Budapest

Budapest, the capital of Hungary on the banks of the Danube, was the European Capital of Sport 2019, in a handover from Sofia. It won the final round against Málaga — which finished within five points and was therefore awarded the 2020 title — as well as Yerevan and Valletta. The city came to the title backed by a notable record of major events: it had hosted the World Aquatics Championships, world wrestling and fencing championships, and European water polo and judo championships, in a country that went from staging around half a dozen global events in 2006 to 113 in a single year. Its 2019 calendar was overwhelming — from the World Table Tennis Championships to the women's Champions League final, the World Fencing Championships, the European Maccabi Games and the World Junior Swimming Championships — with Margaret Island, a large river park, as one of its emblematic venues. Budapest also used the title as a showcase for its Olympic ambitions.