The FIS Cross-Country World Cup is an annual cross-country skiing competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation (FIS) since 1981. The competition was arranged unofficially between 1973 and 1981, although it received provisional recognition on the 31st FIS Congress, 29–30 April 1977 in Bariloche, Argentina.
The first World Cup races were held on 9 January 1982 and were located in Reit im Winkl, West Germany and Klingenthal, East Germany. Bill Koch of the United States and Berit Aunli of Norway were the overall winners in the first season.
Rules Competitors attempt to achieve the most points during the season. They compete in two disciplines: Distance and Sprint. Current Distance races are mostly 10 km, 20 km, Skiathlon and 50 km for the men and women. The competitions are held with either individual start or mass start and either classic or free technique. In Sprint races, athletes are organised in heats based on their results in a prologue where the 30 fastest skiers qualify for the sprint's quarter-finals. The 12 best skiers in the quarter-finals advance to the semi-finals and the 6 best skiers in the semi-finals advance to the final. Sprint races are maximum 1.8 kilometres and are competed in either classic or free technique.
In ordinary World Cup races, 100 points are awarded to the winner, 95 for second place, 90 for third place, winding down to 1 point for 50th place. In Stage World Cup races; Tour de Ski, World Cup Final and mini-tours, 50 points are awarded to the winner, 47 for second place, 44 for third place, winding down to 1 point for 30th place. The overall winners of the Stage World Cup events are awarded 300 points for Tour de Ski victory and 200 points for an overall win in the World Cup Final or a mini-tour. The athlete with the most points at the end of the season in mid-March wins the Overall World Cup, with the trophy consisting of a 9 kilogram crystal globe. Sub-prizes are also awarded to the winners of the Sprint World Cup and the Distance World Cup, with a smaller 3.5 kg crystal globe.
Races are hosted primarily in Europe, with regular stops in the Nordic countries and Central Europe. A few races have also been held in North America and Asia. World Cup competitions have been hosted in 21 countries around the world: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. (Note that all World Cup races hosted in Bosnia were held when it was still part of Yugoslavia.)
The World Cup usually follows a November–March schedule, effectively ruling out hosting races in the southern hemisphere, for example in Argentina or New Zealand. Additionally, races have yet to be hosted in the Central Asia-Himalayas region.
Overall World Cup standings
The table below shows the three highest ranked skiers each year.
Men Season Winner Runner-up Third 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 Official World Cup1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
a. Unofficial World Cup b. Trial World Cup
Source:
Women Season Winner Runner-up Third 1973–74 colspan="3" align=center 1974–75 colspan="3" align=center 1975–76 colspan="3" align=center 1976–77 colspan="3" align=center 1977–78 colspan="3" align=center 1978–79 1979–80 colspan="3" align=center 1980–81 Official World Cup1981–821982–831983–841984–851985–861986–871987–881988–891989–901990–911991–921992–931993–941994–951995–961996–971997–981998–991999–002000–012001–022002–032003–042004–052005–062006–072007–082008–092009–102010–112011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–222022–232023–242024–252025–26
a. Trial World Cup
Source:
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total139353711121114123739612274813829584416653210743784127941161034101711132612131513112141231522416221713418112191119112111
With six overall World Cup titles each Bjørn Dæhlie and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo are record-holders among both men and women.
Sprint World Cup standings
Men Season Winner Runner-up Third1996–971997–981998–99 (2)1999–002000–012001–022002–032003–04 (2)2004–052005–062006–072007–082008–09 (3)2009–102010–112011–12 2012–13 (3) 2013–14 (3) 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
Women Season Winner Runner-up Third1996–971997–981998–99 1999–002000–01 2001–02 2002–032003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–072007–08 2008–09 2009–102010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total13330188121361332342284395175324963257113581129437103141112312112132214111511
Distance World Cup standings
Men Season Winner Runner-up Third1996–971997–98 1998–991999–00 2000–01 rowspan="3" colspan="3" align=center 2001–022002–032003–042004–052005–062006–07 (2)2007–082008–092009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–222022–232023–242024–25 2025–26
a. Arranged under the name of "Long Distance World Cup".
Women Season Winner Runner-up Third1996–971997–981998–991999–00 2000–01 rowspan="3" colspan="3" align=center 2001–022002–032003–042004–052005–062006–072007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
a. Arranged under the name of "Long Distance World Cup".
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total118211857251815344917442654138641167411682125916181014161111212112131121452715213161121711
U23 World Cup standings
Men SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
Women SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird2014–15 2015–16 (2) 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total183617255414326412422155212561113711281129111011112351211213 Individual Neutral Athletes1114111511
Nations Cup All results of female and male athletes of a nation are counted for the Nations Cup. SeasonWinnerRunner-upThird Men's winner Women's winner1981–821982–831983–841984–851985–861986–87 (3)1987–88 (2) (3) 1988–89 (2)1989–901990–91 (3) (4)1991–921992–931993–941994–951995–961996–971997–981998–991999–002000–01 (9)2001–022002–03 (5)2003–042004–052005–062006–07 (4)2007–08 (2)2008–09 (2) (12) (2)2009–102010–112011–122012–132013–142014–152015–162016–172017–182018–192019–20 (16)2020–21 (3) (6) (14) (3)2021–22 (4)2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 (25)2025–26 (37) (12) (8) (37) (4) Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Men's winner Women's winner13762372523164393333442121454542628271812
World Cup title winners
Overall titles
Men SkierTitlesRunner-upThird Winning Years Bjørn Dæhlie 6 2 2 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 Johannes Høsflot Klæbo 6 2 1 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026 Gunde Svan 5 2 1 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989 Dario Cologna 4 1 1 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 Martin Johnsrud Sundby 3 0 1 2014, 2016, 2017 Petter Northug 2 4 1 2010, 2013 Vladimir Smirnov 2 3 3 1991, 1994 Alexander Bolshunov 2 2 0 2020, 2021 Per Elofsson 2 0 0 2001, 2002 Tobias Angerer 2 0 0 2006, 2007 Torgny Mogren 1 3 1 1987 Vegard Ulvang 1 2 1 1990 René Sommerfeldt 1 2 0 2004 Thomas Alsgaard 1 1 1 1998 Johann Mühlegg 1 1 0 2000 Mathias Fredriksson 1 1 0 2003 Lukáš Bauer 1 1 0 2008 Harald Østberg Amundsen 1 1 0 2024 Bill Koch 1 0 1 1982 Alexander Zavyalov 1 0 0 1983 Axel Teichmann 1 0 0 2005
Women SkierTitlesRunner-upThird Winning Years Yelena Välbe 5 3 1 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997 Marit Bjørgen 4 5 0 2005, 2006, 2012, 2015 Jessie Diggins 4 3 0 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026 Bente Skari 4 2 0 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 Justyna Kowalczyk 4 1 1 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 Therese Johaug 3 2 2 2014, 2016, 2020 Marjo Matikainen 3 0 0 1986, 1987, 1988 Heidi Weng 2 1 2 2017, 2018 Larisa Lazutina 2 0 4 1990, 1998 Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi 2 0 1 1983, 1984 Virpi Kuitunen 2 0 1 2007, 2008 Manuela Di Centa 2 0 0 1994, 1996 Lyubov Yegorova 1 1 2 1993 Ingvild Flugstad Østberg 1 1 2 2019 Natalya Nepryayeva 1 1 12022 Yuliya Chepalova 1 0 1 2001 Gabriella Paruzzi 1 0 1 2004 Berit Aunli 1 0 0 1982 Anette Bøe 1 0 0 1985 Tiril Udnes Weng 1 0 0 2023
Sprint titles
Men SkierTitlesRunner-upThird Winning Years Johannes Høsflot Klæbo 8 1 0 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 Emil Jönsson 3 1 1 2010, 2011, 2013 Ola Vigen Hattestad 3 1 0 2008, 2009, 2014 Federico Pellegrino 2 3 2 2016, 2021 Bjørn Dæhlie 2 1 0 1997, 1999 Thobias Fredriksson 2 1 0 2003, 2004 Jens Arne Svartedal 1 2 0 2007 Tor Arne Hetland 1 1 3 2005 Trond Iversen 1 1 1 2002 Finn Hågen Krogh 1 0 1 2015 Thomas Alsgaard 1 0 0 1998 Morten Brørs 1 0 0 2000 Jan Jacob Verdenius 1 0 0 2001 Björn Lind 1 0 0 2006 Teodor Peterson 1 0 0 2012 Richard Jouve 1 0 0 2022
Women SkierTitlesRunner-upThird Winning Years Marit Bjørgen 5 1 2 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2015 Bente Skari 5 1 0 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Maiken Caspersen Falla 3 2 1 2016, 2017, 2018 Petra Majdič 3 1 1 2008, 2009, 2011 Maja Dahlqvist 3 0 2 2022, 2023, 2026 Kikkan Randall 3 0 1 2012, 2013, 2014 Linn Svahn 2 0 1 2020, 2024 Stina Nilsson 1 2 1 2019 Virpi Kuitunen 1 1 1 2007 Anamarija Lampič 1 1 1 2021 Justyna Kowalczyk 1 1 0 2010 Stefania Belmondo 1 0 1 1997 Jasmi Joensuu 1 0 0 2025
Distance titles
Men SkierTitlesRunner-upThird Winning Years Dario Cologna 4 2 0 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018 Martin Johnsrud Sundby 3 2 1 2014, 2016, 2017 Alexander Bolshunov 3 1 0 2019, 2020, 2021 Tobias Angerer 2 0 1 2006, 2007 Johannes Høsflot Klæbo 1 2 1 2026 Lukáš Bauer 1 1 1 2008 Alexander Legkov 1 1 1 2013 Johann Mühlegg 1 1 0 2000 Pietro Piller Cottrer 1 1 0 2009 Harald Østberg Amundsen 1 1 0 2024 Mika Myllylä 1 0 2 1997 Petter Northug 1 0 2 2010 Mikhail Botvinov 1 0 1 1999 René Sommerfeldt 1 0 1 2004 Iivo Niskanen 1 0 1 2022 Pål Golberg 1 0 1 2023 Simen Hegstad Krueger 1 0 1 2025 Thomas Alsgaard 1 0 0 1998 Jari Isometsä 1 0 0 2000 Axel Teichmann 1 0 0 2005
a. Long Distance World Cup b. Middle Distance World Cup
Women SkierTitlesRunner-upThird Winning Years Therese Johaug 5 2 2 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022 Justyna Kowalczyk 4 1 1 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 Jessie Diggins 4 1 1 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026 Marit Bjørgen 3 4 0 2005, 2012, 2015 Heidi Weng 2 2 2 2017, 2018 Kristina Šmigun 2 1 2 1999, 2000 Larisa Lazutina 2 0 2 1998, 2000 Virpi Kuitunen 2 0 0 2007, 2008 Valentyna Shevchenko 1 1 0 2004 Kerttu Niskanen 1 0 1 2023 Yelena Välbe 1 0 0 1997 Yuliya Chepalova 1 0 0 2006
a. Long Distance World Cup b. Middle Distance World Cup
Most World Cup wins
Most successful race winners
Men