Sports seem to get bigger and better every year. We’re constantly wowed by incredible performances, unforgettable contests, and dominant champions. But what are the sporting events that truly mean the most to the athletes competing and the spectators watching? What are the biggest sporting events in the world?

We could seek to define an answer to these questions by crowd size, TV viewership, or even the amount of money involved for the winners. But instead I’m going to go by the good old-fashioned eye test. Here are one writer’s rankings of the biggest events in the entire world of sport.

  1. Tour de France

It may have fallen off in the eyes of some viewers since the time of Lance Armstrong’s dominance, but the Tour de France remains an incredibly appealing sporting event. It’s over 100 years old and still stands as one of the greatest tests of human athletic endurance on the planet. Plus, if you count the aggregate spectators at all different stages over the entire course of the event, about 15 million people watch!

  1. Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup isn’t as well known as its soccer counterpart in certain parts of the world, but for the countries passionate about the sport, it’s every bit as big. The Cup occurs once every four years, and though the same general handful of nations tends to be at the top, it features fierce and enthralling competition.

  1. The Masters

It’s actually difficult to choose just one golf event to put on this list, as the major tournaments are considered equal in prestige. But The Masters just has that special something that seems to elevate it above the rest. The course at Augusta, Georgia where it’s played is legendary, and even the style of the TV broadcast just puts you in the mood to relax and watch golf. There’s even a popular drink named after Arnold Palmer, one of the tournament’s best ever champions (he won it four times), and many fans still celebrate the occasion by mixing up jugs of this drink.

  1. The NBA Finals

The NBA Finals have always been a major sporting event in the U.S., but as basketball has become a more global game, the finals have only become a bigger draw. Today’s NBA fans exist all over the world, and thus there’s more interest than ever in tuning in to see the two best teams compete in a best-of-seven series.

  1. The Final Four

Even the NBA Finals can’t usually match the excitement and drama of the NCAA Final Four. March Madness in general, the 68-team single elimination tournament that represents college basketball’s postseason, is one of the most beloved events in sports. But the Final Four itself represents the culmination of three weeks of March Madness action, and tends to be one of the bigger draws on the sports calendar.

  1. Wimbledon

The 10 Biggest Sporting Events In The World

As with golf, tennis makes it difficult to pick one event, because there are four major tournaments of equal prestige, at least in terms of rankings and accolades. But as with The Masters, Wimbledon just provides that extra something. Whether it’s the look of the grass courts (unique to Wimbledon among majors), the all-white uniforms of the players, or simply the fact that some of the best tennis ever played happened there, Wimbledon is undeniably special. Plus, it tends to happen over the 4th of July holiday, meaning a lot of people take the time to stop and watch some tennis.

  1. The Champions League Final

There’s probably not an annual sporting event that captures as much interest worldwide as the Champions League final. Meant as the de fact championship of European soccer, it’s about as big as it gets in the world’s favorite sport. Fans pack the stadium, tune in online, bet on the outcome, and even try to win special prizes by guessing the winner. The players almost always seem to perform at a high level, and those that make the biggest highlights are often elevated to new highs in prestige and recognition. It’s a truly amazing sporting event.

  1. The Super Bowl

The Champions League final is probably the biggest annual sporting event for the world. But in the U.S. it’s probably the Super Bowl, and for better or worse the U.S. hypes its major sporting events like nowhere else on the planet. For that reason it’s probably fair to say that the Super Bowl is among the “biggest” sporting events on the planet. It certainly says something when airing a single, 30-second ad during a sports contest can cost $5 million!

  1. The Olympic Games

The Olympic Games don’t require much of an explanation. Any event specifically designed to bring the world together in celebration of athletics is by default one of the biggest events on the planet. Throw in the fact that the games have been happening for literally thousands of years, and maybe I ought to re-think putting them at number two. Except…

  1. The World Cup

The Olympics are great for shining a spotlight on some more obscure sports and athletes. But The World Cup effectively brings the world to a standstill by providing an international competition in the world’s favorite sport. Soccer is king in most of the world, and even where it’s not the excitement of the World Cup is irresistible. Passionate crowds, desperate teams, buzzing host nations, and the indescribably happy calls of television commentators make this event truly unlike any other.