New York has taken the top spot in Burson’s 2026 Ranking of Sports Cities, ahead of Paris, Los Angeles, London and Madrid. Paris moves to second place after topping the ranking for three consecutive years.
The annual ranking identifies the top 100 cities from around the world with the strongest association with sport. Now in its 15th edition, it is based on both perception and in-depth quantitative analysis, including feedback from international sports leaders, sports media representatives and industry experts, as well as social media and media coverage analytics. Together, these indicators provide a comprehensive view of how cities build visibility and influence through sport.
The 2026 Ranking of Sports Cities identifies four key findings that explain how cities build and sustain sporting reputation today:
- Co-hosting creates new winners: The reputational benefits of major events are becoming more widely distributed across host cities. While Milan rose to No.7 (+2) following the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, some of the biggest gains were recorded by lower-profile destinations. Cortina d’Ampezzo climbed to No.137 (+10), up 45 places since 2024, while FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities including Vancouver (No.135, +14), Atlanta (No.128, +12), San Francisco (No.133, +12) and Houston (No.132, +9) also saw significant gains, demonstrating how global events can elevate cities beyond the traditional sports capitals.
- Few cities combine both visibility and influence: The ranking highlights a growing divide between visibility and influence. Cities such as Washington (No.111, +1), Miami (No.112, -4) and Mexico City (No.118, unchanged) benefit from strong public visibility, while Lausanne (No.18, +3) and Monaco (No.125, +5) derive much of their standing from recognition among federations, experts and specialist media. The results show that visibility can be won through moments of attention, but influence is built over time and tends to endure.
- Women sport and emerging disciplines create new opportunities: The ranking shows that cities no longer need a mega-event to strengthen their sporting reputation. A changing global sports landscape, driven by the growth of women’s sport, new audiences, emerging disciplines and innovative event formats, is creating new opportunities for cities to build visibility, differentiate themselves and gain international recognition. Zurich (No.149, +21) and Geneva (No.167, new entry) benefited from the momentum of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, while Innsbruck (No.142, +18) has built its rise through sport climbing and Shanghai (No.141, +22) through a year-round esports and emerging sports calendar.
- Reputation needs an ecosystem: The ranking shows that the world’s leading sports cities are rarely defined by a single event. Instead, their position is sustained through resident clubs, recurring international competitions and continuous engagement with the global sports community. Madrid (No.15, unchanged), Barcelona (No.16, unchanged) and Manchester (No.110, unchanged) all maintained their positions this year, demonstrating the value of building an enduring sports ecosystem that remains relevant between major events.
Greg Curchod, Senior Client Lead EMEA at Burson Switzerland, said: “Hosting matters, but the 2026 Ranking of Sports Cities shows that reputation is no longer built around a single event. The cities rising fastest are those that combine major events with long-term investment, emerging sports and strong connections to the global sports community. The winners are not always the loudest cities, but those who stay connected to the global sport conversation throughout the year.”
See more at bursonglobal.com
Image: New York City ranked No.1 (Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash)