Welcome to 2023, the year of World Cups

If two and a bit weeks was too long to go without a World Cup, I have good news for you: 2023 is full of them.

The dust is only just settling in Doha after Lionel Messi and Argentina claimed the men’s football World Cup in Qatar in December. But as we step into the new year and look ahead at what’s to come in the sporting calendar over the next 12 months it is one dominated by global tournaments.

Cricket’s women are in South Africa in February for the World T20 where five-time winners Australia will again be the team for everyone else to beat, before England’s men, fresh from winning their own short-form tournament at the back end of 2022, will look to defend the 50-over title so dramatically won back in 2019 in India in October. In between, both men and women will look to end on the winning side with Ashes series against Australia on these shores in the summer.

A year on from bringing football home, England’s women will again take centre stage when they look to add a World Cup to their European Championship in Australia and New Zealand. Reigning champions USA will be the Lionesses’ chief rival for the title.

At the same time, netball’s World Cup will see New Zealand look to defend their crown in South Africa. It’s not just World Cups either, with world championships in aquatics, cycling and athletics all taking place before the men’s Rugby World Cup caps the year in October and November.

South Africa are defending champs but will have to be at their best to get through hosts France while New Zealand and new world No 1s, Ireland, are also among the favourites to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. How England and Wales, both now under the leadership of new coaches, fare remains to be seen.

Throw in a Ryder Cup and a Solheim Cup in golf with Formula One, Six Nations, Wimbledon and Tour de France crowns also to be won and it promises to be a bumper year of sport. It will be a challenging one to cover for journalists, the demands of a truly year-round, truly global calendar of sport ever increasing.

So get ready. The year is just beginning but the world of sport never stops.

Yours,

Ben Burrows

Sports editor