This directory lists the international federations that sanction single-sport world championships featured in our competitions hub. Each entry clarifies the federation’s remit, its headline world event(s), how disciplines are grouped, and how it interfaces with continental confederations for qualification, rankings, and technical governance. Use this as your authoritative map before you dive into discipline rulebooks or qualification handbooks: confirm the global governing body, note the world-level calendar cadence (annual, biennial, quadrennial), then cross-reference your sport’s continental body for regional entry routes, quotas, and regulations.
Directory: international federations that run single-sport world championships
| Sport | International federation | Scope / disciplines | Headline world event | Continental interface |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Football | FIFA | Association football plus futsal, beach soccer | FIFA World Cup (Men, Women); age-group, futsal, beach worlds | UEFA, CONMEBOL, AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, OFC |
| Basketball | FIBA | 5v5 and 3x3 basketball across senior and youth | FIBA Basketball World Cup; FIBA Women's World Cup; 3x3 Worlds | FIBA Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa, Oceania |
| Cricket | ICC | Test, ODI, T20; men’s and women’s pathways | ICC Cricket World Cup (ODI); ICC T20 World Cup; WTC | Regional qualifying under ICC global pathway |
| Rugby union | World Rugby | Fifteens and Sevens; men’s and women’s | Rugby World Cup; Rugby World Cup Sevens | Rugby Europe, Sudamérica Rugby, Asia Rugby, Rugby Africa, RAN, Oceania Rugby |
| Ice hockey | IIHF | Senior and junior tiers; women’s hockey | IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (annual); Women’s Worlds | Regional/national via IIHF members; divisional tiers |
| Equestrian | FEI | Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Endurance, Vaulting, Driving | FEI World Championships (discipline-based) | EEF, AEF, PAEC plus national FEs |
| Fishing (angling) | CIPS (FIPSed, FIPS-M, FIPS-Mouche); CMAS (spearfishing); IGFA (records/regs) | Freshwater, sea, fly; underwater spearfishing; global records | Discipline World Championships (CIPS/FIPS); Spearfishing Worlds (CMAS) | Continental/zone structures vary; national bodies route entries |
| Orienteering | IOF | Foot-O, Ski-O, MTB-O, TrailO; elite and junior | World Orienteering Championships; SkiO/MTB-O/TrailO Worlds | IOF regional events and member federations |
| Golf | IGF | Amateur/Olympic interface; rankings-based qualification | Olympic Golf; World Amateur Team Championships | EGA, APGC, AGF, South American Golf Federation |
| Cycling | UCI | Road, Track, MTB, BMX Racing/Freestyle, Cyclo-cross | UCI World Championships (by discipline; combined in selected years) | UEC, COPACI, ACC, CAC, OCC |
| Canoe/Kayak | ICF | Sprint, Slalom, Marathon, Wildwater, Ocean Racing, Canoe Polo | ICF World Championships (per discipline) | ECA, PA-Canoe, ACC, CAC, OCC |
| Surf/SUP | ISA | Stand Up Paddle racing/surfing; prone paddleboard | ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships | ISA continental/regionals and national surf federations |
| Dragon boat | IDBF | Standard/small boat, open/women/mixed; distance classes | IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships | IDBF continental federations and national DBFs |
| Rowing | World Rowing | Olympic & non-Olympic boat classes; Coastal/Beach Sprint | World Rowing Championships; Coastal & Beach Sprint Worlds | European Rowing and regional/national pathways |
Federation capsules
FIFA — International governing body for world football
FIFA sanctions the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup and oversees futsal and beach soccer world championships. It defines statutes, competition regulations, eligibility, and transfer systems, and coordinates qualification through six continental confederations. Beyond the senior flagships, FIFA runs age-group world cups, and publishes technical guidelines for venues, officiating, and VAR where applicable. World Cup cycles are quadrennial, with detailed slot allocations agreed with continental bodies.
FIBA — Global basketball authority (5v5 and 3x3)
FIBA organizes the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Women’s World Cup, with qualification windows delivered by its five continental zones. The federation codifies 5v5 rules and administers an integrated 3x3 framework with a dedicated ranking ecosystem. It also runs youth world championships and supports clinics for referees and coaches, ensuring standardization across elite and age-grade tournaments.
ICC — International Cricket Council
The ICC governs cricket’s three international formats—Tests, ODIs, and T20s. Its world-level portfolio includes the ICC Cricket World Cup (ODI), ICC T20 World Cup for men and women, and the World Test Championship league cycle. Qualification blends regional tournaments with global qualifiers and performance-based seeding. Playing conditions, DRS, and the code of conduct are maintained under ICC regulations applicable to all sanctioned competitions.
World Rugby — Laws, eligibility, and world championships
World Rugby administers the Rugby World Cup for fifteens and the Rugby World Cup Sevens. It publishes the Laws of the Game, discipline frameworks, player welfare protocols, and eligibility rules. Qualification interlocks with regional unions, combining automatic berths with continental qualifiers. Outside world events, the federation governs international windows and rankings that inform seedings and draw procedures.
IIHF — International Ice Hockey Federation
The IIHF runs annual world championships for men and women using a multi-division structure with promotion and relegation to reflect competitive parity across nations. Age-grade worlds (U20 and U18) follow similar principles. IIHF centralizes officiating standards, transfer approvals, and eligibility across member associations, with technical regulations that specify roster sizes, equipment checks, and game operations.
FEI — Fédération Équestre Internationale
FEI governs Olympic equestrian disciplines and several non-Olympic ones. The FEI World Championships are staged by discipline—Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Endurance, Vaulting, and Driving—each with distinct qualification, Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs), and stewarding protocols. FEI collaborates closely with continental federations on rankings, calendar harmonization, and education for judges, stewards, and veterinarians.
CIPS / FIPSed / FIPS-M / FIPS-Mouche; CMAS; IGFA — Angling and underwater cousins
CIPS umbrellas sport fishing with technical sub-federations: FIPSed (freshwater), FIPS-M (sea), and FIPS-Mouche (fly). Each runs discipline-specific world championships (bank, boat, feeder, carp, predator, and more). CMAS, the confederation for underwater sports, governs spearfishing world championships. IGFA provides the global records and rule frameworks for game fish, including line-class standards and ethical angling regulations; while it is not a world-championship organizer in the same sense, its rules underpin many competitions’ eligibility and record-claim procedures.
IOF — International Orienteering Federation
IOF sanctions world championships across Foot Orienteering (WOC) and allied disciplines—SkiO, MTB-O, and TrailO. Formats span sprint, middle, long, and relays. Qualification uses a blend of national quotas, World Cup points, and regional results. IOF also standardizes mapping, control descriptions, fairness rules, and anti-doping education, ensuring comparable competition quality in forests, urban settings, snow, and bike-legal terrain.
IGF — International Golf Federation
IGF represents golf within the Olympic Movement, coordinating Olympic qualification via world rankings in partnership with national federations and tours. It also administers the World Amateur Team Championships (Eisenhower Trophy for men, Espirito Santo Trophy for women). Professional tours retain autonomy, but IGF provides governance interfaces on anti-doping, integrity, and international event recognition.
UCI — Union Cycliste Internationale
UCI regulates cycling’s multi-discipline landscape. World championships are held for Road, Track, Mountain Bike, Cyclo-cross, and BMX Racing and Freestyle, with para-cycling counterparts. Some cycles combine many of these into a single mega-event. UCI publishes extensive technical regulations (equipment, event classes, safety), licensing, and an international calendar whose points feed into quotas and start-order systems.
ICF — International Canoe Federation
ICF runs world championships for Canoe Sprint and Slalom (Olympic disciplines), as well as Marathon, Wildwater, Ocean Racing, and Canoe Polo. Qualification can involve world cups, continental qualifiers, and ranking thresholds. ICF’s technical rules cover boat specifications, course setup, officials’ roles, anti-doping, and event safety, with coordination across continental bodies for regional championships.
ISA — International Surfing Association (SUP & Paddleboard worlds)
ISA is the global authority for surfing and also governs SUP racing and SUP surfing at the world level, along with prone paddleboard disciplines. Its world championships bring together national teams under standardized technical rules, anti-doping, and judging criteria. Continental and regional circuits contribute ranking points and selection mechanisms within many member nations.
IDBF — International Dragon Boat Federation
IDBF standardizes dragon boat racing, including boat classes (standard and small), distances (commonly 200 m to 2,000 m), and competition divisions (open, women, mixed, age groups). The World Dragon Boat Racing Championships rotate among host nations, while continental championships and club crew worlds add depth to the calendar. Technical bulletins define crew composition, steering and drum roles, and equipment control.
World Rowing — Global federation for rowing
World Rowing stages the World Rowing Championships, as well as dedicated worlds for Coastal and Beach Sprint formats. Qualification for Olympic classes follows a mix of world and continental regattas with allocated quotas; non-Olympic events rely on entry standards and performance at world-level regattas. World Rowing’s rulebook details boat classes, weigh-ins, equipment checks, and safety plans across flatwater and coastal environments.
Where to go next
Explore world events by sport: /events/competitions/single-sport-world-championships/
Find regional entry routes and qualifiers: /events/federations/continental/