The Sporting Events To Enjoy in a Busy Second Half of 2024
The NFL odds are stacking up already after the end of minicamps. The second half of 2024 is going to be an absolute blockbuster for sports fans across the globe. There’s hardly a spare week up until the fall, as several world-class events are rolling out consecutively or together.
It’s a Blockbuster Summer Soccer of Euro 24 and Copa America
Soccer fans are well-stocked for the summer parties. The European Championship is already well underway in Germany to find out which team is best equipped for a run at the World Cup in 2026. Fifa’s Crown Jewel will be hosted in North America. The U.S. is already getting a taster for the biggest soccer event on earth. It is staging the Copa America for the second time in eight years up until mid-July with Argentina the heavy favorites.
The Leagues Cup, the World Cup-style club competition featuring all LIGA MX and MLS teams, will be taking place in the last week of July running through to late August. By then, the English Premier League, the Bundesliga, and La Liga will be swinging back into town just like the MLB matchups many fans watch every weekend.
The NFL Comes Back With Chiefs Looking for More Glory
Fans of the oval ball will have to wait just a little longer after the thrilling end to the 58th Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs claimed a second consecutive Lombardi Trophy. Their overtime win against the San Francisco 49ers was a reminder of why America’s showpiece event is such a global broadcast monster. It all kicks off again in the first week of September. The Chiefs host an AFC title rematch against the Baltimore Ravens. After the off-season and mini camps, the chances are that the Chiefs and the 49ers are favorites to take the ultimate prize.
Tennis fans will not be disappointed by the schedule either. Carlos Alcaraz won the French Open and will look to defend his crown at Wimbledon as the All-England Club celebrates 150 years of lawn tennis. The unique English atmosphere and the likely retirement of home hero Andy Murray – injury permitting – on Centre Court will also add intrigue to the occasion. The U.S. Open ends the Grand Slam parade for 2024 in the last week of August with Novak Djokovic hoping he can be fit enough to defend his title after a very uncertain few months.
The Open Championship and Solheim Cup
After Rory McIlroy walked out of Pinehurst, having been stung by three bogeys in the last four holes to hand the U.S. Open title to Bryson DeChambeau, he looked for home comforts. McIlroy has come close to winning majors but it’s now almost a decade since he claimed one. The Open is the last before the Masters starts the cycle again in April. Troon has so much history that the watching world will see who can follow Brian Harman’s surprise victory at Royal Liverpool in 2023 in July.
There is no Ryder Cup this year but the Solheim Cup returns across the Atlantic from Scotland to Gainesville, Virginia. The United States will be aiming to stop the slide of three consecutive defeats to Europe. The last three editions have been desperately close in scorelines. The home side will be desperate to make up for losing a significant 4-0 lead in 2023 when the trophy is handed out in mid-September.
The Paris Olympics Will See a Huge Sporting Community
There will be 32 sports at the Summer Olympic Games in France. Paris 2024 will mark the centenary of Paris 1924 and the games will run from 26 July to 11 August. Breaking, also known as breakdancing, will make its debut alongside surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing. Some of the outstanding highlights anticipated are the potential final sighting of Rafael Nadal on his favorite piece of clay at Roland Garros, the scene of his 14 French Open titles.
The athletic track is always the scene of some major drama and these Games are likely to be no different with events taking place between August 1 and August 11. The Paralympic Games will return to France’s capital city on August 28th to complete the set of the Olympiad for 2024. The four-year gap will then be reset to L.A 2028 after Tokyo 2020 was postponed by a year.
The summer of 2024 is one of those special years where there are going to be so many elite events that there is almost an overload. Sports fans will not be complaining with this much diversity. From NFL odds of a historic three Super Bowls in a row for the Chiefs to test match cricket in England and the Tour de France, it’s non-stop. Yellow jackets seem apt for a sunny summer to remember.
