Miami has never been content with playing on the sidelines, and now the world is taking notice. Greater Miami and Miami Beach have officially broken into the global top tier, ranked #8 in Burson’s 2025 Ranking of Sport Cities. This leap from #16 in 2023 underscores the region’s transformation into a premier international sports hub, where the action is year-round and the stage is as dazzling as the competition.
The Burson Ranking evaluates 100 cities through perception surveys, media analysis, and input from international industry leaders. To earn its new spot among elite destinations like Paris, Los Angeles, and Madrid, Miami showcased not only its legacy of hosting but also its expansion into new, boundary-pushing events.
Already the site of the Orange Bowl, Miami Open, Miami Marathon, and Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, the region has elevated its game with five new annual global competitions: the PGA Tour Signature Event, the E1 Power Boat Series, Formula E, Unrivaled Women’s Basketball, and the HYROX Fitness Festival. This follows Miami’s successful hosting of the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this year and sets the stage for the FIFA World Cup 26™.
“Over the past several years, our organization has made an intentional and strategic investment of marketing and communications assets and platforms to help lure, promote and host some of the most iconic and global sports events and brands in the world. The significant growth over the past few years, and now top 10 global ranking, simply reaffirms the return on that investment, collective power and influence of our sports and event partners. And once again, vividly illustrates the relationship between the reputation and attraction of a destination’s brand with the major events hosted there.”David Whitaker, President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB)
The next year alone reads like a sports fan’s dream itinerary. January kicks off with the Capital One Orange Bowl College Football Playoff Quarterfinal, followed quickly by the College Football Playoff National Championship. Adding to the spectacle, Miami will host Florida’s first-ever outdoor NHL game, the Winter Classic, staged in the unlikely yet spectacular setting of loanDepot park.
Spring brings the World Baseball Classic back to Miami, the only city to have hosted every stage of the tournament—from the opening rounds to the championship game. And by summer, Miami Stadium will be one of the global epicenters for FIFA World Cup 26™, hosting seven matches including a quarterfinal and the bronze final. Later that year, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship roars into Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Miami’s resume is already formidable. Eleven Super Bowls have been played here, cementing the city as a premier football destination. The Orange Bowl has been a tradition since 1935, making it the second-oldest bowl game in college football. And when the Winter Classic arrives in January 2026, Miami will add yet another “first” to its list by transforming a baseball stadium into an NHL arena.
Anchored by its annual staples—the Miami HEAT, Miami Dolphins, Inter Miami CF, Miami Marlins, and events like the Bacardi Cup Regatta—the city’s sports culture thrives on both tradition and innovation. New events such as Formula E and HYROX only expand the region’s diverse athletic identity.
The rise of Miami as a sports destination is about more than the games themselves. With campaigns designed to encourage visitors to stay longer, the GMCVB is positioning Miami’s sports calendar as a gateway to the city’s lifestyle: a fusion of world-class dining, nightlife, beaches, and cultural offerings. The Miami Beach Convention Center further extends the city’s reach, hosting global fitness, wellness, and sports conventions in a setting that combines business with sunshine and leisure.
As the countdown to FIFA World Cup 26™ continues, Miami finds itself in rare company, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of London and New York. Its top 10 ranking confirms what locals and visitors have long known: in Greater Miami and Miami Beach, sports are more than events—they’re defining cultural moments, celebrated against one of the most dynamic backdrops in the world.
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