In Düsseldorf on Saturday, 15 May 2021, the Executive Committee of FISU (the International University Sports Federation) awarded the 2025 World University Games to the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The FISU World University Games, formerly known as the Universiade, are the world’s largest multi-sport event after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event was last held in Germany in 1989. 

In July 2025, North Rhine-Westphalia and the Rhine-Ruhr region will play host to around 10,000 athletes and officials from 170 countries. The summer edition of the 2025 FISU World University Games will see athletes compete in 18 sporting disciplines over a period of twelve days. The competitions will be held in Bochum, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr. The Games will focus not just on top-class sporting performances, but also on education, sustainability, innovation, and intercultural dialogue. The event will be organised by the German University Sports Federation (Allgemeiner Deutscher Hochschulsportverband, adh). 

Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer said: "It is great news that the world’s second-largest multi-sport event will be held in Germany in the summer of 2025. We offer thousands of student-athletes an attractive venue for top-class performance – and visitors will be treated to a top-class event. I have no doubt that the 2025 World University Games will be an unforgettable sporting experience." 

Jörg Förster, Chairman of the adh Board said: "We are very happy with the trust placed in us and the decision of FISU, which is of historic importance both for German University Sports and for German Sports as a whole. We will seize this opportunity and together with our partners we will host this major event and combine sport and education in an exemplary way. The conceptual focus of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games will be on social, ecological and economic sustainability topics as well as on innovation and participation. With these main aspects and the close involvement of the academic fields during preparation and implementation, the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games can serve as an incubator for processes of change in sport and in the metropolitan region of Rhine-Ruhr. Apart from this, they should provide longer-term development impetus for society as a whole – especially in regard to intensive involvement of students." 

Acting FISU President Leonz Eder added: "The 1989 Universiade in Duisburg, which the host managed to organise in just six months, is still remembered well. In the past, the adh also proved itself to be an excellent organiser of several FISU World University Championships, including Beach Volleyball in Munich and Equestrian in Aachen. The concept of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, which is outstanding on multiple counts, was developed and derived by the adh in close cooperation with FISU. I especially like the emphasis on sustainability and environmental awareness. FISU looks forward to the continued cooperation on the road to 2025 and beyond, in the knowledge that the adh is a strong and reliable partner."

The concept for the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games has been successfully developed by the adh (Germany University Sports Federation) over the past two years in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community; the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia; FISU; the municipalities of Bochum, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr; and the adh member universities, as well as other partners in the fields sports and higher education. 

Armin Laschet, the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, said: "North Rhine-Westphalia is the number one sporting state and a key destination for top-class international competitions. We are delighted to welcome young athletes from all over the world to the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. The participants can expect first-class sports venues, a cosmopolitan host region and a sports-loving, passionate audience. North Rhine-Westphalia is happy to host one of the great events of world sport."

Alfons Hörmann, the President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, said: "Congratulations to all who helped to bring the 2025 FISU World University Games to the Rhine-Ruhr region. Short distances, already existing venues, excellent organising talent and a local population that is extremely enthusiastic about sports – these are the valuable elements that defined the successful application. We look forward to celebrating a sustainable and cosmopolitan major sport event together with the global community of student-athletes."

Background information on the FISU World University Games 

The FISU World University Games are held every two years (in odd-numbered years) in winter and summer editions. “FISU” is short for Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire, the French name for the International University Sports Federation which organises the Games. The competition is currently the world’s largest multi-sports event after the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with approximately 10,000 participants from over 170 nations.

The following fifteen sporting disciplines are a fixed part of every summer edition of the FISU World University Games: archery, artistic gymnastics, athletics, badminton, basketball, diving, fencing, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and water polo. The optional sports of 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball and rowing round out the programme of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. There are also plans to integrate several Paralympic competitions into the programme.

The FISU World University Games are open to students of up to 25 years of age who have been nominated by their national organisations. Participants will include both student competitive athletes and established top-class athletes.

The FISU World University Games also include an international educational conference and a wide-ranging supporting programme, making this a multi-faceted intercultural event that will have positive effects long after it has ended. The combination of top-class sports, cultural enrichment and interpersonal dialogue is what makes the FISU Games so special – even for well-established athletes. 

Among others, the following high-profile German athletes have competed at FISU World University Games and Universiades: Jörg Ahmann, Dr Thomas Bach, Dr Sabine Bau, Ole Bischoff, Karla Borger, Britta Büthe, Heide Ecker-Rosendahl, Ariane Friedrich, Eberhard Gienger, Dr Michael Groß, Fabian Hambüchen, Betty Heidler, Britta Heidemann, Andreas Hofmann, Dr Franz-Josef Kemper, Sarah Köhler, Thomas Lurz, Björn Otto, Dr. Yorck Polus, Wolf-Dieter Poschmann, Silke Renk-Lange, Prof. Dr Klaus Steinbach and Britta Steffen.