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Football (soccer) world cup
The FIFA World Cup is the pivotal tournament for international football (soccer). Managed by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the FIFA World Cup is the second largest sporting event globally.
The tournament is every 4 years. A different nation hosts it each time. The qualifying phase is the 3 years prior.
Learn more about the FIFA World Cup.
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games occurs every 4 years. The Commonwealth Games Federation controls both the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth Youth Games.
Participants are from 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth. This covers about 1/3 of the world's population.
The destination changes for each event.
While the audience is smaller than Olympic Games, tourists flock to each host city before, during and after the events. This increases risks to travellers.
Learn more about the Commonwealth Games.
Olympics
Each Olympic Games occurs every 4 years. A different country hosts the event every time.
More than more than 200 countries participate in over 400 events across the Summer and Winter Games, Paralympic Games and Youth Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee publishes details for each:
- Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games
- Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games
- Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
Tens of thousands of people from around the world travel to the host city to watch, and join the festivities. With the large number of visitors, the risk of things going wrong increases.
Before you go, read the travel advisory for your destination. Read our general advice on how to stay safe and avoid danger.
Rugby world cup
The Rugby World Cup (RWC) is the key rugby union tournament globally. It's the 3rd largest sporting event in the world. The top 20 teams from nations around the world participate.
It runs for seven weeks, every 4 years. A different country hosts it each time.
Events are at venues across the host nation. This means it's not just one city that is flooded with international tourists, it's many.
Learn more about the Rugby World Cup.
Cricket world cup
The Cricket World Cup (International Cricket Council) is the world's top cricket tournament. It's the finale of a global qualification process over several years, that narrows to just 10 teams.
It takes place in a different destination every 4 years.
Learn more about the Cricket World Cup
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- See our general advice for taking care of your health.
- See our general advice about staying safe and avoiding danger.
- Read our travel advisory for your destination.