | Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Endurance, Vaulting, Driving |
| Fishing | CIPS/FIPS; CMAS; IGFA | Multiple discipline worlds | Freshwater, sea, fly; spearfishing worlds; IGFA records |
| Orienteering | IOF | World Orienteering Championships | Foot-O plus SkiO, MTB-O, TrailO worlds |
| Golf | IGF | Olympic Golf; WATC | Olympic qualification by rankings; Eisenhower/Espirito Santo |
| Cycling | UCI | UCI World Championships | Road, Track, MTB, CX, BMX; WorldTour is seasonal |
| Paddling/Rowing | ICF; ISA; IDBF; World Rowing | Worlds by discipline | ICF multi; SUP worlds; Dragon Boat worlds; Rowing worlds |
Related pages
Continental, sport-specific federations: /events/competitions/sport-specific-selection/
Federation directories: /events/federations/international/ and /events/federations/continental/