2012 in sports various events were held, notably the Summer Olympics were held in London, United Kingdom.

• Super Bowl XLVI – the New York Giants (NFC) won 21–17 over the New England Patriots (AFC)
  • Location: Lucas Oil Stadium
  • Attendance: 68,658
  • MVP: Eli Manning, QB (New York)
• January 9 – BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans (2011 season):
  • The Alabama Crimson Tide won 21-0 over the LSU Tigers to win the 2012 BCS National Championship Game
• March 21 - former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning signs a 5-year, $96 million deal with the Denver Broncos, after considering signing with teams such as the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and Tennessee Titans. Manning spent his first 13 years with the Colts, leading them to their 2nd Super Bowl title in 2007 and after going 2-14 in 2011 and earning the No. 1 pick in the 2012 Draft, Manning was released by the Colts 13 days earlier, and sat out that whole season due to undergoing neck surgeries. In a move that shocked both the media and fans, sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow would be traded to the New York Jets the next day, and just 2 months after he led the 4th seeded Broncos to a playoff win and go 7-4 as a starter. This signing is tied with the New Orleans Saints' signing of Drew Brees in 2006 as the greatest free agency signing in NFL history.

• January 16–29: 2012 Men's European Water Polo Championship in Eindhoven, Netherlands
  •  Serbia,  Montenegro,  Hungary.^[1]
• January 18–28: 2012 Women's European Water Polo Championship in Eindhoven, Netherlands
  •  Italy,  Greece,  Hungary.^[2]
• February 20–26: 2012 FINA Diving World Cup in London, U.K.
• May 14–27: 2012 European Aquatics Championships in Antwerp and Eindhoven
• Aquatics at the 2012 Olympics in London, United Kingdom:
  • Swimming 28 July - 10 August. American swimmer Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, by surpassing soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. Phelps has won 22 Olympic medals (18 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze) . The Swimming Medal Table was won by  United States with 16 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze.  China was second with 5 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze.  France was third with 4 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze.
  • Diving 29 July - 11 August
  • Water Polo
    • Men:  Croatia,  Italy,  Serbia
    • Women:  Spain,  Australia,  Australia
  • Synchronized Swimming 5–10 August
• 2012 FINA Swimming World Cup in eight different cities in October and November:
  • October 2–3 Dubai, United Arab Emirates  United Arab Emirates
  • October 6–7 Doha, Qatar  Qatar
  • October 13–14 Stockholm, Sweden  Sweden
  • October 17–18 Moscow, Russia  Russia
  • October 20–21 Berlin, Germany  Germany
  • November 2–3 Beijing, China  China
  • November 6–7 Tokyo, Japan  Japan
  • November 10–11 Singapore  Singapore.

Kenneth To from  Australia won the men's race, while Katinka Hosszú from  Hungary won the women's race

• December 12–16: 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Istanbul, Turkey.  United States won the medal table with 11 gold, 8 silver and 8 bronze, while  China was second with 3 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze and  Hungary was third with 3 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze.

• 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea (final held in Libreville)
  • Champions:  Zambia (first title); Runners-up:  Ivory Coast; Third place:  Mali.
• UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine (final was held in Kyiv)
  •  Spain defeated  Italy 4–0 in the final to successfully defend their 2008 Euro title. This is Spain's third Euro title win overall. It also made Spain the first men's team ever to win three consecutive major international competitions (Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012).
• 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan
  • Champions:  France (first title); Runners-up:  North Korea; Third place:  Ghana.
• 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan (final held in Tokyo)
  • Champions:  United States (third title); Runners-up:  Germany; Third place:  Japan.
• 2011–12 OFC Champions League
  • Auckland City FC defeats AS Tefana 3–1 on aggregate. Auckland City will represent the OFC region in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup.
• 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League
  • In a matchup of two  Mexican teams, Monterrey defeated Santos Laguna 3–2 on aggregate. Monterrey will represent the CONCACAF region in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup.
• 2011–12 UEFA Champions League (final held in Munich)
  • Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich 4–3 on penalties, after a 1–1 draw after extra time. Chelsea will represent the UEFA region in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup.
• 2012 Copa Libertadores
  • Corinthians defeated Boca Juniors 4–1 on points in the two-legged final. Corinthians will represent the CONMEBOL region in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup.
• 2012 AFC Champions League (final held in Ulsan)
  • Ulsan Hyundai defeated Al-Ahli 3–0. Ulsan Hyundai will represent the AFC region in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup.
• 2012 CAF Champions League
  • Al-Ahly defeated Espérance ST 3–2 on aggregate in the two-legged final. Al-Ahly will represent the CAF region in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup.
• 2012 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan
  • Corinthians defeated Chelsea 1–0 to claim its second title.

• March 9–11: 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey
• July 10–15: 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Barcelona, Spain
• June 27 – July 1: 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland

• The Miami Marlins, known as the Florida Marlins until November 11, 2011, opened their new stadium, Marlins Park, on April 4 against the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.
• October 24–28: In the World Series, the San Francisco Giants swept the Detroit Tigers 4–0, with Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval named MVP. It was the Giants' second World Series victory in three years.
• October 27–November 5: In the Japan Series, the Yomiuri Giants defeated the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 4–2, with Giants starting pitcher Tetsuya Utsumi named MVP.

WNBA Finals

The Indiana Fever defeat the Minnesota Lynx 3–1 in the best-of-5 series.

NBA Finals

• Miami Heat win four games to one over the Oklahoma City Thunder
• October 27 : The Oklahoma City Thunder trade James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first round picks (which became Steven Adams in 2013 and Mitch McGary in 2014), and a second round pick that became Alex Abrines in 2013, a trade that was heavily criticised by fans and the media as many believe the Thunder would've won a title or possibly become the NBA's next dynasty had they kept the trio of Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant. Having played there until 2021, Harden had his best years in Houston, leading them to 7 straight playoff appearances, the Western Conference Finals in 2015 and 2018, won the 2017–18 MVP award, and in 2018-19, led the Rockets to 32 straight 30-plus point games.

Events

• Barclays Center, a new arena in Brooklyn, opened late in 2012. The New Jersey Nets revealed in 2011 that they will become the Brooklyn Nets starting in the 2012–13 season, when they will begin playing in the new building.
• 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament – The University of Kentucky wins its eighth national title, defeating the University of Kansas 67–59 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
• 2012 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament – Baylor University wins its second national title, defeating the University of Notre Dame 80–61 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Lady Bears finish the season 40–0, becoming the first team in NCAA basketball history of either sex to win 40 games in a season.
• 2011–12 Euroleague Basketball. Final Four in Istanbul, Turkey - Olympiacos B.C. won, defeating PBC CSKA Moscow.
• South American Basketball Championship 2012 in Argentina - Argentina won, defeating Venezuela in the final.

• January 29 : Mike Fagan won his first major championship, in claiming the USBC Masters title.
• February 26 : Pete Weber won his record 5th U.S. Open in dramatic fashion over Mike Fagan.
• April 15: Sean Rash broke his title slump in winning his second major in the PBA Tournament of Champions.

• November 23 – 48th Vanier Cup in Toronto: Laval Rouge et Or 37, McMaster Marauders 14
• November 25 – 100th Grey Cup in Toronto: Toronto Argonauts 35, Calgary Stampeders 22

• 2012 Under19 Cricket World Cup was held in Australia.

 India defeated  Australia in the final and clinched their third title.

• 2012 ICC World Twenty20 was held in Sri Lanka.

 West Indies defeated  Sri Lanka in the final and clinched their first title.

• Men's World Floorball Championships
  • Champion:  Sweden
• Women's under-19 World Floorball Championships
  • Champion:  Finland
• Champions Cup
  • Men's champion: Storvreta IBK
  • Women's champion: IKSU

• January 31 – February 11: 2012 UEFA Futsal Championship in Croatia (final held in Zagreb)
  •  Spain,  Russia,  Italy.^[3]
• November 2 – November 18: 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand (final to be held in Bangkok)
  •  Brazil,  Spain,  Italy.

• September 25 – September 30: 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah, Illinois, United States - won by Europe.

• 2012 Pan American Men's Handball Championship in Argentina
• January 15 – January 29: 2012 European Men's Handball Championship in Serbia
  •  Denmark,  Serbia,  Croatia^[4]
• December 3 – December 16: 2012 European Women's Handball Championship in Serbia

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Synchronised
• Grand National - Neptune Collonges

Flat races

• Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai World Cup – Monterosso
• English Triple Crown:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Camelot
  2. Epsom Derby - Camelot^[5]
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Encke
• United States Triple Crown:
  1. Kentucky Derby – I'll Have Another
  2. Preakness Stakes – I'll Have Another
  3. Belmont Stakes – Union Rags
• Breeders' Cup:
  • Day 1:
    • Juvenile Sprint: Hightail
    • Marathon: Calidoscopio
    • Juvenile Fillies Turf: Flotilla
    • Juvenile Fillies: Beholder
    • Filly & Mare Turf: Zagora
    • Ladies' Classic: Royal Delta
  • Day 2:
    • Juvenile Turf: George Vancouver
    • Dirt Mile: Tapizar
    • Filly & Mare Sprint: Groupie Doll
    • Turf Sprint: Mizdirection
    • Juvenile: Shanghai Bobby
    • Turf: Little Mike
    • Sprint: Trinniberg
    • Mile: Wise Dan
    • Classic: Fort Larned

The following is a list of major noteworthy kickboxing events during 2012 in chronological order.

Date	Event	Alternate Name/s	Location	Attendance	Notes
January 28	It's Showtime 2012 in Leeuwarden	It's Showtime 54	Leeuwarden, Netherlands	—	Badr Hari announces his retirement after 12 years of competition.
February 25	SuperKombat World Grand Prix I 2012	SuperKombat World Grand Prix I	Podgorica, Montenegro	—	Featured the SuperKombat World Grand Prix I 2012 super heavyweight (+96kg) tournament.
March 10	Cro Cop Final Fight	K-1 Final Fight	Zagreb, Croatia	—	Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović returns to kickboxing after eight years in MMA.
March 23	United Glory 15	—	Moscow, Russia	—	—
May 27	SLAMM: Nederland vs. Thailand VII	SLAMM: Nederland vs. Thailand 7	Almere, Netherlands	—	—
June 30	Music Hall & BFN Group present: It's Showtime 57 & 58	It's Showtime 57 & 58	Brussels, Belgium	—	Peter Aerts announces his retirement after 27 years of competition.

• May 19: Rochester Knighthawks defeat the Edmonton Rush in Rochester to win their third MILL/NLL title.
• May 27: Northwestern defeats Syracuse 8–6 in the final of the NCAA women's tournament. It is the Wildcats' seventh national title, all in the last eight years.
• May 28: Loyola defeats in-state rival Maryland 9–3 in the final of the NCAA men's tournament. It is the first national title for the Greyhounds.

The following is a list of major noteworthy MMA events by month.

January

1/7 — Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine

1/14 — UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

1/20 — UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller

1/27 — MFC 32 - Bitter Rivals

1/28 — UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis

February

2/4 — UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

2/11 — ONE Fighting Championship: Battle of Heroes

2/15 — UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger

2/25 — UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson

2/25 — KSW 18: Unfinished Sympathy

March

3/2 — UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann

3/3 — Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey

3/16 — M-1 Challenge 31 - Monson vs. Oleinik

3/24 — M-1 Belarus 16 - Belarus Fighting Championship

3/31 — ONE Fighting Championship: War of the Lions

April

4/14 — UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva

4/21 — UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans

May

5/4 — MFC 33 - Collision Course

5/5 — UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller

5/12 — KSW 19: Pudzianowski vs. Sapp

5/15 — UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier

5/19 — Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier

5/26 – UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir

June

6/1 — The Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale

6/8 — UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall 2

6/21 — M-1 Global - Fedor vs. Rizzo

6/22 — UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida

6/23 — UFC 147: Silva vs. Franklin II

6/23 — ONE Fighting Championship: Destiny of Warriors

July

7/7 — UFC 148: Silva vs. Sonnen II

7/11 — UFC on Fuel TV: Muñoz vs. Weidman

7/14 — Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy

7/21 — UFC 149: Faber vs. Barão

August

8/4 — UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera

8/10 — MFC 34 - Total Recall

8/11 — UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II

8/18 — Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman

8/31 — ONE Fighting Championship: Pride of a Nation

September

9/1 — UFC 151: Jones vs. Henderson

9/15 — KSW 20: Fighting Symphonies

9/22 — UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort

9/29 — UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic

9/29 — Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Healy

9/30 — M-1 Challenge 34 - Emelianenko vs. Gluhov

October

10/5 — UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot

10/6 — ONE Fighting Championship: Rise of Kings

10/13 — UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar

10/26 — MFC 35 - Explosive Encounter

November

11/3 — Strikeforce: Cormier vs. Mir

11/10 — UFC on Fuel TV: Franklin vs. Le

11/17 — UFC 154: St-Pierre vs. Condit

December

12/1 — KSW 21: Ultimate Explanation

12/8 — UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz

12/14 — UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson

12/15 — The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson Finale

12/29 – UFC 155: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2

• 2012 the 50th Rink Hockey European Championship
• 2012 Rink hockey World Club Championship the 4th Rink hockey World Club Championship, Argentine
• 2012 Rink Hockey Ladies World Championship, the 11th Ladies Rink Hockey World Championship, in Argentine
• 2012 B-Rink Hockey World Championship
• 2012 Rink Hockey American Championship

• May 5 – May 27: 2012 Giro d'Italia

Ryder Hesjedal won the Giro, becoming the first Canadian to win a Grand Tour.

• June 30 – July 22: 2012 Tour de France

Bradley Wiggins won the Tour, becoming the first British to win a Grand Tour.

• August 18 – September 9: 2012 Vuelta a España

Alberto Contador won the title for the second time after his first success in 2008.^[6]

• September 15 – September 23: 2012 UCI Road World Championships in Limburg, Netherlands

• 2012 World Rowing Championships will be held at Plovdiv, Bulgaria between August 15 - August 19.

• 2012 Challenge Cup - Warrington Wolves win, defeating Leeds Rhinos in the final.
• 2012 European Cup - the England Knights won.
• 2012 New South Wales Cup season
• 2012 New Zealand rugby league season
• 2012 National League Cup
• 2012 RFL Championship
• 2012 State of Origin series – Queensland defeats New South Wales 2–1 in the best-of-3 series, extending the northerners' all-time record for consecutive State of Origin wins to seven.
• Super League XVII – Leeds Rhinos defeat Warrington Wolves 26–18 in the Grand Final to claim their second consecutive championship and fifth in the last six seasons.
• 2012 USARL season
• Leeds Rhinos win the 2012 World Club Challenge

• February 4 – 17 March: Six Nations Championship
  •  Wales win the championship for the 25th time, also claiming their 11th Grand Slam and 20th Triple Crown.
• May 18: Amlin Challenge Cup Final at The Stoop, London:
  • Biarritz defeat Toulon 21–18 to claim their first Challenge Cup title and first European trophy.
• May 19: Heineken Cup Final at Twickenham, London
  • Leinster crush Ulster 42–14 for their third Heineken Cup, becoming only the second club to successfully defend a Heineken Cup title and the first ever to win the Cup three times in four years.
• IRB Sevens World Series:
  •  New Zealand,  Fiji and  England. New Zealand claim their second consecutive series crown and tenth overall.
• June 4–22: 2012 IRB Junior World Championship in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, South Africa
  •  South Africa,  New Zealand and  Wales. This was the first title for South Africa. It was also the first time in the competition's five-year history in which New Zealand did not claim the title.
• June 16–30: 2012 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Salt Lake City, United States
  •  United States,  Japan and  Tonga. This was the first title for the USA, which will be promoted to the 2013 Junior World Championship at the expense of  Italy.
• August 4: Super Rugby Final at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton:
  • The Chiefs crush the Sharks 37–6 to claim their first-ever title.
• August 18 – October 6: The Rugby Championship
  •  New Zealand win the title with a clean sweep in the first season of the newly renamed competition, now including Argentina. Including the competition's previous history as the Tri Nations, this is the All Blacks' 11th series win.

Domestic competitions

• English Premiership Final, May 26 at Twickenham:
  • Harlequins defeat Leicester Tigers 30–23 to claim their first Premiership title. Quins had also finished atop the league table.
• RFU Championship Final, May 23 and May 30:
  • London Welsh defeat Cornish Pirates 66–41 on aggregate to claim the title. London Welsh were initially denied a place in the Premiership due largely to stadium issues, but successfully appealed the denial, placing them in the Premiership for 2012–13 at the expense of bottom finisher Newcastle Falcons.
• Top 14 Final, June 9 at Stade de France, Saint-Denis:
  • Toulouse defeat Toulon 18–12 and lift the Bouclier de Brennus for the 19th time.
• Rugby Pro D2 — Grenoble automatically promoted to Top 14 as champion. Mont-de-Marsan defeat Pau 29–20 in the playoff final to claim the second promotion place. These teams replace Brive and Lyon, which finished on the bottom of the Top 14 table.
• Pro12 Final, May 27 at RDS Arena, Dublin:
  • Ospreys defeat Leinster 31–30 to claim their fourth Celtic League/Pro12 title.
• LV Cup (Anglo-Welsh Cup) – Leicester Tigers
• ITM Cup
  • Premiership Final, October 27 at Rugby League Park, Christchurch: Canterbury defeat Auckland 31–18 for their fifth consecutive provincial title.
  • Championship Final, October 26 at ECOLight Stadium, Pukekohe: Counties Manukau defeat Otago 41–16 to claim their first title at any level of provincial rugby in 32 years. The Steelers are promoted to the 2013 ITM Premiership, replacing bottom-placed Hawke's Bay.
• Currie Cup Final, October 27 at Mr Price Kings Park, Durban:
  • Western Province defeat Sharks 25–18 to claim their first Currie Cup title since 2001.

• Australian Open (January 16–29)
  • Women's Singles: Victoria Azarenka defeated Maria Sharapova 6–3, 6–0.^[7]
  • Men's Singles: Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7^(5–7), 7–5.^[8]
• French Open (May 27 – June 11)
  • Women's Singles: Maria Sharapova defeated Sara Errani 6–3, 6–2.^[9]
  • Men's Singles: Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic 6–4, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5.^[10]
• Wimbledon (June 25 – July 8)
  • Women's Singles: Serena Williams defeated Agnieszka Radwańska 6–1, 5–7, 6–2.^[11]
  • Men's Singles: Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–4.^[12]
• Us Open (August 27 – September 9)
  • Women's Singles: Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka 6–2, 2–6, 7–5.^[13]
  • Men's Singles: Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic 7–6 (10), 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 6–2.^[14]
• WTA Tour Championships at Istanbul, Turkey. October 23 - October 28
  • Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-3.
• ATP World Tour Finals at London, United Kingdom. November 5 - November 11
  • Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer 7–6 (6), 7–5.
• Davis Cup - the Czech Republic wins, defeating Spain in the final.
• Fed Cup World Group - the Czech Republic wins, defeating Serbia in the final.

• Men's CEV Champions League 2011–12
• Women's CEV Champions League 2011–12
• 2012 FIVB World League
• 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix

• 2012 Winter Youth Olympics January 13–22 in Innsbruck, Austria
• June 21 – June 24 – 2012 United World Games in Klagenfurt, Austria
• July 27 – August 12 – 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom
• August 29 – September 9 – 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom
• 2012 Asian Beach Games in Haiyang, China

• International sports calendar 2012