Sport in Serbia plays an important role, and the country has a strong sporting history. The most popular sports in Serbia are football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, water polo and handball.
Professional sports in Serbia are organized by sporting federations and leagues (in case of team sports). One of particularities of Serbian professional sports is existence of many multi-sport clubs (called “sports societies”), biggest and most successful of which are Red Star (three world titles and six European in various sports), Partizan (fourteen European titles in various sports), and Beograd in Belgrade, Vojvodina in Novi Sad, Radnicki in Kragujevac, Spartak in Subotica.
History of sport in Serbia
At the end of the nineteenth century, at the time when the spirit of the desire to renew the Olympic idea and the affirmation of Olympism as a unique and universal philosophy of sport and life was emerging throughout Europe, the idea became apparent in Serbia. In a way, this confirms that in our region there was an awareness of the importance of sport because of its importance for health, but also for increasing physical abilities and nurturing the competitive spirit.
The first sports clubs, i.e. private schools, were founded in the mid-19th century in Kragujevac in 1839), in Belgrade in 1843 and the swimming school on the Sava River in the same year.
With great ambitions, in 1882, the Belgrade Society for Gymnastics and Wrestling was founded, in cooperation with the Ministries of the Interior and Education. Shortly afterwards, sports societies were founded and were established in Sabac, Smederevo, Kragujevac, Zajecar and other cities. In 1891, the Society changed its name to Belgrade Gymnastics Society “Soko”, and societies of the same name were formed throughout Serbia.
The Union of Sokol Societies was formed in February 1910, and as early as April it was admitted to the Alliance of Slavic Sokols, representing Czechia, Poland, Croatia and Slovenia. The new Union was at the heart of the sports movement, and by doing so it made sport more and more a part of people’s needs
Today’s Olympic Committee of Serbia inherits the tradition of the Serbian Olympic Club established in 1910 and the Yugoslav Olympic Committee that succeeded it in 1919, as well as the Olympic Committee of Serbia and Montenegro.
Officially, Olympism in the territory of present-day Serbia began on 23 February 1910, when the Serbian Olympic Club was established in Belgrade, as the first official Olympic organization in the South Slavs. Towards the end of the 19th century, there was no mention of organized sporting life in our region. At the time, sports were viewed with suspicion and even ridicule in our country.
However, one event changed such attitude. This was the presence of Serbian King Alexander Obrenovic at the opening of the First Modern Olympics in Athens in 1896. He was the only head of state who was among the officials at the Olympic Stadium. The event had left a deep mark on the further development of Olympism in Serbia and sports in general.
Since then, more lively sporting activity had begun in Serbia, and some competitions have been called Olympic. The then press cited various examples of people from our region who were the members of the teams of Austria and Hungary, describing their exploits. The Olympic spirit from Athens in 1896 and later on from Paris in 1900, St. Louis in 1904 and London in 1908, was spread in our sports movement.
Serbian Olympic Committee was admitted to the IOC at the Congress in Stockholm in July 1912. The first Olympic participation of Serbian athletes was at the Stockholm Olympics the same year, and the Kingdom of Serbia had two representatives: Cedomir Milosevic in the 100 meters run and Dragutin Tomasevic in the marathon.
As of the end of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Serbian athletes have won 28 medals at the Summer Olympics and no medals at the Winter Olympics while representing Serbia (including its 1912 participation as the Kingdom of Serbia). Across the broader historical record, athletes representing Yugoslavia and its successor teams won a further 95 Summer Olympic medals and 4 Winter Olympic medals.
Football
Football is the most popular sport in Serbia, and the Football Association of Serbia is the country’s principal governing body for the game. Serbia has a long tradition of producing talented footballers who compete for leading clubs across Europe and around the world, making the country an important exporter of football talent.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia made a remarkable run at the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay, reaching the semi-finals, where they lost 6–1 to the hosts in a controversial match marked by disputed refereeing decisions. Yugoslavia was subsequently recognised as a joint third-place finisher alongside the United States, as no third-place play-off was held, with Uruguay winning the tournament.
The Serbian men’s national team has qualified for several major international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cups of 2010, 2018 and 2022, and UEFA Euro 2024. Although the senior national team has yet to win a major international title as an independent country, Serbian football has achieved notable success at youth level. The Under-19 national team won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2013, while the Under-20 team captured the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2015, defeating Brazil 2–1 in the final after extra time.
The two most prominent football clubs in Serbia are Red Star Belgrade (Crvena zvezda) and Partizan Belgrade. Red Star achieved its greatest European success in 1991, winning the European Cup and subsequently the Intercontinental Cup. Partizan reached the European Cup final in 1966, losing 2–1 to Real Madrid. The rivalry between the two Belgrade clubs is known as the “Eternal Derby” and is one of the most famous and passionate rivalries in European football.
Serbia continues to contribute significantly to European and international football through its players, coaches and youth development system. Its strong footballing tradition, established clubs and passionate supporters remain important elements of the country’s sporting identity.
Basketball
Serbia is one of the traditional powerhouses of world basketball, with a distinguished record in international competitions as well as a long tradition of producing elite players and coaches. The men’s national team won the FIBA World Championship in 1998 and 2002 while representing the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the European Championship in 1995, 1997 and 2001. Since competing as an independent national team, Serbia has won silver medals at the 2014 and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cups, silver at the 2016 Olympic Games, and bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The women’s national team won the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket in 2015 and 2021, and earned an Olympic bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Serbia has also produced numerous internationally acclaimed players, including Vlade Divac, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Predrag “Peja” Stojaković, a three-time NBA All-Star, and Nikola Jokić, a multiple-time NBA Most Valuable Player and NBA champion. Serbian players continue to feature prominently in the NBA and leading European leagues.
The renowned Serbian coaching tradition has likewise made a significant contribution to international basketball. Željko Obradović, widely recognised as one of Europe’s most successful coaches, holds the record with nine EuroLeague titles, but also there were other great coaches sch as Professor Aleksandar Nikolić, Dušan Ivković and many others.
Tennis
The outstanding success of Serbian tennis players has contributed to the immense popularity of tennis in Serbia and established the country as one of the sport’s leading nations. At the centre of this success is Novak Djokovic, widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time (GOAT). He has won a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, completed a career Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic singles gold, and spent a record 428 weeks as world No. 1. He has also finished eight seasons as the year-end No. 1, further cementing his place among the most accomplished athletes in sporting history.
Other Serbian players have also made a lasting mark on international tennis. Monica Seles, a former world No. 1 and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, won nine Grand Slam singles titles, including eight while representing Yugoslavia. Ana Ivanović, champion of the 2008 French Open, and Jelena Janković both reached No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings. Nenad Zimonjić, one of the world’s leading doubles players, won three men’s doubles and five mixed doubles Grand Slam titles and also reached No. 1 in the doubles rankings, and Slobodan Zivojinovic (champion of 1986 US Open).
Serbia’s national teams have achieved major international success. The men’s team won the Davis Cup in 2010, defeating France in the final in Belgrade, and Serbia also won the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020. The women’s team reached the final of the Fed Cup, now known as the Billie Jean King Cup, in 2012. These achievements reflect the strength of Serbian tennis and the country’s continuing contribution to the international game.
Volleyball
Serbia is one of the world’s leading volleyball nations, with an impressive record in international competitions in both the men’s and women’s game. The men’s national team won Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Games, representing the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and has also earned silver and bronze medals at the FIVB Volleyball World Championships. As Serbia, the team won the European Championship in 2011 and 2019, and the FIVB World League in 2016.
The women’s national team has enjoyed even greater success in recent years, winning the FIVB Women’s World Championship in 2018 and 2022. Serbia also won the European Championship in 2011, 2017 and 2019, earned silver at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2026, the team added another European Championship bronze medal, reinforcing Serbia’s position among the leading nations in women’s volleyball.
Water polo
Serbia is one of the world’s most successful water polo nations, with a particularly distinguished record in men’s water polo. The national team won Olympic gold medals at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, becoming the first men’s team in the modern era to win three consecutive Olympic titles since Hungary’s run from 2000 to 2008. Serbia has also won two FINA World Championships (2009 and 2015), and has claimed the European Championship title six times as an independent nation, most recently in 2026, when Serbia defeated Hungary 10–7 in the final in Belgrade.
The Serbian team has also enjoyed considerable success in the FINA World League, winning a record number of titles, and in the FINA World Cup, which it won in 2006, 2010 and 2014. These achievements reflect the strength of Serbia’s water polo tradition, its excellent player development and its sustained presence among the world’s leading teams.
At club level, Partizan Belgrade is one of Europe’s historic water polo institutions, having won seven European Champions Cup/Champions League titles. Other Serbian clubs, including VK Bečej and Crvena zvezda, have also won major European honours, contributing to the country’s rich water polo heritage.
Other sports
Serbia has also produced outstanding athletes in a wide range of individual sports. In swimming, Milorad Čavić became World Champion in the 50-metre butterfly in 2009 and won silver in the 100-metre butterfly at both the 2009 World Championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where he supposedly lost to American swimmer Michael Phelps in a memorable race. In 2009, Nađa Higl won the World Championship title in the 200-metre breaststroke, becoming the first Serbian woman to win a world swimming title.
In athletics, Ivana Španović has established herself as one of Serbia’s most successful athletes, winning European Championship gold in the long jump in 2016 and bronze at the Rio Olympic Games that same year. She subsequently won the World Championship title in 2023, adding to her impressive collection of international honours.
Other notable achievements include wrestler Davor Štefanek’s Olympic gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games and taekwondo athlete Milica Mandić’s Olympic gold medals in London in 2012 and Tokyo in 2021. In motorsport, Dušan Borković has won major European titles, including the European Hill Climb Championship in 2012 and the European Touring Car Cup in 2015.
Sports facilities
The largest stadiums in Serbia are Rajko Mitic Stadium, better known as Marakana (capacity 55,000 spectators), and Partizan Stadium called JNA (32,710), both in Belgrade.
The largest hall is the Belgrade Arena with a maximum capacity of 25,000 seats. It is located in New Belgrade and is one of the largest and most modern European sport halls. Among the biggest halls in Serbia are the Novi Sad SPENS (11,000), the Pioneer Hall (8,150) and the Belgrade Sports Hall (5,000).
Serbia has hosted numerous major international sporting events, particularly in Belgrade, demonstrating its capacity to organise high-level competitions across a wide range of disciplines. Notable events include:
2009 – Summer Universiade
2011 – Women’s European Volleyball Championship
2013 – World Women’s Handball Championship; Davis Cup World Group final
2014 – European Rowing Championships
2017 – European Athletics Indoor Championships; European Wrestling Championships
2018 – EuroLeague Basketball Final Four; Canoe Sprint European Championships
2019 – Women’s EuroBasket
2021 – AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships
2022 – World Athletics Indoor Championships; World Wrestling Championships
2023 – European Water Polo Champions League Final Eight
2024 – European Aquatics Championships, covering swimming, artistic swimming, diving and open-water swimming; World Athletics Cross Country Championships
2026 – Men’s European Water Polo Championship, at which Belgrade hosted Europe’s leading national teams and Serbia won the title.
