Sport Highlights: 2025 Brings Ski Home World Championship and Football World Cup Qualifiers

The Austrian winter sports athletes are looking forward to two special events in the first months of the coming year: They are aiming for numerous medals at the Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm (4th to 16th February) and at the Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim (27th February to 9th March). In addition, the qualification for the 2026 Football World Cup starts in June.

Sport Highlights 2025: ÖFB Team Fights for Football World Cup Qualification

In eight group matches between June and November, the ÖFB selection led by team coach Ralf Rangnick is aiming for the first qualification for a World Cup since 1998. On the way to the final round in the USA, Mexico and Canada, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino must be defeated. Already at the end of March, the ÖFB team is fighting in the play-off duel with Serbia for promotion to the League A of the Nations League. The Women's European Championship in Switzerland from 2nd to 27th July, however, takes place without Austrian participation.

In the European Cup, the red-white-red representatives can still look forward to top matches. Champions Sturm Graz face Atalanta Bergamo (away) and RB Leipzig (home) in the Champions League at the end of January, runners-up Salzburg are guests at Real Madrid and host Atletico Madrid a week later. The Salzburg team is also in action at the Club World Cup from 14th June to 13th July in the USA, including another match against Real Madrid. Rapid also winters internationally and hopes for a run in the Conference League. The round of 16 against an opponent yet to be determined will be played in March.

Austrians Aim for World Championship Medals at Sport Highlights

In winter, the biathletes also hope for a medal surprise at the World Championships from 12th to 23rd February in Lenzerheide. The snowboarders, freeskiers and ski freestylers want to strike at the World Championships from 18th to 30th March in Engadin. The luge athletes are aiming for medals after a strong start to the season from 6th to 8th February in Whistler.

The Handball World Championship with the ÖHB selection in Croatia, Denmark and Norway also takes place at the beginning of the year (14th January to 2nd February). Indoor athletics awaits in March with the European Championships in Apeldoorn (7th-9th) and the World Championships in Nanjing (21st-23rd). The season highlight in speed skating is the Single Distance World Championships from 13th to 16th March in Hamar. The Ice Hockey World Championship is scheduled from 9th to 25th May in Sweden and Denmark, with the ÖEHV selection playing their group matches in Stockholm.

In the summer, many Austrian athletes will once again be competing for medals a year after the Olympic Games in Paris. The World Championships for swimmers, including short course vice world champion Bernhard Reitshammer, will take place from July 11 to August 3 in Singapore, where the Alexandri triplets will also compete in synchronized swimming. Discus thrower Lukas Weißhaidinger and javelin thrower Victoria Hudson are hoping for good performances at the Athletics World Championships from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo. The Beach Volleyball World Championships will take place from November 14 to 23 in Adelaide, marking the first time the event will be held in Australia. The European Championships will already be held in Düsseldorf in early August.

Sport Highlights: Cycling World Championships 2025 in Africa for the First Time

Felix Gall is aiming for stage victories at the Tour de France from July 5 to 27, and two months later the Road Cycling World Championships will take place in Rwanda (September 21 to 28). The women's handball team will compete against Turkey in April for a ticket to the World Championships from November 27 to December 14 in the Netherlands and Germany. Olympic sailing champion Valentin Bontus will compete for medals at the KiteFoil World Championships in Cagliari in October, as will Olympic champion duo Lara Vadlau and Lukas Mähr at the 470 World Championships in Gdynia in June. Golfer Sepp Straka could represent Europe again at the Ryder Cup from September 26 to 28 in New York State.

The Formula 1 season will again feature 24 races from March 16 to December 7. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen and Co. will start in Melbourne for the first time since 2019, as the Bahrain Grand Prix is postponed to April due to Ramadan falling in March. The premier class of motorsport will visit Spielberg on June 29. The Motorcycle World Championship will also take place in Styria on August 17, and the Rally World Championship will stop in Austria as part of the Central Europe edition (October 16 to 19).

Vienna City Marathon 2025 on April 6

Top-level golf is returning to Austria. The most important tournament series in Europe, which is now held on five continents, will stop at Wallersee in Salzburg from May 29 to June 1. The ATP Tour continues to visit Kitzbühel (July 19 to 26) and Vienna (October 18 to 26), and the WTA Tour will come to Linz with a tournament from January 26 to February 2. The Davis Cup team will face Finland in Schwechat in the qualifying round for the final tournament on January 31 and February 1. Highlights for amateur athletes in the domestic calendar are the Vienna City Marathon (April 6) and the Ironman Austria in Klagenfurt (June 15).

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.