Sport
Competition name
Competing entities
First held
Current holder
Next
Held every
Alpine skiing
FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup
Individuals
1967
Bode Miller (overall)Winners in 4 events
2008/09
One year
Nations
Austria
FIS Alpine World Skiing Championships
Individuals
1931
Winners in 5 events
2009
Two years
American Football
IFAF World Cup
Nations
1999
United States
2011
Four years
Aquatics
FINA World Championships - Long Course a.k.a. World Aquatics Championships
Individuals[R]
1973
Winners in 31 events
2009
Two years
FINA World Championships - Short Course
Individuals[R]
1993
Winners in 21 events
2008
Two years
FINA Swimming World Cup
Individuals
1989
Ryk Neethling
2007
One year
Association Football (soccer)
FIFA World Cup
Nations
1930
Italy
2010
Four years
VIVA World Cup
Nations
2006
Sápmi
2008
Two years
FIFA Club World Cup
Clubs
2000
AC Milan
2008
One year
Athletics (track and field)
IAAF World Cup in Athletics
Nations and continents
1977
Europe
2010
Originally two years, now four years
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
Individuals[R]
1983
Winners in 24 events
2009
Originally four years, now two years
IAAF World Indoor Championships
Individuals[R]
1985
Winners in 13 events
2008
Two years
Australian football
Australian Football International Cup
Nations
2002
New Zealand
2008
Originally three years, now four years
Auto racing see the mixed section below [ 1]
Badminton
IBF World Championships
Individuals[D]
1977
Winners in 3 events
2007
Two years
Bandy
Bandy World Cup
Clubs
1974
Dynamo Moscow
2008
One year
Bandy World Championships
Nations
1957
Russia
2008
One year[ 2]
Baseball
Baseball World Cup
Nations
1938
USA
2007
Two years
World Baseball Classic
Nations
2006
Japan
2009
Four years after 2009
Basketball
FIBA World Championship
Nations
1950
Spain
2010
Four years
Beach Soccer
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
Nations
2005
Brazil
2007
One year
Biathlon
Biathlon World Cup
Individuals
1977/78
Michael Greis
2007/08
One year
Nations
1996/97
Germany
Billiards (Pool)
World Cup of Pool
Nations
2006
China
2007
One year
WPA World Nine-ball Championship
Individuals
1990
Daryl Peach
2008
One year
WPA World Eight-ball Championship
Individuals
2004
Ronato Alcano
2008
One year
Boxing
see List of undisputed boxing champions , List of heavyweight boxing champions etc.
Individuals
1882
Winners in several weight classes
At challenge
N/a
World Amateur Boxing Championships
Individuals
1974
Winners in several weight classes
2007
Two years
Boxing World Cup
Nations
2005?
Cuba
2007
One year
Canoeing
ICF Flatwater Racing World Championships
Individuals
1938
Winners in 27 events
2007
One year[ 3]
Cricket
Cricket World Cup (One-day )
Nations
1975
Australia
2011
Four years
ICC World Twenty20 (Twenty20 )
Nations
2007
India
2009
Approximately two years
Cross-country skiing
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
Individuals
1925
Winners in several events
2009
Two years
Cross-country skiing World Cup
Individuals
1973/74
Tobias Angerer (overall)Jens Arne Svartedal (sprint)
2007/08
One year
Curling
World Curling Championships
Nations
1959
Canada
2008
One year
Cycling
UCI Road World Championships
Individuals
1927
Paolo Bettini (road race)Fabian Cancellara (time-trial)
2007
One year
UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
Individuals
1950
Lars Boom
2009
One year
UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships
Individuals
1990
Winners in 6 events
2007
One year
UCI Track Cycling World Championships
Individuals and nations
1893
Winners in 18 events
2009
One year
Darts
BDO World Darts Championship
Individuals
1978
Mark Webster
2009
One year
PDC World Darts Championship
Individuals
1994
John Part
2009
One year
Equestrian see the mixed section below [ 4]
Field hockey
World Hockey Cup
Nations
1971
Germany
2010
Four years
Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships
Individuals[ 5]
1896
Winners in 3 events
2008
One year
Fistball
Fistball World Championships
Nations
1968
Austria
2011
Four years
Futsal
FIFA Futsal World Championship
Nations
1989
Spain
2008
Four years
Gliding see the mixed section below [ 6]
Golf
Mission Hills World Cup
Nations
1953
Scotland
2008
One year
Gymnastics
World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Individuals
1903
Winners in 6 events
2007
One year
Handball
World Men's Handball Championship
Nations
1938
Germany
2009
Two years
Ice hockey
Ice Hockey World Championships
Nations
1920
Russia
2009
One year
World Cup of Hockey
Nations
1996
Canada (2004)
Unknown[ 7]
Intermittent
Lacrosse
World Lacrosse Championship
Nations
1967
Canada
2010
Four years
World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
Nations
2003
Canada
2011
Four years
Motorcycle Ice Racing
World Individual Ice Racing Championship
Individuals[ 8]
1966
Nikolai Krasnikov (2007)
2008
One year
World Team Ice Racing Championship
Nations
1979
Russia (2007)
2008
One year
Motorcycling
FIM MotoGP Championship
Individuals
1949
Casey Stoner
2008
One year
Constructors
Ducati
FIM World Enduro Championship
Individuals
1990
Winners in 3 events
2007
One year
Nordic combined
FIS Nordic combined World Cup
Individuals
1983/84
Hannu Manninen
2007/08
One year
Nordic skiing
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
Individuals
1925
Winners in 12 events
2009
Two years
Orienteering
World Orienteering Championships
Individuals[R]
1966
Winners in 4 events
2007
One year
Pitch and putt
Pitch and Putt World Cup
Nations
2004
Catalonia
2008
Two years
Polo
World Polo Championship
Nations
1987
Chile
2011
Three years
Real tennis
Real Tennis World Championship
Individuals[D]
1740
Winners in 3 events
2008
Two years
Rowing
World Rowing Championships
Nations
1962
Winners in 14 events
2007
One year
Rugby league
Rugby League World Cup
Nations
1954
Australia
2008
Intermittent
Rugby union
Rugby World Cup
Nations
1987
South Africa
2011
Four years
Rugby union sevens
Rugby World Cup Sevens
Nations
1993
Fiji
2009
Four years
Sailing
ISAF Sailing World Championships
Crews
2003
Winners in 4 events
2011
Four years
ISAF Match Racing World Championship
Individuals
1998
Peter Gilmour
2007
One year
Sculling
World Sculling Championship
Individuals
1863
Evans Fischer (1957)
Defunct
Shooting
ISSF World Cup
Individuals
1988
Winners in 9 events
2008
One year
ISSF World Shooting Championships
Individuals and nations
1897
Winners in 66 events
2010
Four years
ISSF World Shotgun Championships
Individuals and nations
1934
Winners in 12 events
2009
Two years
Ski jumping
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
Individuals normal hill
1962
Adam Małysz (2007 )
2009
Two years
Individuals large hill
1925
Simon Ammann (2007 )
2009
Two years
National Team normal hill
2001
Austria (2005 )
Defunct
Only 2001 and 2005
National Team large hill
1962
Austria (2007 )
2009
Two years
Ski flying World Championships
Individuals
1972
Roar Ljøkelsøy (2006)
2008
Two years
National Team
2004
Norway (2006)
2008
Two years
Ski jumping World Cup
Individuals
1979/80
Adam Małysz (2006/07 )
2007/08
One year
National Team
?
Austria (2006/07 )
2007/08
One year
Snooker
World Snooker Championship
Individuals
1927
John Higgins
2007
One year
Speed skating
World Allround Speed Skating Championships
Individuals
1889
Sven Kramer
2009
One year
World Sprint Speed Skating Championships
Individuals
1970
Lee Kyu-Hyuk
2009
One year
World Single Distance Championships
Individuals and Nations
1995
Winners in 6 events
2009
One year[ 9]
Speed Skating World Cup
Individuals and Nations
1985/86
Winners in 6 events
2008/09
One year
Speedway
Speedway World Team Cup (1960-2000) Speedway World Cup (since 2001)
National Team
1960
Poland (2007 )
2008
One year
Speedway World Pairs Championship
National pair
1970
Sweden (1993)
Defunct
One year until 1993
Individual Speedway World Championship (1936-1994) Speedway Grand Prix (since 1995)
Individuals
1936
Nicki Pedersen (2007 )
2008
One year
Squash
World Open
Individuals
1976
David Palmer
2007
One year
World Doubles Squash Championships
Doubles teams
1997
Winners in 2 events
2008
Two years
World Team Squash Championships
Nations
1967
England
2007
Two years
Table tennis
World Table Tennis Championships
Individuals[D]
1926
Winners in 3 events
2009
Two years
World Team Table Tennis Championships
Nations
2000 (1926)
China (2006)
2008
Two years
Ten-Pin Bowling
WTBA World Championships
Nations
1954
Winners in 6 events
2007
Two years
QubicaAMF World Cup
Individuals
1965
Bill Hoffman
2008
One year
World Ten-pin Team Cup
Nations
1994
USA (2004)
Defunct
Two years until 2004
Tennis
Davis Cup [ 10]
Nations
1900
United States
2008
One year
Tennis World Champion named by the ITF
Individuals
1978
Roger Federer
2008
One year
Tennis World Champions named by the ITF
Doubles teams
1996
Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan
2008
One year
World Championship Tennis
Individuals
1967
John McEnroe (1989)
Defunct
One year until 1989
Touch Football
Touch Football World Cup
Nations
1988
Australia
2007
Four years
Volleyball
Volleyball World Cup
Nations
1965
Brazil
2007
Four years
Volleyball World Championship
Nations
1949
Brazil
2010
Four years