NEW YORK: New York has been ranked the world’s best sports city in the 2026 Sports Cities Ranking, while no Pakistani city made the list of the top 100.
Paris ranked second and Los Angeles third in the annual ranking by Swiss-based consultancy Burson.
The ranking features 100 cities with strong connections to global sports. It draws on the views of experts, sports media and international sports leaders, while also analyzing social media activity and media coverage.
Paris, which had held the top spot for three consecutive years, dropped to second in the 2026 ranking. New York climbed from third place to take the No. 1 position.
The city’s improved ranking was attributed in part to its NBA championship and its role in hosting the FIFA World Cup final.
London ranked fourth, followed by Madrid in fifth. Barcelona was sixth, Milan seventh and Lausanne eighth, while Manchester ranked 10th, Washington 11th and Miami 12th.
Tokyo was 16th, Sydney 24th and Dubai 29th. Mumbai ranked 51st, New Delhi 65th and Riyadh 68th.
Cape Town ranked 85th, Jeddah 98th and Sapporo 99th. No city from Pakistan appeared among the 100 cities ranked.