Paris Tops Burson’s 2025 Ranking of Sports Cities

Paris, still recognized as the home for one of the best Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in recent history, remained the top sports city in the world for a third consecutive year in Burson’s annual ranking.

The top five cities remained the same as last year’s rankings with Los Angeles in second followed by New York City, London and Madrid. Barcelona moved up two spots to No. 6 followed by Munich, which jumped nine spots, with Miami up one spot to No. 8 followed by 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games host Milan at No. 9 and Manchester, which dropped three spots to complete the top 10.

Miami’s jump up one spot was attributed to  five new global annual events: PGA Tour Signature Event, E1 Power Boat Series, Formula E, Unrivaled and the Hyrox Fitness Festival in addition to existing annual events including Orange Bowl, Miami Open, Miami Marathon and F1 Miami Grand Prix.

“Over the past several years, our organization has made an intentional and strategic investment of marketing and communications assets and platforms to help lure, promote and host some of the most iconic and global sports events and brands in the world,” said David Whitaker, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The significant growth over the past few years, and now top 10 global ranking, simply reaffirms the return on that investment, collective power and influence of our sports and event partners. And once again, vividly illustrates the relationship between the reputation and attraction of a destination’s brand with the major events hosted there.”

Miami has hosted a record-tying 11 Super Bowls and is the only destination to host all three rounds of the World Baseball Classic. In 2026, it will also host the CFP National Championship, NHL Winter Classic, World Baseball Classic and seven matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup plus the NASCAR Cup Series Championship weekend in November.

There are 19 U.S. cities in this year’s rankings. Boston moved up nine spots to No. 17 in this year’s rankings and Indianapolis moved up 12 spots to No. 36 and was noted for its increased emphasis as a women’s sports destination. Tampa ranked No. 66 and was one of this year’s new cities on the list.

The annual ranking is based on both perception and including feedback from international sports leaders, sports media representatives — including SportsTravel — and industry experts. PR metrics derived from media tracking were also included in formulating this year’s rankings for the first time.

“The 2025 Ranking of Sport Cities underscores the dynamic and evolving nature of the global sports landscape,” said Greg Curchod, chief executive officer of Burson Switzerland. “While mega-events remain crucial, this year’s findings highlight the increasing importance of strategic long-term planning, investment in diverse sports offerings, particularly women’s sports, and the innovative application of technology like AI to enhance a city’s sports reputation and engagement.”

Rio was the biggest gainer this year, moving to No. 33 after being No. 74 last year. Abu Dhabi rose 23 spots to No. 23 and Milan’s jump into the top 10 comes one year after it was ranked No. 27.

Edmonton rose 16 positions to No. 22 and is the top-ranked Canadian city ahead of Toronto (No. 24), Montreal (No. 27), Vancouver (No. 49), Calgary (No. 55) Ottawa (No. 83) and Quebec City (No. 86). Mexico City at No. 18 was the top Mexican representative with Guadalajara at No. 85.

The two biggest fallers were Baku, down 52 spots to No. 81, and Stockholm, down 38 spots to No. 90. Along with Tampa, debuting this year are Monaco at No. 30, Lyon at No. 75, Perth at No. 82 and Brussels at No. 99.

2025 Ranking of Sports Cities

(last year’s ranking in parentheses)
1. Paris (1)
2. Los Angeles (2)
3. New York (3)
4. London (4)
5. Madrid (5)
6. Barcelona (8)
7. Munich (16)
8. Miami (9)
9. Milan (27)
10. Manchester (7)
Other U.S. Cities
12. Washington (10)
15. Chicago (14)
16. Las Vegas (15)
17. Boston (26)
26. Philadelphia (28)
31. Salt Lake City (33)
34. Dallas (23)
36. Indianapolis (48)
40. Atlanta (29)
41. Houston (24)
44. Detroit (39)
45. San Francisco (41)
53. Cleveland (50)
56. Denver (36)
62. Colorado Springs (45)
66. Tampa (NR)