21st century

==Sports==
[[Association football]] is the most popular sport worldwide with the [[FIFA World Cup]] being the most viewed football event. Other sports such as rugby, cricket, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, tennis, and golf are popular globally. In [[cricket]], the emergence of the [[Twenty20]] format and the creation of the [[Indian Premier League]] led to changes in the nature of the sport. American swimmer [[Michael Phelps]] won an Olympic record setting 8 Gold medals at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].

[[File:Beijing Birds Nest Olympics track .jpg|thumb|The [[Beijing]] Bird's Nest Stadium during the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].]]

=== Olympics ===
* The [[2002 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Salt Lake City, Utah]], United States
* The [[2004 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Athens, Greece]]
* The [[2006 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Turin, Italy]]
* The [[2008 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Beijing, China]]
* The [[2010 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada
* The [[2012 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[London, United Kingdom]]
* The [[2014 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Sochi, Russia]]
* The [[2016 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]]
* The [[2018 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Pyeongchang, South Korea]]
* The [[2020 Summer Olympics]] were held in [[Tokyo, Japan]]
* The [[2022 Winter Olympics]] were held in [[Beijing, China]]
* The [[2024 Summer Olympics]] will be held in [[Paris, France]]
* The [[2026 Winter Olympics]] will be held in [[Milan]] and [[Cortina d'Ampezzo]], [[Italy]]
* The [[2028 Summer Olympics]] will be held in [[Los Angeles, California, United States]]
* The [[2032 Summer Olympics]] will be held in [[Brisbane, Queensland, Australia]]

=== Association football (Men) ===
* The [[2002 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[South Korea]] and [[Japan]] – was won by [[Brazil National Football Team|Brazil]]
* The [[2006 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[Germany]] – was won by [[Italy National Football Team|Italy]]
* The [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[South Africa]] – was won by [[Spain National Football Team|Spain]]
* The [[2014 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[Brazil]] – was won by [[Germany National Football Team|Germany]]
* The [[2018 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[Russia]] – was won by [[France National Football Team|France]]
* The [[2022 FIFA World Cup]] – host [[Qatar]] – was won by [[Argentina National Football Team|Argentina]]

=== Association football (Women) ===
* The [[2003 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[United States]] – was won by [[Germany women's national football team|Germany]]
* The [[2007 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[China]] – was won by [[Germany women's national football team|Germany]]
* The [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[Germany]] – was won by [[Japan women's national football team|Japan]]
* The [[2015 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[Canada]] – was won by [[United States women's national soccer team|United States]]
* The [[2019 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[France]] – was won by [[United States women's national soccer team|United States]]
* The [[2023 FIFA Women's World Cup]] – host [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] – was won by [[Spain women's national football team|Spain]]

=== Cricket ===
* The [[2003 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[South Africa]], [[Zimbabwe]] and [[Kenya]] – was won by [[Australia men's national cricket team|Australia]]
* The [[2007 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[West Indies]] – was won by [[Australia men's national cricket team|Australia]]
* The [[2011 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]] and [[Bangladesh]] – was won by [[India men's national cricket team|India]]
* The [[2015 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] – was won by [[Australia men's national cricket team|Australia]]
* The [[2019 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[England]] and [[Wales]] – was won by [[England cricket team|England]]
* The [[2023 Cricket World Cup]] – host [[India]] – was won by [[Australia men's national cricket team|Australia]]

=== Gridiron football ===
[[File:Tom Brady 2016.JPG|thumb|upright|Quarterback [[Tom Brady]] played in 10 Super Bowls, the most ever.]]
* In the [[National Football League]], the [[New England Patriots]] were the dominant franchise of the first two decades of the 21st century, winning six [[Super Bowl]]s between their first, in 2001, and their most recent, in 2018 and appearing in an additional three others. Head Coach [[Bill Belichick]] and quarterback [[Tom Brady]] led the team during the stretch, with Brady also leading the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] to an additional Super Bowl following the 2020 season. Other teams with multiple Super Bowl appearances over that time period include the [[Philadelphia Eagles]], [[New York Giants]], [[Kansas City Chiefs]], [[Seattle Seahawks]], and [[Carolina Panthers]]. Besides Brady, who also won three [[Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award]] (MVP), other highly recognized players include quarterback [[Peyton Manning]], who won five MVP awards, the most in history, and quarterback [[Aaron Rodgers]] who won three MVPs, who in 2011 set the NFL record for season [[passer rating]]. Successful offensive players at other positions include wide receiver [[Randy Moss]], who set the record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 23 in 2007, wide receiver [[Michael Thomas (wide receiver, born 1993)|Michael Thomas]], who set the NFL record for most receptions in a season with 149 in 2019, tight end [[Rob Gronkowski]], who became the first tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns in 2011, and running back [[Adrian Peterson]], who set the all-time NFL record for rushing yards in a game with 296 in 2007, his rookie year. Key defensive players of the century include safety [[Ed Reed]], who led the league in interceptions three times, linebacker [[Ray Lewis]], who set the career tackles record when he retired in 2012, and linebacker [[J. J. Watt]], who is the only player to record more than 20 quarterback sacks in two different seasons.
* In American [[college football]], the sport saw the creation of the [[College Football Playoff]], the first playoff for [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision]], the highest level of college football in the U.S. The series was dominated by two teams, the [[Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson Tigers]] and [[Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama Crimson Tide]], at least one of which has played in every Playoff since its inception in 2014 and between them have won all but one of said championships. Prior to 2014, the method of determining the champion was done via the [[Bowl Championship Series]] (BCS), a single championship game that attempted to match the top two teams in the country using a series of polls and computer rankings to choose the top two teams. In the BCS era, the top teams were Alabama, which won three BCS Championships, and [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]], [[LSU Tigers football team|LSU]], and [[Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]], which won two BCS Championships each. [[Nick Saban]], who led both LSU and Alabama to one and seven national championships respectively, was the most dominant coach of his era, while quarterbacks dominated the [[Heisman Trophy]], winning 16 of 20 during the first two decades of the 21st century. Several controversies over the payment of athletes dominated the sport, with Heisman Trophy winner [[Reggie Bush]] being forced to return his award over receiving improper benefits while maintaining amateur status, while officials and media continued to debate the possibility of paying athletes at all levels of [[college athletics in the United States|college athletics]].
* In [[Canadian football]], the league opened the 21st century facing an uncertain financial future, suffering from the failures of the experiment of trying to field [[Canadian Football League in the United States|Canadian football teams in the United States]] and having to contract a large number of teams at the end of the 20th century. The league fluctuated between eight and nine teams as two different Ottawa-based franchises failed during the first decade of the 21st century. The league found stability during the 2010s, and showed surprising parity between the teams, with all nine teams appearing in at least one [[Grey Cup]] during the 2000s and 2010s, and with only the [[Montreal Alouettes]] winning back-to-back titles during those two decades, in 2009 and 2010. Quarterback [[Anthony Calvillo]] of the Alouettes was the face of the league during his career, winning three [[CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award|Most Outstanding Player Award]]s and setting several passing records in the process.

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=== Golf ===
[[File:Tiger Woods in May 2019.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Tiger Woods was the most successful male golfer of the first two decades of the 21st century.]]
* The [[2002 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 15 and a half to the USA's 12 and a half.
* The [[2004 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 18 and a half to the USA's 9 and a half.
* The [[2006 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe again 18 and a half to the USA's 9 and a half.
* The [[2008 Ryder Cup]] was won by the USA 16 and a half to Europe's 11 and a half.
* The [[2010 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 14 and a half to the USA's 13 and a half.
* The [[2012 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 14 and a half to the USA's 13 and a half.
* The [[2014 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 16 and a half to the USA's 11 and a half.
* The [[2016 Ryder Cup]] was won by USA 17 to Europe's 11.
* The [[2018 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 17 and a half to the USA's 10 and a half.
* The [[2021 Ryder Cup]] was won by USA 19 to Europe's 9.
* The [[2023 Ryder Cup]] was won by Europe 16 and a half to the USA's 11 and half.

=== Motorsport ===
[[File:Sydney SuperSprint 2016 Race 18 Start.jpg|thumb|The start of a race during the 2016 [[Supercars Championship]] in Australia]]
* [[Dale Earnhardt]] died after a last-lap crash during the [[Daytona 500]] in February 2001.
* [[Michael Schumacher]] broke many records in the first few years of the century, including the record for most races won (91), most World Championships (7), and most pole positions (68) by the time he retired in 2006. In 2010, he announced his comeback to [[Formula One]] after three years out of the sport, retiring again in 2012.
* [[Sebastian Vettel]] broke numerous records on his way to becoming Formula One's youngest ever world champion, in 2010 at age 23, and then the youngest ever double world champion, in 2011 at age 24.
* [[Sébastien Loeb]] became the most successful rally driver ever, winning the [[World Rally Championship]] a record 9 consecutive times between 2004 and 2012. He also set new records for the most wins, podium finishes and points scored.
* [[Casey Stoner]] won his second [[MotoGP]] world title (2007 and 2011), and announced his retirement from the sport at just 27 years of age, citing disagreement with the direction of the sport and a desire to spend more time with his family. His retirement became effective at the end of the 2012 MotoGP season. Stoner has won every MotoGP-branded race at least once.
* [[Craig Lowndes]] became the first driver to reach 100 race wins in the [[Supercars Championship|V8 Supercars Championship]].
* [[Lewis Hamilton]] broke the record for most career pole positions in [[Formula One]] in 2019, and the record for most career wins in 2020.

=== Rugby Union ===
* [[2003 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[Australia]] – was won by [[England national rugby union team|England]]
* [[2007 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[France]] – was won by [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]]
* [[2011 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[New Zealand]] – was won by [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]]
* [[2015 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[England]] – was won by [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]]
* [[2019 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[Japan]] – was won by [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]]
* [[2023 Rugby World Cup]] – host [[France]] – was won by [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] again

=== Tennis (Men) ===
* [[Roger Federer]] won 20 [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] titles (6 Australian Opens, 1 French Open, 8 Wimbledons, and 5 US Opens) to surpass [[Pete Sampras]]' record of 14.
* Roger Federer, [[Rafael Nadal]] and [[Novak Djokovic]] each completed a Career Grand Slam, winning the singles championships in the [[Australian Open]], [[French Open]], [[The Championships|Wimbledon]] and [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]; Nadal also won the Olympic Singles gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics to complete a Golden Career Slam.
* At the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut completed the [[Isner–Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships|longest tennis match ever]]. Isner won 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(3), 70–68.
* In 2019, Rafael Nadal became the first male player to win a single Grand Slam tournament ([[French Open]]) 12 times.

=== Tennis (Women) ===
* [[Serena Williams]] won 23 Grand Slam titles (7 Australian Opens, 3 French Opens, 7 Wimbledons, and 6 US Opens) in the 21st century, to add to her 1999 US Open title. Including a 2017 Australian Open win whilst 8 weeks pregnant
* [[Maria Sharapova]] became the first female Russian player to reach No.1 on 22 August 2005. She also retired in 2020.
* China's [[Li Na]] won the [[2011 French Open]], becoming the first player, male or female, from that country to win a Grand Slam.
* Belarusian [[Victoria Azarenka]] won the [[2012 Australian Open]], becoming the first player, male or female, from that country to win a Grand Slam, and also hold the No.1 ranking (taking over from [[Caroline Wozniacki]]).