After a few years where the sports world was hit hard by the pandemic – like everyone else – 2022 is turning into something of a blockbuster year. We have already had the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in China and there is plenty more to look forward to in the months ahead.
All the big sports betting sites will be featuring countless occasions before the end of the year – and here are five of the biggest sporting events to make a note of in 2022.
F1 Season Starts
The 2022 Formula One World Championship – to give it its full title – starts in Bahrain on March 20 and has a lot to live up to if it is to reach the excitement of last year. Max Verstappen is the reigning champion after he beat Lewis Hamilton to the title in the very last race of 2021.
That race – and the entire season – was not without controversy and it will be very interesting to see how those two face off against each other in the first of 23 F1 races. The season draws to a close in Abu Dhabi at the end of November and there is sure to be enough thrills and spills to keep racing fans happy in 2022.
Champions League Final
Europe’s elite club competition reaches its finale on May 28 when the two best sides on the continent do battle at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia. The knockout rounds have only just begun but already we have seen some shocks and upsets in the group stage.
Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund both exited the competition earlier than expected and now the real tests begin for the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain. The French club, in particular, is desperate to finally lift the famous trophy and will be hoping that it will be battling for honors in Russia at the end of May.
Wimbledon
The Championships returned to the All England Club in Wimbledon, England last year after the cancellation of the tournament in 2020. This quintessential English occasion was warmly welcomed as a sign that things were getting back to normal – including Novak Djokovic’s men’s single victory.
Ashleigh Barty won the women’s singles, becoming the first female Australian champion since 1980. But the championships are home to 15 different competitions, including wheelchair and youth tennis. The 2022 tournament runs for two glorious weeks from June 27.
Figure 2 Anyone for tennis?
Tour de France
The World’s most famous cycling race begins on July 1 with the Grand Depart beginning three stages in Denmark this year. From there the tour will return to France – and entering Switzerland at times – for a further 18 stages before finishing at the Champs-Elysees in Paris as usual.
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar is the current champion after winning in 2021 and is the favorite to win his third title this year. This grueling event is the pinnacle of road racing and has attracted some of the biggest names in the sport down through the years. This year’s tour is bound to be just as exciting.
FIFA World Cup
It will feel strange for many soccer fans to get ready for a World Cup towards the end of the year. But that is what is happening in 2022 as the tournament moves to November and December from its traditional summer home. The reason for the switch is the heat in Qatar – but it will be as eagerly anticipated as ever.
France is the current champion after beating Croatia in the final in Russia in 2018 – and Didier Deschamps’ side will be one of the big favorites to lift the trophy once again. The tournament kicks off on November 21, with the final coming just a week before Christmas on December 18.
