Sport in Cyprus

Cyprus, due to its population and size, has modest international sporting achievements. Most sports are governed by associations under the umbrella of the Cyprus Sport Organisation (Greek: Κυπριακός Οργανισμός Αθλητισμού).

Football is the most popular sport in Cyprus. Football was introduced to Cyprus early in the 20th century by the British. As football became established, the clubs were united in agreeing that an official body was needed to regulate the sport. In September 1934, the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) was formed and matches were soon being played on an official basis. The association became a FIFA member in 1948 and an UEFA member in 1962. The Cypriot national team has not yet qualified for any major events, while major Cypriot clubs compete at European competitions with limited success. APOEL FC made history in 2012 by being the first Cypriot team to reach the quarter-finals of Champions League. The Cypriot First Division is semi-professional with a few professional clubs.

Basketball is also quite popular in Cyprus. The Cypriot league is semi-professional, but Cypriot teams have had good European campaigns. Recently, EKA AEL has finished 3rd in the FIBA EuroCup.

Cyprus will make their debut at the EuroBasket in 2025 as one of the four co-hosts.

Tennis in Cyprus has recently received more attention mainly due to Marcos Baghdatis' success in the ATP rankings. Baghdatis reached the final of the 2006 Australian Open, was a semifinalist at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships and reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of World No. 8 in August 2006.

Cricket in Cyprus has recently received more attentionis the governing body of cricket in Cyprus. It is a member of the European Cricket Council and an associate member[1] of the International Cricket Council since 1999.' Cyprus Cricket Association

In recent years, Cypriot athletes have achieved some notable successes in Athletics. High jumper Kyriakos Ioannou has won medals in the IAAF World Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games and the Mediterranean Games. Sprinter Eleni Artymata has also won multiple medals in the Mediterranean Games, including gold medals in the 200 metres in 2009 and 2013.

Rugby union is not very popular on Cyprus, although in the last 2 years it has become more popular. In this sport, in Cyprus, there are 4 different teams, Larnaca Spartans, Limassol Crusaders, Nicosia Titans and Paphos Tigers.