September 17 – New York, which hosted the 2026 World Cup finals this summer, has topped the Burson communications consultancy’s ranking of sports cities worldwide.
Paris, the leading city in the world for the previous three years, dropped to second place followed by Los Angeles, London and Madrid.
Burson’s annual report ranks the top 100 cities in the world with the strongest association with sport.
The ranking is based on both perception and in-depth quantitative analysis, including commentary from international sports leaders, sports media representatives and industry experts, as well as analysis of media and social media coverage.
“The 2026 Sports Cities Ranking shows that reputation is no longer built around a single event. The cities that grow the fastest are those that combine major events with long-term investment, emerging sports and strong connections to the global sports community. The winners are not always the loudest cities, but those that stay connected to the global sports conversation all year round,” said Senior Client Greg Le CurchodEM from Switzerland.
Burson said the report highlighted four key findings:
- Co-hosting creates new winners: The reputational benefits of major events are being distributed more widely among host cities. While Milan rose to number 7 (+2) following the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, some of the biggest gains were made by lower-profile destinations. Cortina d’Ampezzo rose to number 37 (+10), up 45 places from 2024, while 2026 FIFA World Cup host cities Vancouver (#35, +14), Atlanta (#28, +12), San Francisco
(#33, +12) and Houston (#32, +9) also saw significant gains, demonstrating how global events can elevate cities beyond traditional sports capitals.
- Few cities combine visibility and influence: The ranking highlights a growing divide between visibility and influence. Cities such as Washington (#11, +1), Miami (#12, -4) and Mexico City (#18, unchanged) benefit from strong public visibility, while Lausanne (#8, +3) and Monaco (#25, +5) derive much of their position from recognition among federations, experts and specialist media. The results show that visibility can be gained through moments of attention, but influence is built over time and tends to last.
- women sport i emerging disciplines to create new opportunities: The ranking shows that cities no longer need a mega-event to bolster their sporting reputation. A changing global sporting landscape, driven by the growth of women’s sport, new audiences, emerging disciplines and innovative event formats, is creating new opportunities for cities to gain visibility, differentiate themselves and gain international recognition. Zurich (#49, +21) and Geneva (#67, new entry) benefited from the boost from UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, while
Innsbruck (No. 42, +18) has increased its rise through sport climbing and Shanghai (No. 41, +22) through an emerging sports and sports calendar throughout the year.
- Reputation needs an ecosystem: The ranking shows that the world’s leading sports cities are rarely defined by a single event. Instead, its position is maintained through resident clubs, recurring international competitions and ongoing engagement with the global sporting community. Madrid (#5, unchanged), Barcelona (#6, unchanged) and Manchester (#10, unchanged) maintained their positions this year, demonstrating the value of building an enduring sports ecosystem that remains relevant among major events.
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