The couple of months in 2020 when sports were halted all over the globe were some of the hardest for sports fans. We’re sure people played a lot more bingo online to take up the time usually spent watching the footie.

Luckily, we’re back up and running in the sports department, and 2021 was one for the books, with the Olympics in Tokyo and, of course, the delayed Euros. The Three Lions may have been beaten by Italy in the Euros final, but it certainly whet our appetite for more sporting action in the months ahead.

Fortunately, 2022 is going to be a doozy for sports lovers all over the world, with some amazing events in both men’s and women’s sports taking place throughout the year.

So, let’s take a look at the major sporting events that you should keep an eye out for while you play bingo online!

FIFA World Cup 2022

Where: Qatar

When: 21 November – 2 December 2022

The FIFA World Cup is undoubtedly the most prestigious event in the football calendar. This amazing tournament is held every four years, as 32 national teams take each other on in the search for ultimate glory. The host country is always selected by FIFA’s council and the 2022 tournament will take place in Qatar.

France are the current titleholders of the World Cup, after beating Croatia in the 2018 tournament held in Russia. However, it is Brazil that takes the title of most World Cup wins in history, with five wins under their belt.

If the Euros were anything to go by, then this is going to be a scintillating football affair, and there are high hopes that Gareth Southgate’s young Three Lions team can finally bring the cup back to England for the first time since 1966.

Winter Olympics

Where: Beijing, China

When: 4–20 February 2022

Officially known as the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, or just Beijing 2022, the Winter Olympics are a multi-sport event that will take place in Beijing and towns in the neighbouring Hebei Province in China.

This will be the last of the three consecutive Olympics held in East Asia. This is the first time that a city that had previously hosted the Summer Olympics will host the Winter Olympics too. This is the perfect way to start 2022 on an adrenaline high, by watching athletes compete in sports such as alpine skiing, cross country, curling, ice hockey, snowboarding, speed skating and ski jumping. Great Britain only managed five medals in the 2018 Winter Olympics, so hopes are that this record will be improved this time around.

UEFA Women’s Euro 2022

Where: England

When: 6–31 July 2022

Interest in women’s football is really starting to increase, and more people are starting to support the game than ever before. Europe undoubtedly has the best women’s football leagues, with a competitive Champions League and the FA Women’s National League in England pulling in much better numbers.

Officially known as the 2022 UEFA European Women’s Football Championship, it will take place in England next summer. The final will be played at Wembley Stadium in London. The Netherlands are the defending champions of the Euros, with Denmark coming in as runners-up. It will be the first time the Northern Ireland national team will participate in the UEFA Women’s Euro competition.

Rugby League World Cup

Where: England

When: 15 October – 19 November 2022

First things first, don’t get this tournament confused with the Rugby World Cup, which is taking place in 2023. The Rugby League World Cup is an international competition in which 16 teams with strong rugby leagues from across the world compete for the cup. The tournament was originally meant to be held in 2021, but it was postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rugby League World Cup is Rugby League’s premier international competition and is one of the longest-running World Cup tournaments in world sport. The opening match will take place at Newcastle’s St James Park, and the double-header final will be played out at Old Trafford in Manchester.

England were runners-up in the 2017 tournament when they lost to Australia 6–0. The women’s Rugby League World Cup will take place just after the men’s at the same venues in November 2022. This is also the first time that the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup will be part of the main event.

Women’s Cricket World Cup

Where: New Zealand

When: 4 March – 3 April 2022

2022 has another enticing women’s tournament up its sleeve, with the Women’s Cricket World Cup taking place in New Zealand. This is the pinnacle event of women’s cricket, and it will see 31 matches played over a month. This is the first women’s cricket event that will be played since the Women’s T20 World Cup in March 2020. Originally scheduled to take place in 2021, the tournament was delayed as a result of the pandemic.

Eight of the world’s best women’s cricket teams will play matches across six cities across Aotearoa: Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

It was the England team that took the title in the 2017 competition on home soil against India, but they are going to face some seriously stiff competition in this tournament, and it should be a cracking competition.

Other events to take note of

Of course, these aren’t the only sporting events to keep an eye on. These are the other events you might want to watch while you play slots online.

Football

• 2022 UEFA Champions League Final

Where: Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia

When: 28 May 2022

• Carabao Cup Final

Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England

When: 27 February 2022

• FA Cup Final

Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England

When: 14 May 2022

Golf

• The Masters

Where: Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia, USA

When: 7–10 April 2022

• PGA Championship

Where: Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

When: 19–22 May 2022

• US Open

Where: The Country Club, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA

When: 16–19 June 2022

• Open Championship

Where: Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland.

When: 14–17 July 2022

Tennis

• Australian Open

Where: Melbourne, Australia

When: 17–30 January 2022

• French Open

Where: Paris, France

When: 22 May–5 June 2022

• Wimbledon

Where: London, England

When: 27 June–10 July 2022

• US Open

Where: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

When: 30 August–12 September 2022

Play your own games at Mecca Bingo

As you can see, 2022 has a lot in store for sports fans, but it’s still a while away. So, in the meantime, why don’t you play your own games at Mecca Bingo. We have a range of online games, and you can play slots, choose an online scratchcard, and even enter our raffle draw. We’ve also got free bingo with no deposit if you want to practice before you play.

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