With 2023 now behind us, the yearly sporting calendar is updated, and sporting fans have a lot to look forward to. There are a plethora of major sporting events taking place all over the world for sporting enthusiasts to enjoy, no matter which sport you prefer. In this article we are going to delve into what we believe to be the top 5 sporting events occurring this year. We will cover what these events entail, when they will run from and more.
All of the events we will mention are also viable to be bet on once they get underway. This can lead to many sports betting opportunities for those who enjoy partaking in the hobby as well as providing matched betting opportunities. Prolific-matched bettors can enjoy extended periods where there are more opportunities than usual, thanks to these sporting events.
Paris Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport competition held every four years. The very first modern Olympic games took place in 1896 in Greece and have ever since been one of the most looked forward to sporting events in the world. This year, the Olympics is being held in Paris; furthermore, 2024 will also mark the 100th year anniversary since they last hosted the event there. The Paris Olympics will take place from the 26th July – 11th August this year.
The Olympics has been home to 42 sports over the years, spanning 55 disciplines. This year, there will be 32 sports on offer, including Archery, Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Judo, Rowing, Skateboarding and much more. This year will also mark the debut of breakdancing as a sport in the Olympics.
As there are so many different sports involved in the Olympics, this leads to the event having a broad appeal to many sports fans. As a result, despite the sometimes niche nature of the sports involved, the Olympics generates billions of views worldwide with its paramount reputation. As there will be millions of viewers, this also lends itself very well to matched betting opportunities. With the many spectators throughout the event, there should also be a very active betting exchange market, making matched betting a very viable pastime during this period.
Euro 2024
Football is one of the most popular sports in the world, and the Euros is the second biggest international competition in men’s games behind the World Cup. The Euros is an international tournament which is held every four years between the 24 best nations in Europe at that time. 55 teams are eligible to enter; however, they must play in playoff group-stage matches to determine which teams are granted access to the tournament. The very first European Championship was held in 1960 and has been a regular event ever since.
The previous winners of this competition were Italy, which won the postponed Euro competition, which took place in 2021. The favourites this year include Germany, who are hosting the competition; England, who finished runners-up in 2021; and France, who consistently challenge in the World Cup and Euros.
Euro 2024 will be a month long and take place from 14th June to 14th July. During this period, similar to the Olympics, there will be millions of people watching the competition, and as a result, the betting markets will be very busy, which could make for interesting live-betting and matched betting opportunities.
Monaco Grand Prix
The Circuit de Monaco is famous for taking place through the narrow and twisting streets of Monte Carlo. Providing a unique and beautiful backdrop, the circuit’s tight turns and limited overtaking opportunities make for a very exciting race.
The current defending winner of the Monaco Grand Prix is Max Verstappen, and he is tipped as the favourite to win his third Monaco Grand Prix. Just behind him is teammate Sergio Perez, who continues to nip at Verstappen’s heels. After those two, the favourites are Charles LeClerc, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton.
T20 World Cup
Fans of cricket will already be well aware of this next addition to the list. Once again running in the month of June, the T20 World Cup will take place in America and the West Indies and is a biannual cricket competition that is considered one of the biggest cricket competitions in the world, behind the ICC Cricket World Cup. This will be the 9th edition of the T20 World Cup, and 20 teams will take part, all in a bid to leave the competition as champions.
African Cup of Nations/ Asian Cup/ Copa America
Similar to the Euros, there are other major international football competitions happening this year. Although we don’t have time to discuss each one individually, it feels unfair to leave them out, considering the mass appeal and following of each individual competition.
The African Cup of Nations final will take place in February and is the biggest international competition for the content of Africa. Similarly, the AFC Asian Cup will also hold its final at a similar time and is the biggest competition in Asia. These two competitions, although not as popular worldwide as the Copa America, Euros or World Cup, provide amazing opportunities for smaller footballing nations in Asia and Africa who typically struggle in the World Cup, with many sides failing to qualify entirely, to achieve some silverware and play in grand competitions.
The Copa America is the same conceptually as these 2 competitions mentioned above; however, it will run during a similar period as the Euros and is for nations in South America. The Copa America typically receives more of a following than these other 2 competitions due to the calibre of players within sides such as Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Furthermore, the winner of the Copa America is entered into the UEFA Cup of Champions, which is a one-game competition against the winner of the Euros.