2022 sporting calendar: Big events from Winter Olympics to the World Cup

A new year offers the prospect of so much brilliant sport to look forward to in 2022.

There are two major football tournaments - with Women's Euro 2022 in England in July and the men's World Cup in Qatar in November and December.

The Rugby League World Cup in England starts in October and there are also men's and women's Cricket World Cups, an athletics World Championship and a women's Rugby World Cup.

But with the Covid-19 pandemic still causing major problems around the world, it remains to be seen whether all the events will take place as planned and whether venues will be packed to capacity.

2022's unmissable events

14 May - Football - FA Cup final, Wembley

Leicester are the holders thanks to a famous win over Chelsea last May, sealed by Youri Tielemans' spectacular strike.

15 May - Football - Women's FA Cup final, Wembley

Last season's final was delayed until December, when Chelsea completed a belated domestic treble in stunning fashion by beating Arsenal 3-0 at Wembley.

21 May - Football - Scottish Cup final, Hampden

St Johnstone secured a remarkable cup double by beating Hibernian 1-0 in last year's final.

28 May - Football - Champions League final, St Petersburg

Chelsea beat Manchester City to win last year's final and both are going strong in this year's competition. Liverpool and Manchester United have also made it through to the last 16.

2 June to 12 September - Cricket - England men host New Zealand, India and South Africa

A packed summer schedule also includes the final Test against India, carried over from 2021 because of a number of Covid cases in the tourists' camp.

27 June-10 July - Tennis - Wimbledon

US Open champion Emma Raducanu will be the centre of attention but Andy Murray will hope for a good run - and fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans could also make headlines after a strong 2021.

3 July - Formula 1 - British Grand Prix, Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton won last year's race despite a first-lap crash with Max Verstappen and the Briton's duel with the Dutch world champion promises to be one of the great rivalries of 2022.

6-31 July - Football - Women's Euro 2022, England

Hosts England will look to go one better than the men's team by becoming European champions for the first time, while the Netherlands seek to defend their title. Northern Ireland have qualified for the first time.

14-17 July - Golf - The Open, The Old Course, St Andrews

The home of golf hosts the 150th Open Championship. Collin Morikawa holds the Claret Jug but all eyes will be on the possible presence of 15-time major winner Tiger Woods, who hopes to play after nearly losing his right leg in a car crash last February.

15-24 July - Athletics - World Championships, Eugene, Oregon, United States

Britons Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson will bid to defend their world titles, while Olympic medallists Keely Hodgkinson, Laura Muir and Holly Bradshaw will look to add to their medal collections.

28 July-8 August - Commonwealth Games, Birmingham

The schedule features more medal events for women than men for the first time in Commonwealth Games history, as well as a fully integrated Para-sport programme. Alongside the traditional Commonwealth sports, a women's Twenty20 cricket tournament will be held.

11-21 August - Olympic sports - European Championships, Munich

Britain's Olympic stars will compete for medals in athletics, beach volleyball, canoe sprint, cycling, gymnastics, rowing, sport climbing, table tennis and triathlon.

8 Oct-12 Nov - Rugby Union - Women's World Cup, New Zealand

Six Nations champions England have won their past 18 matches and are clear favourites following record back-to-back victories over current champions New Zealand last autumn.

15 Oct-19 Nov - Rugby League World Cup, England

Delayed by a year, the tournament features 61 games and separate tournaments for men, women and wheelchair players.

17 Oct-14 Nov - Cricket - Men's T20 World Cup, Australia

Australia powered to an eight-wicket victory over New Zealand to win the Men's T20 World Cup for the first time in November. England will look to do better after losing to the Black Caps in the semi-finals.

21 Nov-18 Dec - Football - World Cup, Qatar

The Premier League takes a break as the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world kicks off at the end of the year to avoid Qatar's intense summer heat. England have already qualified and could be joined by Wales or Scotland.

Live streams

To find out which events BBC Sport covers live each week, visit our live guide for links to all our TV, iPlayer, radio and online coverage - including text and radio commentaries and additional live streams from an array of sports.

2022 sporting calendar in detail

Dates and venues are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that are made. Some events and fixtures have yet to be announced

May - FA Cup final, Champions League final and French Open tennis

3-4: Football - Champions League semi-finals, second legs

5: Football - Europa League and Conference League semi-finals, second legs

7: Rugby League - Women's Challenge Cup final, Elland Road, Leeds

8: Formula 1 - Miami Grand Prix, Miami International Autodrome, Miami

7-29: Cycling - Giro d'Italia, Hungary and Italy

13: Athletics - Diamond League, Doha, Qatar

13-15: Rugby Union - European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals

13-29: Aquatics - World Championships, Fukuoka, Japan (swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water, high diving)

13-29: Ice hockey - Men's World Championship, Finland

14: Football - FA Cup final, Wembley Stadium

14: Motorsport - Formula E round eight, Berlin

14: Athletics - Night of the 10,000m PBs incorporating the British trial race for the World Championships, Parliament Hill Athletics Track, London

15: Football - Women's FA Cup final, Wembley Stadium

16 May-5 June: Tennis - French Open, Roland Garros, Paris

18: Football - Europa League final, Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, Seville

19-22: Golf - US PGA Championship, Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma

21: Football - Scottish Cup final, Hampden Park, Glasgow

21: Athletics - Diamond League, Birmingham TBC

21: Football - League One Play-Off final, Wembley Stadium

22: Football - Final day of Premier League season

22: Football - Women's Champions League final, Juventus Stadium, Turin

22: Formula 1 - Spanish Grand Prix ,Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona

27: Rugby Union - European Challenge Cup final, Stade Velodrome, Marseille, France

28: Rugby League - Challenge Cup final, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

28: Rugby Union - European Champions Cup final, Stade Velodrome, Marseille, France

28: Football - Champions League final, Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia

28: Football - League Two Play-Off final, Wembley Stadium

28: Athletics - Diamond League, Eugene, Oregon

28-29: Cycling - BMX Racing World Cup, Glasgow BMX Centre

29: Formula 1 - Monaco Grand Prix, Circuit de Monte Carlo, Monaco

29: Football - Championship Play-Off final, Wembley Stadium

29: Motorsport - Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Indiana

June - England v New Zealand Test series, Nations League football and Wimbledon

2: Football - Nations League group stage: Northern Ireland v Greece

2-5: Golf - US Women's Open, Pine Needles, Southern Pines, North Carolina

2-6: Cricket - England v New Zealand first Test, Lord's

3: Football - Nations League group stage: Poland v Wales

3-4: Horse racing - Epsom Derby Festival, Epsom Downs, Surrey

4: Football - Nations League group stage: Hungary v England, Scotland v Armenia

4: Rugby Union - Premier 15s final, venue TBC

4: Motorsport - Formula E round nine, Jakarta

5: Football - Nations League group stage: Cyprus or Estonia v Northern Ireland

5: Athletics - Diamond League, Rabat, Morocco

6: Football - Nations League group stage: Wales v Netherlands

6-11: Cycling - Women's Tour, UK

7: Football - Nations League group stage: Germany v England, Scotland v Ukraine

9: Athletics - Diamond League, Rome, Italy

10: Football - Nations League group stage: Wales v Belgium

10-14: Cricket - England v New Zealand second Test, Trent Bridge

11: Football - Nations League group stage: England v Italy

11-12: Triathlon - World Championship Series, Leeds

11-12: Motorsport - 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France

11-19: Tennis - Birmingham Classic, Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham

12: Football - Nations League group stage: Northern Ireland v Cyprus or Estonia

12: Formula 1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku City Circuit, Baku

12-18: Para-Swimming - World Championships, Madeira

13: Football - Nations League group stage: Netherlands v Wales, Armenia v Scotland

13-19: Tennis - Cinch Championships, Queen's Club, London

14: Football - Nations League group stage: England v Hungary

14-18: Horse racing - Royal Ascot

16: Athletics - Diamond League, Oslo, Norway

16-19: Golf - US Open, The Country Club, Brookline, Massachusetts

17, 19 & 22: Cricket - Netherlands v England ODI series, Amstelveen

17-25: Tennis - Eastbourne International, Devonshire Park, Eastbourne

18: Rugby Union - Premiership final, Twickenham

18: Athletics - Diamond League, Paris, France

19: Formula 1 - Canadian Grand Prix, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montreal

22: Football - Nations League group stage: Belgium v Wales

23: Football - Nations League group stage: Italy v England; Scotland v Republic of Ireland

23-26: Golf - Women's PGA Championship, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Maryland

23-27: Cricket - England v New Zealand third Test, Headingley

24: Football - Nations League group stage: Northern Ireland v Kosovo

25: Rugby Union - United Rugby Championship final, venue TBC

25-27: Athletics - British Championships, Manchester Regional Arena

26: Football - Nations League group stage: England v Germany; Ukraine v Scotland

27 June-10 July: Tennis - Wimbledon, All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club

30: Athletics - Diamond League, Stockholm, Sweden

July - Women's Euros, Commonwealth Games, British Grand Prix & 150th Open

1-5: Cricket - England v India Test match, Edgbaston (postponed from 2021)

1-17: Hockey - Women's World Cup, Spain and Netherlands

1-24: Cycling - Tour de France (Grand Depart from Copenhagen, Denmark)

2: Motorsport - Formula E round 10, Vancouver

3: Formula 1 - British Grand Prix, Silverstone

6-31: Football - Women's Euro 2022, England

7, 9 & 10: Cricket - England v India T20 internationals, Ageas Bowl, Edgbaston & Trent Bridge

7-10: Golf - Scottish Open, The Renaissance Club, North Berwick

10: Formula 1 - Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull Ring, Spielberg

12, 14 & 17: Cricket - England v India ODI series, The Oval, Lord's, Old Trafford

14-17: Golf - 150th Open Championship, Old Course, St Andrews

15-24: Athletics - World Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon

16: Cricket - T20 Blast finals day, Edgbaston

16-17: Motorsport - Formula E rounds 11 and 12, New York

19, 22 & 24: Cricket - England v South Africa ODI series, Riverside, Old Trafford, Headingley

21-24: Golf - Evian Championship, Evian Resort Golf Club, France

24: Formula 1 - French Grand Prix, Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, Var

24-31: Cycling - Women's Tour de France

27, 28 & 31: Cricket - England v South Africa T20 internationals, County Ground, Sophia Gardens, Ageas Bowl

28 July-8 Aug: Commonwealth Games, Birmingham

30: Football - EFL season starts

30: Athletics - Diamond League, Shanghai, China

30-31: Motorsport - Formula E rounds 13 and 14, London

31: Formula 1 - Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring, Budapest

August - England v South Africa Test series, European Sports Championships and US Open tennis

4-7: Golf - Women's Open, Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian

6: Football - Premier League 2022-2023 season starts

6: Athletics - Diamond League, Shenzhen, China

6-14: Equestrian - World Games, Herning, Denmark

7: Motorcycling - British MotoGP, Silverstone

10: Athletics - Diamond League, Monaco

11-14: Para-cycling - Road World Championships, Baie-Comeau, Canada

11-21: European Championships, Munich (athletics, beach volleyball, canoe sprint, cycling, gymnastics, rowing, sport climbing, table tennis, and triathlon)

12 Aug-4 Sept: Cycling - Vuelta a Espana, Netherlands and Spain

13-14: Motorsport - Formula E rounds 13 and 14, Seoul

17-21: Cricket - England v South Africa first Test, Lord's

22-27: Hockey - Women's EuroHockey Qualifiers, Maiden Castle Sports Centre, Durham

25-28: Golf - PGA Tour Championship, East Lake, Atlanta, Georgia

25-29: Cricket - England v South Africa second Test, Old Trafford

26: Athletics - Diamond League, Lausanne, Switzerland

26 Aug-4 Sept: Para-Athletics - World Championships, Kobe, Japan

28: Formula 1 - Belgian Grand Prix, Circuit Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot

29 Aug-11 Sept: Tennis - US Open, Flushing Meadows, New York

September - England v South Africa Test series

1-18: Basketball - EuroBasket 2022, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany and Italy

2: Football - Women's World Cup qualifying: Luxembourg v Northern Ireland; Greece v Wales

2: Athletics - Diamond League, Brussels, Belgium

3: Football - Women's World Cup qualifying: Austria v England

4-11: Cycling - Tour of Britain

4: Formula 1 - Dutch Grand Prix, Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort

6: Football - Women's World Cup qualifying: England v Luxembourg; Latvia v Northern Ireland; Wales v Slovenia; Faroe Islands v Scotland

7-8: Athletics - Diamond League final, Zurich, Switzerland

8-11: Golf - PGA Championship, Wentworth, Virginia Water

8-12: Cricket - England v South Africa third Test, The Oval

11: Formula 1 - Italian Grand Prix, Monza

11: Athletics - Great North Run, Newcastle

9-11: Rugby Union - World Cup Sevens 2022, Cape Town,

14-18: Equestrian - World Equestrian Games, Rome

18-25: Cycling - Road World Championships, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

18-25: Rowing - World Championships, Racice, Czech Republic

22-25: Golf - Presidents Cup, Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina

22-27: Football - Nations League group stage featuring England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland concludes

22 Sep-1 Oct: Basketball - Women's World Cup, Australia

23-25: Tennis - 2022 Laver Cup, The O2, London

24: Rugby League - Super League Grand Final, Old Trafford, Manchester

25: Formula 1 - Russian Grand Prix, Sochi

30 Sept-1 Oct: Athletics - World Road Running Championships, Riga, Latvia

October - Rugby League World Cup in England and Women's Rugby Union World Cup

2: Formula 1 - Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit

2: Athletics - London Marathon

8 Oct-12 Nov: Rugby Union - Women's World Cup, New Zealand (postponed from 2021)

9: Formula 1 - Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka

10-16: Wheelchair rugby - World Championship, Vejle, Denmark

12-16: Cycling - Track World Championships, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France

15 Oct-19 Nov: Rugby League - World Cup, England (postponed from 2021)

23: Formula 1 - United States Grand Prix, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas

29 Oct-6 Nov: Gymnastics - World Championships, M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

30: Formula 1 - Mexican Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City

31 Oct-6 Nov: Tennis - WTA Finals, Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre, Shenzhen

November - Football World Cup starts and final race of Formula 1 season

6: Rugby Union - England v Argentina, Twickenham (other home nations yet to announce their autumn fixtures)

8-13: Tennis - Billie Jean King Cup Finals, venue TBC

8-20: Snooker - UK Championship, York Barbican

12: Rugby Union - England v Japan, Twickenham

12-13: Football - last Premier League matches before World Cup

13: Formula 1 - Brazilian Grand Prix, Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos

13: Athletics - World Half Marathon Championships, Yangzhou, China

17-20: Golf - DP World Tour Championship, Jumeirah Estate, Dubai

17-20: Golf - LPGA Tour Championship, Tiburon, Naples, Florida

19: Rugby Union - England v New Zealand, Twickenham

20: Formula 1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi

21 Nov-18 Dec: Football - World Cup, Qatar

26: Rugby Union - England v South Africa, Twickenham

TBC: Tennis - ATP Finals, Turin, Italy

TBC: Tennis - Davis Cup Finals, venue TBC

December - Football World Cup final

18: Football - World Cup final, Lusail Stadium, Qatar

26: Football - Premier League season resumes after World Cup