# Outside the US, what sporting events are as big as the Super Bowl? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133 "2001-01-28T16:19:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/1 "2001-01-28T16:19:21Z")
In the US, everything stops for the Super Bowl. **Everyone** might not watch it, but enough do that no one bothers with any kind of competition. It’s basically a pseudo-holiday. What sporting events are that big a deal outside the US? ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/2 "2001-01-28T16:30:20Z")
Soccer’s **World Cup** is a pretty big deal. We Americans seem to think that any thing that has to do with US, is the most important thing happening on the globe. We is silly.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/3 "2001-01-28T16:33:57Z")
I definately second what **imthjckaz** said, the World Cup is probably the number one sporting event in the world. It pretty much is a holiday when a countries National team is playing. ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/4 "2001-01-28T16:40:01Z")
Plenty of things, though usually it is any particular countries soccer tournament final (The English F.A. Cup comes to mind). Also, speaking of soccer, the UEFA Cup final, which features all the best teams from different European countries, is quite an event as well. I’m sure there is an equivalent in soccer mad South America. Also, any international soccer game between two Latin American or European countries can be a show stopper as well, especially if it means getting in the World Cup. Here’s other events: Australia- The Grand Final, the “Super Bowl” of Aussie Rules Football. Japan- Annual Sumo Tournament in Tokyo Ireland- Hurling championship I’m sure there are others . . . ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/5 "2001-01-28T17:27:49Z")
The Britsh round of the world superbikes managed to get a crown of around 140000 yet it hardly made the tv. The biggest sprting event in the world in terms of live attendance it the Tour de France, I have no figures for it but it is in the millions. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/6 "2001-01-28T18:19:30Z")
Michael Schumacher is the best-known sportsman in the world, I recently saw in some poll, but only hard-core racing fans in the US even know Formula One exists. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/7 "2001-01-28T21:31:54Z")
In football, there’s the World Cup, the European Championships, the UEFA Cup, the Champion’s League and in the UK the FA Cup. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/8 "2001-01-28T23:01:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mattk \* > In football, there’s the World Cup, the European Championships, the UEFA Cup, the Champion’s League and in **the UK** the FA Cup. I’ll forgive the misspelling of “England” … this time 😉 In addition to the hurling championship in Ireland (already mentioned) there is the Gaelic football championship. Plus there is the Six Nations (still can’t get used to calling it that) rugby tournament, which is pretty well watched, and _very_ well watched when it’s Ireland v. England. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/9 "2001-01-28T23:07:44Z")
Oops. Well pointed out. England, not the UK. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![woolly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@woolly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woolly)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/10 "2001-01-29T00:18:29Z")
There was a sports carnival here in Sydney back in September last year that got some publicity, even made the news in the USA at times I hear. According to local folk lore, the “event that stops the nation” in Australia is a horse race, the Melbourne Cup. I’d back the Football (Soccer) World Cup as the second most watched sporting event. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/11 "2001-01-29T00:23:02Z")
There are also the Willis World Cup and The Ashes. Oh, and let’s not forget the Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![Wytehawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Wytehawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wytehawk)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outside-the-us-what-sporting-events-are-as-big-as-the-super-bowl/52133/12 "2001-01-29T00:28:24Z")
I’ll second **Woolly** there with the Melbourne Cup here in Australia. In Victoria (the state in which the race is held) we even have a public holiday. Everyone gets the day off work to watch a single horse race!