London has been named the best city in the world for sports events

Just as London has revealed it plans to bid to host the 2040 Olympics, the capital has been crowned as the world’s best city for hosting sporting events. 

A new report by City Hall has revealed that major sporting events made £230 million for the capital last year, with more than 500,000 fans attending fixtures in the city, and 200 million viewers tuning in online and on TV. London was also named the world's leading sporting events host in the 2024 Global Cities Report.

2024 was a bumper year for sports in the Big Smoke, with the capital hosting more than 50 major events including the UEFA Champions League Final, the London E-Prix, Major League Baseball and NFL American football games. 

Things show no sign of slowing down. This year London will host the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Grand Sumo Tournament. Meanwhile England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have already been confirmed as hosts for Euro 2028, and the UK is set to host the Women’s World Cup in 2035. 

For the future, the Mayor has revealed ambitions to host the Superbowl, Olympics, World Athletics Championship, and WrestleMania. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: ‘London is the sporting capital of the world and I am proud that we have such a strong track record of staging the biggest and best international events in our great city.’

Two of London’s most unspoiled green spaces could soon host more large-scale events. 

Peckham Rye’s 1930s shopping arcade will be knocked down this summer.