The World Games Returning to Karlsruhe in 2029

The International World Games Association has awarded the 2029 World Games to Karlsruhe, Germany, as well as granting flag football and cheerleading full membership status, bringing the number of sanctioned events to 40.

In 2029, Karlsruhe will become the first city to organize the multisport event twice since its inception. Germany hosted the third edition of The World Games in 1989 in Karlsruhe and the seventh edition in 2005 in Duisburg. Karlshruke was nominated by the German Olympic Sports Confederation.

“Germany has demonstrated a strong commitment towards The World Games and provided excellent conditions for our athletes to perform at their best in the past in Karlsruhe and Duisburg,” said IWGA President José Perurena. “We are deeply grateful for this and we are excited to be returning to Karlsruhe again.”

IWGA delegates ratified the Executive Committee’s recommendation on Wednesday at the IWGA Annual General Meeting in Esslingen, Germany.

“We are delighted that the IWGA has placed its trust in us,” said Karlsruhe’s Lord Mayor Frank Mentrup. “After 1989, Karlsruhe will once again host a top-class international sporting event in our region in the heart of Europe. It is with immense pleasure that we seize the opportunity to host a cosmopolitan and exciting Games.”

The 13th edition of The World Games will welcome around 3,000 athletes from more than 100 countries and regions. The next edition of TWG will be in Chengdu, China, from August 7­–17, 2025, with 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to compete. The latest Games were hosted by Birmingham, Alabama, in 2022.

“Karlsruhe is a sports city with sports-loving citizens,” said Jürgen Scholz, president of Landessportverband Baden-Württemberg, the state sports association of the region. “I am sure that the athletes will receive a warm welcome in the city and the surrounding area at The World Games, and that the spectators from Baden-Württemberg and the surrounding regions will ensure an impressive atmosphere in all the competition venues.”

Two New Sports on the Way

The International Federation of American Football and the International Cheer Union have been given full membership status by the International World Games Association, which brings the number of members to 40.

Flag football and cheerleading will be included in the Chengdu 2025 sport program. Flag football was already part of the invitational sports program in Birmingham in 2022.

Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and will be on the program for the first time at the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. Flag football has an estimated 20 million participants in more than 100 countries currently playing.

“The World Games has provided many landmarks for our federation and our athletes, from our tackle game debuting in Duisburg in 2005 to the staging of flag football at the historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2022,” said IFAF President Pierre Trochet. “Now, as a member, we look forward to working alongside our fellow members and the IWGA leadership team to deliver a fabulous event in Chengdu and to support the organization in its aims in the coming years.”

Cheerleading has been on the rise in recent years, as the ICU was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2021 as the world governing body for the sport of cheer and its disciplines.

“ICU’s acceptance into the IWFA family as full members is an incredible milestone for millions of cheer athletes worldwide, as well as for our coaches, officials, national federations and cheer enthusiasts on all continents,” said ICU President Jeff Webb. “As an IWGA member, the ICU looks forward to delivering an incredible event in Chengdu and in future editions of The World Games for years to come.”