Welcome to 2023, the year of World Cups

A year on from bringing football home, England’s women will again take centre stage when they look to add a World Cup to their European Championship in Australia and New Zealand, writes Ben Burrows

Reigning champions USA will be the Lionesses’ chief rival for the title (PA)

If two and a bit weeks was too long to go without a World Cup, I have good news for you: 2023 is full of them.

The dust is only just settling in Doha after Lionel Messi and Argentina claimed the men’s football World Cup in Qatar in December. But as we step into the new year and look ahead at what’s to come in the sporting calendar over the next 12 months it is one dominated by global tournaments.

Cricket’s women are in South Africa in February for the World T20 where five-time winners Australia will again be the team for everyone else to beat, before England’s men, fresh from winning their own short-form tournament at the back end of 2022, will look to defend the 50-over title so dramatically won back in 2019 in India in October. In between, both men and women will look to end on the winning side with Ashes series against Australia on these shores in the summer.