Great Britain

Spain won the women’s Football World Cup beating England in the final – pic.: RFEF

Great Britain wins record-breaking month, USA leads Global Cup

Great Britain topped the August monthly table of the Global Cup, the ranking of the world’s best spo...

Best Sports

2023

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Top Positions Points % Chg
1 Football 504 21.6
2 Swimming 324 13.9 -1
3 Athletics 226 9.7 20
4 Track Cycling 127 5.5
5 Mountain Bike 116 5.0
6 Sailing 104 4.5
7 Golf 100 4.3 -4
8 Taekwondo 95 4.1 -6
9 Road Cycling 76 3.3 -2
10 Netball 64 2.7

2022

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Top Positions Points % Chg
1 Football 440 15.9 1
2 Swimming 281 10.1 -1
3 Artistic Gymnastics 180 6.5 5
4 Golf 169 6.1 13
5 Rugby Union 166 6.0 -2
6 Athletics 142 5.1 1
7 Equestrian 136 4.9 4
8 Cricket 118 4.3 17
9 Track Cycling 104 3.7 -5
10 Trampoline 97 3.5 6

2021

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Top Positions Points % Chg
1 Swimming 339 12.0
2 Football 249 8.8
3 Rugby Union 156 5.5 -2
4 Track Cycling 145 5.1 -1
5 Boxing (Amateur) 144 5.1
6 Hockey 140 4.9
7 Athletics 138 4.9
8 Artistic Gymnastics 108 3.8
9 Sailing 106 3.7
10 Diving 94 3.3

2020

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Top Positions Points % Chg
1 Rugby Union 68 16.2 1
2 Mountain Bike 56 13.4 11
3 Track Cycling 56 13.4 7
4 Road Cycling 48 11.5 15
5 Golf 47 11.3 4
6 Triathlon 38 9.1 15
7 Cricket 33 7.9 1
8 Snooker 29 6.8 12
9 Snowboarding 23 5.5 22
10 Cyclo-cross 11 2.6 30

2019

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Top Positions Points % Chg
1 Athletics 405 13.2
2 Rugby Union 396 12.9 3
3 Football 318 10.4 -2
4 Swimming 271 8.8
5 Taekwondo 162 5.3
6 Trampoline 148 4.8 29
7 Artistic Gymnastics 141 4.6 5
8 Cricket 140 4.6 9
9 Golf 118 3.8 -7
10 Track Cycling 116 3.8 -6

Great Britain Positions

2023

Global Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 4
Gender:Men 7
Gender:Women 3
Continent:Europe 2
Per Capita Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 24
Gender:Men 28
Gender:Women 19
Continent:Europe 20

2022

Global Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 4
Gender:Men 4
Gender:Women 5
Continent:Europe 2
Per Capita Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 28
Gender:Men 29
Gender:Women 22
Continent:Europe 23

2021

Global Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 7
Gender:Men 7
Gender:Women 10
Continent:Europe 4
Per Capita Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 33
Gender:Men 33
Gender:Women 29
Continent:Europe 27

2020

Global Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 11
Gender:Men 8
Gender:Women 11
Continent:Europe 9
Per Capita Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 17
Gender:Men 14
Gender:Women 17
Continent:Europe 14

2019

Global Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 4
Gender:Men 4
Gender:Women 4
Continent:Europe 2
Per Capita Cup Positions
Category Position
Overall 26
Gender:Men 24
Gender:Women 19
Continent:Europe 21
Striker Harry Kane played a big part in England’s 2018 FIFA World Cup run – pict.: Getty Images

Profiling the world’s top sporting nations: China, Great Britain

While competitive sport is still on hold pretty much everywhere, we continue to zoom in on the world’s top sporting nations.

Andy Murray powered Great Britain to the 2019 Davis Cup semi-final

Great Britain surges to fourth in Global Cup after November

In November, Great Britain gained two places in the Global Cup, the ranking of the world’s best s...

gsn GB flag.jpg

Focus on Great Britain: September 2017

Great Britain finished ninth in the month of

Chris froome winning Le Tour and La Vuelta

September Athlete of the Month : Chapeau to Chris Froome

Chris Froome had a stellar month in September winning La Vuelta and third place in the men’s individual time trial at the road cycling world championships....

GBR's Laura Trott, gold medal winner in omnium and scratch races at Track Cycling Worlds

Great Britain win World Track Cycling title
Cycling is one of GSN’s big sporting groups, awarding over 2000 points in an...
The USA 4x200 freestyle relay ladies celebrate gold at the 2015 Swimming Worlds

Russia, China, Great Britain resurgent, tight race for second place

The sporting month of August was another record-breaker in the Global Cup, the ranking of the world’s best sporting nations.

US Ladies triumph in the 2015 Football World Cup

Great Britain and China fight back, Australia rise, USA firmly on top

July was the biggest month of the year to date in terms of points awarded in the Global Cup, the ranking of the world’s best sp

France's Pervis and GBR's Kenny fight it to the line at the 2015 Track Cycling Worlds

Great Britain set ambitious Rio 2016 target as performance declines

Great Britain's Olympic team has been set the target of bringing home more medals from Rio 2016 than their London 2012 haul.The target...

Dutch speedskaters training

Ice rink success needed for GBR to improve in Winter Sports
Great Britain is languishing in 17th place in the Global Cup 2013 after a quarter of the sporting year has gone.
the Women's Hockey Team GB

Great Britain's Olympic sports funding: thrifty or profligate?

 Has the public money thrown into sport funding for the Olympics been money well spent?

Ben Ainslie of GBR, Finn Class World Champion

The Olympic Story part 4: Britannia ruleth the waves

 In part 1 of this series we analyzed why Great Britain (GBR) fell short of reaching a better spot...

R. Adlington (GBR)

The Olympic Story part 3: Britannia rules the waves

 In part 1 of this series we analyzed why Great Britain (GBR) fell short of reaching a better spot than 6th in the GSN Beiji...

Mo Farah of GBR

The Olympic Story part 2: British excellence in London?
In part 1 of this series we analyzed why Great Britain (GBR) fell short of reaching a better spot than 6th in the GSN Beijing O...
GBR Track cycling.jpg

The Olympic Story part 1: was Team GBR's performance in Beijing overrated?
TEAM GBR: 4th or 6th?
Memories fade and naked facts remain: GBR’s performance at t...

How well does GBR perform in sports?

Using our unique Performance Indicator, or MPI*, we have been able to draw a remarkable picture of British excellence in sports.

The Union Jack

Great Britain

 Greatest Sporting Nation takes an in-depth look at Great Britain as a country and as one of the world's leading sporting nations, and keeps you up-to-date with its perform...

Nick Matthew (Great Britain)

December Athlete of the Month: Nick Matthew of Great Britain
Nick Matthew overcame fellow contryman James Willstrop in the final of the $ 327.500 Saudi PSA World Open Squash Championship in Saudi Ara...
Graeme McDowell of Great Britain

June Athlete of the Month: Graeme McDowell
The Portrush-born Northern Irishman earned Great Britain 50 points with his victory in the US Golf Open at Pebble Beach (California)....