From football tournaments to cricket, these events coming up this year are worth noting in your travel calendar for an added adrenaline rush
1. Cricket World Cup, England and Wales
The flagship men’s event of the international cricket calendar is back for its 12th run in 2019. With England and Wales playing host, the Cricket World Cup 2019 will be the first World Cup to not include any of the 93 associate members of the International Cricket Council, due to their elimination at the qualifying stage in which both associate and full member nations may participate. As a result, new associate member the United States, as well as the renowned Netherlands national cricket team, will not be part of the season. London will be a significant venue for the tournament, with the opening match taking place at The Oval and the final to be played at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
30 May-14 July 2019
2. UEFA Champions League Final, Madrid
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League Final 2019 marks the fifth time the match will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid as well as the first time the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will be used in a UEFA final, with its decisions being announced on the big screens around the stadium if they are overturned. As one of the most notable European football competitions of the year, the final will be an all-English affair between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur after both Barcelona and Ajax were knocked out of the competition in a series of thrilling semi-final matches.
1 June 2019
3. U.S Open Championship, California
Happening on world-renowned Pebble Beach Golf Links, just a two hours’ drive from San Francisco, the 119th edition of the U.S. Open takes place in the summer and is sure to attract some of golf’s biggest names, including former champion Lucas Glover and newly minted Masters champion Tiger Woods. The tournament is the third of four major golf championships this year.
13–16 June 2019
4. FIFA Women’s World Cup, France
For the first time, France will be hosting the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup, making it the third European nation to do so. Spread across nine cities, the quadrennial competition will see champions the United States, with three tournaments under its belt since the beginning of the competition in 1991, returning to defend the title against 23 other teams. The final will be played in Lyon, home of the 2018 UEFA Women’s Champions League winners Olympique Lyonnais.
7 June-7 July 2019
5. World Aquatics Championships, Gwangju
Having previously hosted the Summer Universiade aquatics events in 2015, Gwangju will be hosting the World Aquatics Championships 2019 in the same venues. The opening as well as the closing ceremonies will take place at Nambu International Aquatics Center. One of the most anticipated highlights of the competition would be watching Singaporean Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling in action, as he pursues a major butterfly medal. Gwangju is easily reached by train from Seoul in under two hours.
12-28 July 2019
6. Rugby World Cup, Japan
The ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup will be held across 12 different cities in Japan, making the country the first Asian nation to host the international competition. While the Irish and Australian teams are rising forces, New Zealand will be focused on chasing a third consecutive win this season. The Tokyo Stadium and the International Stadium Yokohama will be hosting the opening and final matches respectively.
20 September-2 November 2019
7. ATP Finals, London
The season-ending event for the highest-ranked singles players and doubles teams on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour 2019 will be held at the O2 Arena in London. Eight of the world’s best singles and doubles players will be battling it out for the championship titles, with many speculating another showdown between last year’s singles winner Alexander Zverev and tennis legend Novak Djokovic.
10-17 November 2019
8. SEA Games, The Philippines
The Philippines will be hosting the 30th edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which will be the first time the competition will include e-sports and obstacle course racing. The competition will comprise 56 sports, the highest number of sports in the history of the Games. The opening ceremony will take place at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan while the closing ceremony will be held at the Athletics Stadium in New Clark City.
30 November-11 December 2019
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