The city of Kayseri has officially been awarded the prestigious title of World Capital of Sport 2029, reaching the highest distinction granted by ACES and consolidating an extraordinary journey of sporting excellence and institutional commitment to physical activity, healthy lifestyles and social inclusion through sport.

With this designation, Kayseri joins the distinguished line of future World Capitals of Sport, taking over from Baku 2026, Buenos Aires 2028 and Porto-Gaia 2028, further strengthening the global projection of the ACES movement and its values around the world.

Kayseri’s appointment is the culmination of years of remarkable development in sports policies, infrastructure investment and community participation. The Turkish city already demonstrated its strong commitment to sport when it was awarded the title of European City of Sport 2024, a recognition that highlighted its ambitious vision and dynamic sporting ecosystem.

That same year, Kayseri also received the prestigious ACES Gold Flag, being considered the Best European Sports City of 2024 among all awarded cities. This distinction recognised not only the quality of its sports facilities and programmes, but also the city’s ability to use sport as a tool for education, health, integration and economic development.

Now, with the title of World Capital of Sport 2029, Kayseri reaches the highest level within the ACES, becoming an international benchmark for sustainable sports promotion and citizen participation.

Throughout recent years, Kayseri has successfully combined tradition and modernity, creating a sports model capable of engaging people of all ages and social backgrounds. Its continuous support for grassroots sport, elite competition, school programmes and healthy living initiatives has transformed the city into one of the leading sporting destinations in Europe and beyond.

The designation of Kayseri as World Capital of Sport 2029 also represents an important milestone for Türkiye, reinforcing the country’s growing role in the international sports landscape and opening the door to new global collaborations, events and opportunities.

ACES congratulates the Mayor, institutions, sports organisations and citizens of Kayseri for this historic achievement and expresses its confidence that 2029 will become an unforgettable year for world sport.