NEW YORK: New York has been ranked the world's best sports city for 2026, while no Pakistani city made it into the top 100, according to the annual Sports Cities Ranking by Swiss agency Burson.
Paris ranked second and Los Angeles third in the 2026 ranking, which features 100 cities with strong connections to global sports.
Paris had topped the ranking for three consecutive years before dropping to second place this year. New York climbed from third place to the top spot.
The city's rise was attributed in part to major sporting events, including an NBA championship and the FIFA World Cup final.
The ranking draws on assessments from experts, sports media professionals and leaders from the global sports industry. It also incorporates analysis of social media activity and media coverage.
London ranked fourth, followed by Madrid in fifth. Barcelona was sixth, Milan seventh and Lausanne eighth.
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 was ranked 85th, Jeddah 98th and Sapporo 99th.
No city from Pakistan featured among the 100 cities in the 2026 Sports Cities Ranking