refer to: 2025 Rhine-Ruhr FISU World University Games (Opens new window)

Again this year, Germany is hosting one of the world’s largest multi-sport competitions: from 16 to 27 July 2025, more than 8,500 athletes and officials from more than 150 countries will participate in the 2025 FISU World University Games in the Rhine-Ruhr region and Berlin, competing in 18 sport disciplines. For the Federal Republic of Germany, the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games (WUG 2025) offer yet another opportunity to show how successful, innovative and sustainable sports events can be.

The Rhine-Ruhr region will become a sports arena – with a little help from Berlin

Two rowers on the water at the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games (Larger version opens in new window) Source: FISU

The 2025 World University Games will set an entire region in motion. Where the Rhine and Ruhr rivers come together, events will be spread across 23 venues in the cities of Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, Hagen and Mülheim an der Ruhr, while Berlin will host the swimming, diving and volleyball competitions. The national capital was added as a venue last year, because some changes had to be made to the event planning, and the infrastructure needed to host the Games sustainably was available in Berlin. The opening ceremony for the Games will take place in Duisburg’s Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena on 16 July 2025 with an expected audience of 28,000. The Games will end 11 days later, on 27 July 2025, with a spectacular closing ceremony before an audience of 25,000 at the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord.

"Everybody is all-in" – It’s about more than just sport

The motto for the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games is “Everybody is all-in”. The event organisers are committed to celebrating a festival of sport, education and culture in North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin and Germany. Along with the sport highlights, the Games will offer a wide-ranging programme of activities in collaboration with the Ruhr Games in Bochum, where the FISU World Conference will also be held. Essen will host a festival of concerts, music and more, and Duisburg will offer a multi-day programme of cultural events. Low ticket prices will enable everyone to take part. Up to 12,000 volunteers will provide support for the Games.

Source: FISU

Germany in the international spotlight

The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games are part of Germany’s national strategy for major sporting events, which is focused on ensuring Germany’s ability to succeed in the global competition to host high-profile sporting events. The strategy also calls for using such events to promote the positive further development of society. The 2025 FISU World University Games are just one of a number of prominent sport events recently hosted by Germany, following the multi-sport 2022 European Championships in Munich, the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin and UEFA EURO 2024™. This summer, global attention will once again be focused on the Federal Republic for the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, another opportunity for Germany to polish its reputation as an excellent host of international sporting events. The 2025 Games will show the world an enthusiastic region and a country that is capable of successfully staging major sport competitions.

A eye on sustainability

3x3 wheelchair basketball (Larger version opens in new window) Source: FISU / Danny-Ralph Cäsar

When it comes to sustainability, the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games will set a new benchmark: not only will the Games largely rely on existing sport venues, accommodation and transport infrastructure; a new concept developed with the help of scientific expertise and experience from previous events will underscore the key objective of making sustainability a priority at a major sporting event. The Federal Government welcomes the Games’ focus on sustainability, inclusion and human rights. In terms of inclusion, these Games are also setting a precedent that deserves attention: the addition of 3x3 wheelchair basketball means that, for the first time in the history of the summer FISU Games, para sport will be included in the programme.

Education meets sport

One reason that the Rhine-Ruhr region was chosen to host the 2025 World University Games was its plan to utilise venues in multiple cities and draw on broad regional support. Another reason was the planned focus on the extensive involvement of students and institutions of higher education. The special ties between sport and education are intended to promote innovations that can be applied both during the Games and beyond. A special highlight is the three-day FISU World Conference with the theme “Competing for Change: Exploring Sustainability and (Mental) Health Through Sports”. With some 400 participants from more than 40 countries, this academic conference will be held at the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum from 17 to 19 July 2025.

Federal and state support for the Games

The Federal Government and the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia are the two major sponsors of the 2025 World University Games. Each is contributing €59 million to host the event. The Federal Government and North Rhine-Westphalia are also assisting the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games gGmbH and the German University Sports Association (adh) as organiser with the preparation and staging of the Games and with the follow-up work.

About the FISU World University Games
In May 2021, the German University Sports Association was chosen to host the 2025 FISU World University Games. It is the sole partner of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games gGmbH, the non-profit private limited company responsible for putting on the Games. The International University Sports Federation (Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire, or FISU) chooses the hosts of the FISU World University Games.
The first World University Games were held in Paris in 1923. FISU was founded in 1949, and the first games using the name “Universiade” took place in Turin, Italy, in 1959. Since then, winter and summer games have been held every two years. In 2020, FISU decided to change the name of the event to “World University Games”. These Games are the most important competition in international university sport. Germany has hosted the event once before: in 1989, 3,000 student athletes from all over the world came together in Duisburg, which had agreed to host the Summer Universiade just 153 days before the opening ceremony, after the original host, Sao Paulo, Brazil, had to cancel. The most recent FISU Summer World University Games were held in Chengdu, China, in 2023.

Date of revision: 29 January 2025