A World Championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual (or other entity) in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead they may organise a world cup, or they may organize both. Often, the use of the term cup or championship in this sense is just a choice of words. Some sports have multiple champions because of multiple organizations such as mixed martial arts, boxing and wrestling.

Certain sports do not have a world championships or a world cup as such, but may have one or several world champions. Professional boxing for example has several world champions at different weights, but each one of them is decided by a "title fight", not a tournament.

Sports

A full list is presented at List of world cups and world championships

• Air sports:
  • World Aerobatic Championships
  • World Gliding Championships
• American football: IFAF World Cup
• Athletics: IAAF World Championships in Athletics
• Aquatics: FINA World Aquatics Championships
• Auto-Racing:
  • FIA Formula One World Championship
  • FIA World Rally Championship (WRC)
  • FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)
  • FIA GT World Championship
  • FIA World Endurance Championship
  • Motorcycle Grand Prix
• Badminton: World Badminton Championships
• Ball games
  • Baseball
    • Baseball World Cup
    • World Baseball Classic
  • Basketball
    • FIBA World Championship
    • FIBA World Championship for Women
  • Cricket
    • ICC Cricket World Cup
    • Women's Cricket World Cup
  • Football
    • FIFA World Cup, called Football World Championships in many languages.
    • FIFA Women's World Cup
    • FIFA Club World Cup
  • Handball
    • World Men's Handball Championship
    • World Women's Handball Championship
  • Rugby league: Rugby League World Cup
  • Rugby union:
    • Rugby World Cup
    • Women's Rugby World Cup
    • Sevens version: Rugby World Cup Sevens (men and women)
  • Softball
    • ISF Women's World Championship
  • Volleyball: Volleyball World Championship
• Bridge: World Bridge Championships
• Canoeing:
  • ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
  • ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
• Cross country running:
  • IAAF World Cross Country Championships
• Cycling:
  • UCI BMX World Championships
  • UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
  • UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
  • UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships
  • UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships
  • UCI Road World Championships
  • UCI Track Cycling World Championships
• Dancing
  • International DanceSport Federation World Formation dance championships
  • An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha - Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne World Irish Dancing Championships
• Darts
  • PDC World Darts Championship
  • PDC World Cup of Darts
  • PDC Women's World Championship
  • World Cricket Championship
  • BDO World Darts Championship
  • PDC Under-21 World Championship
• Equestrian:
  • FEI World Equestrian Games
  • Eventing World Championship
  • Show Jumping World Championships
  • Dressage World Championship
• Fencing: World Fencing Championships
• Foosball
  • Tornado World Championships of Professional Foosball

• Gymnastics: World Gymnastics Championships
• Judo: World Judo Championships
• Karatedo:
  • Kobe Osaka International World Cup
  • Karate World Championships
• Kickboxing: W.A.K.O. Amateur World Kickboxing Championships
• Lacrosse
  • World Lacrosse Championship
  • World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
  • Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships
• Marbles: British and World Marbles Championship
• Offshore Powerboating
  • Class 1 World Powerboat Championship
• Rink Hockey: Rink Hockey World Championship
• Rowing: World Rowing Championships
• Snooker: World Snooker Championship
• Speedway:
  • Speedway Grand Prix (formerly: Speedway World Championship)
  • Speedway World Cup (U-21)
• Track and Field: World Championships in Athletics
• Winter Sports:
  • Alpine skiing: Alpine World Skiing Championships
  • Bandy: Bandy World Championships
  • Biathlon: Biathlon World Championships
  • Bobsleigh: FIBT World Championships
  • Curling: World Curling Championships
  • Figure Skating: World Figure Skating Championships
  • Ice Hockey: Ice Hockey World Championships
  • Luge:
    • FIL World Luge Championships
    • FIL World Luge Natural Track Championships
  • Nordic Skiing: FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
  • Skeleton: FIBT World Championships
  • Speed Skating: Several, see overview at World championships speed skating
• Amateur Boxing
  • AIBA: World Amateur Boxing Championships
• Amateur Wrestling:
  • FILA: FILA Wrestling World Championships
• Professional Wrestling:

Games

A fuller list can be found on the List of world championships in mind sports page.

• World chess championship

Performing

• World Championships of Performing Arts

Eating

• World Pie Eating Championship