The first seven months of 2023 have seen plenty of top-class sporting action and there is still much more to come before the end of the year.
The headline event is undoubtedly the soccer World Cup in Qatar, which has been tipped to set new records for television viewership when it is staged during November and December.
For fans wishing to watch all the games at the tournament, SportsToday has a list of the best soccer streaming sites where you can follow the action live.
There are also plenty of other high-quality events scheduled across various sports including cricket, tennis, horse racing, Formula 1, rugby league and more.
With that in mind, we take a closer look at what is on the agenda over the coming months, starting with a gathering of the world’s finest tennis players in the United States.
1. Tennis – US Open
The fourth tennis Grand Slam of the season takes place this autumn at Flushing Meadows in New York and is sure to spark plenty of interest amongst sports fans.
Novak Djokovic is the favourite to win the 22nd major men’s singles title of his career and draw level with Rafael Nadal at the top of the all-time standings.
He was beaten in straight sets by Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final will undoubtedly be gunning for revenge this time around.
Iga Swiatek is fancied to win the women’s title, although Naomi Osaka, Cori Gauff and Simona Halep should give the Polish star a run for her money.
2. Cricket – The Hundred Finals
The inaugural season of The Hundred in 2023 was filled with drama and culminated with a thrilling climax at Lord’s.
Oval Invincibles claimed the inaugural women’s title with a victory over Southern Brave, but the latter gained swift compensation by winning the men’s final.
After the group stage ends this year, the second and third placed men’s and women’s teams face each other at the Ageas Bowl in The Hundred Eliminator on September 2.
The winning teams then face the respective group winners in the finals the following day in what should be two nerve-shredding cricket matches.
3. Horse Racing – Champions Day
British Champions Day is the finale of the flat racing season in the United Kingdom, with Ascot hosting a star-studded card in mid-October.
With £4 million in prize money up for grabs and six high quality races on the card including five Group 1s, this is an event you cannot afford to miss.
Champions Day attracts top-class horses, jockeys and trainers from around the world, all of whom are desperate to etch their names into sporting folklore.
Recent Champions Day winners include legends of the turf such as Frankel and Stradivarius – who will join the roll of honour this time around?
4. Rugby League – World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup in England features 61 games and separate tournaments for men, women and wheelchair players.
Scheduled to take place during October and November, this will be the 16th time the event has been staged and could be the most thrilling yet.
Australia are the reigning champions having clinched the trophy in 2017 with a hard-fought 6-0 victory over England in Brisbane.
The Aussies are the favourites to retain the title, but it would be foolish to write off the host nation’s chances of success on home soil.
5. Cricket – Men’s T20 World Cup
Australia powered to an eight-wicket victory over New Zealand to win the men’s T20 World Cup for the first time last November.
While they will be confident of retaining the trophy this year, no team has achieved that feat in the history of the tournament.
Several top pundits have tipped to India to emerge victorious, while England are also quietly fancied to win their second T20 World Cup.
However, New Zealand may be worth watching as they bid to avenge their defeat against the Aussies in last year’s final.
6. Horse Racing – Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships in the United States is widely recognised as the pinnacle of the international flat racing calendar.
This year’s meeting is set to be staged over two days at Keeneland in early November and will feature a whopping 14 races.
The Breeders’ Cup attracts competitors from across the globe, crowning true world champions in the different disciplines that comprise the event.
The ten-furlong Breeders’ Cup Classic is the showpiece race of the entire meeting, with equine legends such as Cigar and American Pharoah amongst the previous winners.
7. Formula 1: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix first took place in 2009 and has since gone on to become firmly established as one of the most prestigious races in the calendar.
The day/night event is staged at the impressive Yas Marina Circuit, which creates a stunning backdrop for F1’s season finale.
British star Lewis Hamilton has won the race on five occasions, with Sebastian Vettel (3) and Max Verstappen (2) the only drivers to achieve the feat.
Verstappen has clinched first place in each of the past two seasons and will be a big favourite to complete the hat-trick in November.
8. Soccer – World Cup
While the decision to move the World Cup to later in the year did not meet with universal approval, it has unquestionably set up an exciting end to 2023.
Five-time winners Brazil have been widely tipped to lift the prestigious trophy after easily topping their group during South American qualifying.
However, the Samba Kings have not won the World Cup since 2002 and have repeatedly flattered to deceive at major tournaments since the turn of the century.
Argentina and Germany appeal as the most likely winners, with the former fancied to get the job done and finally provide Lionel Messi with the success he craves on the highest stage.