Sporting Events 2024: Euro 2024, Formula 1, Paris Olympics and More

Each year, it feels like the sporting calendar just gets more and more jam-packed. It may not be brilliant for the athletes, but it’s great for spectators. From Ivory Coast’s ‘zombie team’ coming back from the dead to win the Africa Cup of Nations, to the most talented UFC lineup in franchise history, 2024 has already seen a wealth of top-class sporting action.

There’s still plenty more to come with the likes of the UEFA European Championships, the Summer Olympics, and all the other major annual sporting events taking place too. Here is a 2024 sporting calendar with all the top events, when they’re going to take place, and what to expect.

These events are the currently confirmed and scheduled dates at the time of writing and are subject to change.

January

Sport
Event
Date

Football
Start of AFC Asia Cup
12th

Football
Start of the African Cup of Nations
13th

Motorsport
Start of Formula E season
13th

Tennis
Australian Open
14th-28th

Golf
Dubai Desert Classic
18th-21st

MMA
UFC 297
20th

Cricket
India v England Series – 1st test
25th-28th

There will be five continental football competitions for men’s international teams this year. Asia and Africa got the ball rolling with month-long tournaments in Qatar and Ivory Coast respectively. Both host nations began with convincing wins, while Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue emerged as an unlikely hero of the group stages, scoring five goals in three games despite playing as a right-back in the third tier of Spanish football.

England took on India in their first cricket test match of 2024. The opening contest in a five-test series was utterly enthralling, as Ben Stokes’ side overturned a first-innings deficit of 190 before dismantling their hosts on the fourth day. There was another surprise in the first tennis Grand Slam of 2024 as Italian prodigy Jannik Sinner dethroned Novak Djokovic to claim the first major of his career.

February

Sport
Event
Date

Golf
Pebble Beach Pro-Am
1st-4th

Rugby
Start of the Six Nations
2nd

Football
Asia Cup final
10th

Football
AFCON final
11th

American football
Super Bowl LVII
11th

MMA
UFC 298
17th

Football
Carabao Cup final
25th

The headline event of February never took place. The undisputed Heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk was postponed after the English champion suffered a cut during sparring. UFC 298 filled the void in the world of combat sports as Ilia Topuria delivered a stunning knockout against Alex Volkanovski before calling out Conor McGregor.

Despite losing 4-0 in the group stages, sacking their manager and repeatedly falling behind in the knockout rounds, Ivory Coast found a way past Nigeria in the final to be crowned 2023 AFCON champions. One day earlier, Qatar defeated Jordan to win the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Kansas City Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in five years in the middle of the month, while Jurgen Klopp earned the eighth and final trophy of his tenure at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final shortly after announcing his decision to leave Merseyside at the end of the season.

March

Sport
Event
Date

F1
Bahrain GP
2nd

F1
Saudi Arabia GP
9th

Rugby Union
England v Ireland
9th

MMA
UFC 299
9th

Horse racing
Gold Cup at Cheltenham
15th

Rugby Union
Ireland v Scotland
16th

Football
Euro ’24 qualifying playoff semis

F1
Australian GP
24th

Football
Euro ’24 qualifying playoff final
26th

Formula 1 returned in March as though nothing had ever changed. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the first two Grands Prix of the season but was forced into a rare retirement in Australia, prompting huge cheers in the crowd, as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz snagged top spot on the podium.

Rugby union’s Six Nations also threw up a surprise as one of the most underwhelming England teams in recent memory earned an unlikely victory over reigning champions Ireland. Andy Farrell’s side defeated Scotland in their final match to retain the title.

The final lineup of nations competing at Euro 2024 was confirmed by the end of March after Poland, Ukraine and Georgia emerged victorious from the qualifying play-offs. ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley claimed the Bantamweight championship crown at UFC 299 in Miami for the first time against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera.

April

Sport
Event
Date

Cricket
Start of County Championship
5th

F1
Japanese GP
7th

Snooker
Start of World Snooker Championships
10th

Golf
The Masters
11th-14th

Horse racing
Grand National
13th

MMA
UFC 300
13th

Athletics
Boston Marathon
15th

Athletics
Start of Diamond League
20th

F1
Chinese GP
21st

Athletics
London Marathon
21st

One of the biggest sporting events in the world gripped the globe between 11th and 14th April as The Masters unfolded. Scottie Scheffler rose to the fore on the luscious green courses of Augusta National, collecting his second green jacket and $3.6m in prize money to add to his staggering earnings. Right in the middle of The Masters was another favourite of British sports: the Grand National at Aintree. Any punters that plumped on I Am Maximus also took home a tidy sum.

UFC’s landmark show of the year, UFC 300, took over Las Vegas on the 13th of the month as three title fights and a title eliminator were squeezed onto one main card. Formula 1 returned to China for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic as Verstappen claimed another race win, but the second-place finish from McLaren’s Lando Norris was the most eye-catching aspect of the Grand Prix.

May

Sport
Event
Date

Horse racing
Kentucky Derby
4th

MMA
UFC 301
4th

Cycling
Giro d’Italia
4th-26th

F1
Miami GP
5th

Snooker
Final of the World Championships
6th

Football
Women’s FA Cup Final
12th

Rugby Union
Gallagher Premiership final day
18th

Boxing
Fury v Usyk
18th

F1
Emilia Romagna GP
19th

Football
Premier League final day
19th

Football
Europa League final
22nd

Rugby Union
Challenge Cup final
24th

Football
FA Cup final
25th

Rugby Union
Champions Cup final
25th

F1

Tennis
Start of Roland Garros
26th

Football
Europa Conference League final
29th

May was the month of finals in European football. The Women’s FA Cup, the Europa League, the FA Cup, and the Europa Conference League finals were all decided in May. The 2023/24 Premier League season also concluded on the 19th as Manchester City claimed an unprecedented fourth consecutive top-flight title. However, Manchester United silenced their noisy neighbours with an unexpected triumph in the FA Cup final.

F1’s three Grands Prix in May produced some feel-good moments. On either side of an obligatory Max Verstappen victory in Emilia Romagna, Lando Norris won the first title of his career, before Charles Leclerc triumphed in his home Grand Prix at Monaco. There was no upset as the proflic all-rounder Tadej Pogacar won the Giro d’Italia. Tennis’ second major tournament of the year, at Roland Garros, started on the day that the prestigious cycling race in Italy ended. Italy’s Jannik Sinner entered as one of the tournament favourites and was still in contention for another Grand Slam by the time the tournament bled into June.

The biggest event in the 2024 boxing schedule was staged on 18th May as Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to claim the unified Heavyweight title. The first undisputed champion this century underscored his legacy as one of the greatest Heavyweight fighters in boxing history with a split decision triumph.

June

Sport
Event
Date

Football
Champions League final
1st

MMA
UFC 302
1st

Cricket
T20 World Cup
1st-29th

Athletics
European Championships
7th-12th

F1
Canadian GP
9th

Basketball
NBA Finals
10th-24th

Golf
US Open
13th-16th

Football
Start of Euro 2024
14th

Motorsport
24 Hours of Le Mans
15th-16th

Football
Start of Copa America 2024
20th

Horse racing
Gold Cup at Royal Ascot
22nd

F1
Spanish GP
23rd

Tennis
Final of the Roland Garros
26th

Cycling
Start of Tour de France
29th

MMA
UFC 303
29th

F1
Austrian GP
30th

The first day of the sixth month of the year saw the Champions League final take place at Wembley. The eighth European final ever hosted at the stadium, and the first since Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in 2013, saw the German club defeated again, this time by Real Madrid. Not only that, but the European Championships started in June too, with Germany obliterating Scotland in the opening match on the 14th. The Copa America, South America’s equivalent, also kicked off on the 20th.

The T20 World Cup gripped cricket fans throughout June. India have sat top of the world rankings since February 2022 and claimed their second title with the white ball, but it was a competition rife with surprise results. Co-host USA most notably defeated Pakistan in a Super Over.

While the Tour de France got underway on shortly before June ended, France’s signature tennis tournament, Roland Garros, was won by Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish sensation trailed by two sets to one in the semi-final and showpiece event but went the distance to defeat Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.

There were three Grands Prix in June, in Canada, Spain, and Austria. Max Verstappen only won two of them. Elsewhere in the world of motorsport, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was staged across the 15th and 16th. The US Open saw golf head to the Pinehurst Resort, in North Carolina. Back over the pond, thousands headed to Ascot on the 22nd to watch the Gold Cup.

July

Sport
Event
Date

Tennis
Wimbledon
1st-14th

F1
British GP
7th

Cricket
Start of England v West Indies series
10th

Football
Euro 2024 final
14th

Football
Copa America 2024 final
14th

Golf
The Open
18th-21st

Athletics
Diamond League in London
20th

F1
Hungarian GP
21st

Cycling
End of Tour de France
21st

Motorsport
Formula E season finale in London
21st

Athletics
Start of the 2024 Olympic Games
26th

MMA
UFC 304
27th

F1
Belgian GP
28th

We’re right in the heart of summer, and some institutions of British sport will be back on your TV at this point in 2024. The month opens with the first day of Wimbledon. The strawberries and cream will be out as Carlos Alcaraz looks to defend his title. Less than a week later, F1 returns to Silverstone as, arguably, the most consistently action-packed race on the calendar is held on the 7th. England will start their home test series against the West Indies on the 10th.

The major talking points of this month will be the first day of the Olympics and the Euro 2024 final. The Olympics starts on the 26th. The final of the Euros, in Berlin, is on the 14th. Elsewhere in the world, the final of the Copa America takes place on the same day as the Euros final.

August

Sport
Event
Date

MMA
UFC Abu Dhabi
3rd

Athletics
End of the 2024 Paris Olympics
11th

Cycling
Tour de France Femmes
12th-18th

Football
Start of the 2024/25 Premier League season
17th

MMA
UFC 305
17th

Golf
Women’s Open at St. Andrew’s
22nd-25th

F1
Dutch GP
25th

Tennis
Start of the US Open
26th

Athletics
Start of the Paris Paralympics
28th

The first, and biggest, thing to occur in August 2024 will be the closing of the 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris, on the 11th. Luckily for avid fans of the games, the Paralympics start on 28th August, so you’ll only have to go a couple of weeks without getting to watch top-level athletics. There will be plenty of women’s sports going on in August. The Tour de Frances Femmes will be taking place between 12-18th. Women’s golf returns to the prestigious course that is St Andrew’s in the eighth month of the year, as it hosts the Women’s Open.

The Premier League also gets back underway for the 2024/25 season in August. The US Open, which was famously won by teenager Emma Raducanu in 2021, starts on the 26th. There’s not much Formula 1 on in August, as the sport’s summer break stretches out through most of the month. There will be one race though: the Dutch Grand Prix, which is scheduled to be held on the 25th.

September

Sport
Event
Date

F1
Italian GP
1st

American Football
2024 NFL season starts
5th

Athletics
End of the Paralympic Games
8th

Tennis
US Open final
8th

Cricket
England v Australia T20 match
11th

Athletics
End of the Diamond League
13th-14th

Golf
Solheim Cup
13th-15th

MMA
UFC 306
14th

F1
Azerbaijan GP
15th

Rugby League

Tennis
Laver Cup
20th-22nd

F1
Singapore GP
22nd

Athletics
Berlin Marathon
29th

Cricket
Final day of the County Championship
29th

The ninth month of the year provides the last chance for tennis’ top players to get their hands on a major, as the final of the US Open is set to be played on 8th September. On the same day, the Paralympics in Paris will end. Later in the month, the Diamond League ends in Brussels on the 13th. The 20th is the final day of the Super League in Rugby League, and the 29th is the final day of the County Championship, bringing the domestic cricket season in the UK to a close.

Even with the slowing down of these blockbuster events, there will still be the likes of the Solheim Cup, where Europe takes on the US at the Robert Trent Jones Club. Formula 1 Grands Prix will be carrying on. There are three planned races for September, and they’re scheduled to be in Italy, Azerbaijan and Singapore. England will play Australia in a T20 international on the 11th, and the Berlin Marathon will take place on the 29th. On the other side of the Atlantic, the 2024 NFL season begins on 5th September, running throughout the end of the year before the play-offs begin in January.

October

Sport
Event
Date

Sailing
America’s Cup
12th-20th

Athletics
Chicago Marathon
13th

F1
U.S. GP
20th

Baseball
World Series
25th

MMA
UFC 308
26th

F1
Mexican GP
27th

One of the biggest sailing events of the year takes place in October, with the America’s Cup scheduled between 12th and 20th October. This will be the 37th edition of the competition, and the cup is the oldest trophy in international sport, dating back to 1851. Also in October, there will be two Grands Prix. The first of them will be held at the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas, on the 20th. The second will be a week later in Mexico.

The climax of Major League Baseball in the US is scheduled to begin from 1st October onwards. The post-season reaches its sharp end with the 2024 MLB World Series set to get underway on 25th October, with a potential Game Seven loosely pencilled in on 2nd November.

November

Sport
Event
Date

F1
Brazilian GP
3rd

Athletics
New York Marathon
3rd

Tennis
WTA Finals
2nd-9th

Horse racing
Melbourne Cup
5th

Tennis
ATP Finals
10th-17th

Boxing
Jake Paul v Mike Tyson
15th

Tennis
Davis Cup Finals
19th-24th

F1
Las Vegas GP
23rd

November offers a dramatic conclusion to the competitive tennis season. The month begins with the WTA Finals as the eight highest-ranked singles and doubles women’s players face off in Saudi Arabia between 2nd and 9th. The equivalent men’s tournament will follow between 10th and 17th November in Turin ahead of the Davis Cup Finals – tennis’ answer to the football World Cup – to close out the month.

There will be more F1, as the show heads to Sao Paulo for the Brazilian Grand Prix, and to Las Vegas for the second edition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The final big marathon of the year is scheduled for New York, on 3rd November. Victoria, Melbourne will be attracting fans coming to watch the Melbourne Cup on the 5th as well.

YouTube star Jake Paul was scheduled to take on Mike Tyson in a scarcely believable matchup on 20th July. The highly anticipated clash had to be postponed after the 57-year-old former Heavyweight champion suffered a medical scare in May, with a new date set for 15th November.

December

Sport
Event
Date

F1
Qatar GP
1st

F1
Abu Dhabi GP
8th

Boxing
Usyk v Fury 2
21st

The Qatar Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix mark the end of another F1 season. Both of these events have seen the Driver’s Championship be decided at the races once each since 2021, with Max Verstappen lifting the trophy on each occasion.

The highly anticipated rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will also dominate the calendar at a time when the Middle East will act as a global sporting hub. Usyk edged an enthralling contest against Fury in May, landing a volley of blows that had the British boxer propped up on the ropes. The eyes of the boxing world will be trained on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia once again this December to see if either heavyweight contender can land a knockout blow.