2019 promises to be an exciting year for sports fans around the world as a host of top events are lined up in the upcoming year. Some of these spectacles have been creating a lot of buzz for some time now and the fans will finally get to see the drama unfold before their eyes. It is time now for the fans to start planning where and when they will be watching these events. We have rounded the top sporting extravaganzas for the year 2019 which are bound to raise the enthusiasm in fans.

2019 AFC Asian Cup: The biggest competition in Asian football, the AFC Asia Cup will be played in the United Arab Emirates from the 5th January to the 1st February. The rules of the competition have been tweaked a bit and now 24 nations can participate in the Cup competition. They have been clubbed in a group of four to form six such groups. The four best third-placed teams along with winners and runner-ups from each group will make it to the Round of sixteen followed by the quarters, semis and the mega final. India have been placed in Group A with Bahrain, UAE, and Thailand while defending champions Australia find themselves in Group B. The competition will showcase some of the best players of Asian football displaying their skills on the biggest of the stage. The winners of the Asia Cup will earn a place in the 2021 Confederations Cup.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: England and Wales will be hosting the 2019 ICC World Cup which is the biggest prize in the world of Cricket. The mega event consists of 48 games played between the 30th of May till the 14th of July. It will be the first World Cup without the participation of the associate nations which has been done to make the tournament competitive in nature. The format consists of a single group of ten teams with each playing other once. The top four teams make it to the semi-finals with the finals being played at the iconic Lord’s stadium in London. Afghanistan and West Indies cricket teams had to come through the qualifying phase to take final slots of the cup. Defending champions Australia will have to battle resurgent teams like India, England, South-Africa, and England in order to keep their crown intact. Virat Kohli and his boys though have been tipped as the early favourites for lifting the World Cup with the kind of form they have shown in the past two years. Virat Kohli’s Magnificent Show in South Africa, Dinesh Karthik’s Last-Ball Six and Other Highlights of Indian Cricket in 2018

African Cup of Nations: The African Cup of Nations brings the gems of African football under one roof and after Cameroon was stripped of the right to host the competition new hosts will be soon decided by CAF. There is no alteration in the date which is slated for 15th June-13th July period and also the number of teams taking part has been increased from 16 to 24. The teams have been divided into six groups with the top two teams from each group along with four best third-placed teams making it to the Round of 16. Defending champions Cameroon will battle it out against other biggies like Egypt and Ivory Coast.

UEFA Nations League Finals: UEFA Nations League which was an effort by Europe’s football governing body to do away with the meaningless international friendlies will reach its conclusion between the 5th and 9th June 2019 in Portugal. In the semis, Holland faces England while Portugal will play Switzerland for the right to play in the finals. The competition has divided opinions by coaches and experts alike on its validity but it is without a doubt a golden opportunity for the four teams to lift a championship. All the nations involved have made it to the finals after beating quality teams like Croatia, France, Spain and Germany which has been a significant contributor to the popularity of the Nations League. Cricket Controversies in 2018: From Virat Kohli's 'Leave India' Comment to Steve Smith's Ball-Tampering Scandal, Here Are All Incidents That Rocked Gentleman's Game This Year!

2019 Copa America: Brazil will be hosting the 2019 Copa America to be played between 14th June and 7th July 2019. The glitz and glamour of South American football will converge on the Samba Nation for the right to be called the best in the CONMEBOL confederation. 12 teams will play at six venues of Brazil in a competition which has historically produced some amazing spectacle in terms of football and fan fair. There are three groups consisting for four teams each with winners and runners-up of each group along with the two best third-placed side making it to the quarters. Defending champions Chile have won the competition in the last two editions but Brazil at home will be a force to reckon with.

2019 World Championship in Athletics: The Athletics fans will be eagerly waiting for IAAF World Championships to be held in Doha, Qatar between the 27th September and 6th October 2019. The Khalifa International Stadium has been chosen as the venue for the championships and is expecting quite a fan frenzy during the ten-day event. The qualification system will take into consideration the athlete’s position in the IAAF World Ranking, Wild Card invitation, and entry standards. While there are also special qualification opportunities for member federations without any qualified athletes. Year-End Special: From AB de Villiers to Gautam Gambhir, Here’s the List of Cricketers Who Retired in 2018.

2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup: The 18th FIBA Basketball World Cup will take place in China from August 31-September 15 2019. There will be 32 nations taking part in the event that was originally scheduled to take place in 2018 and they will be placed in eight groups. The top two teams from these eight groups will then move to the second group stage and the top two teams from the second phase will make it to the final knockout phase. There will be massive 92 game played in a 16 days period and the FIBA is expecting the new format is going to increase the viewership of the event.

We hope you have made a note about all these important events lined up in the coming year as the countdown for 2019 starts.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2018 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).