1972 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Alpine skiing
- Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy
- Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria
American football
- 16 January − Super Bowl VI: the Dallas Cowboys (NFC) won 24−3 over the Miami Dolphins (AFC)
- Location: Tulane Stadium
- Attendance: 81,023
- MVP: Roger Staubach, QB (Dallas)
- Orange Bowl (1971 season):
- The Nebraska Cornhuskers won 38–6 over the Alabama Crimson Tide to win the college football national championship
- 23 December – In the first Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game in 25 years (and the franchises first playoff win), rookie Franco Harris salvages and converts into a touchdown a final seconds Terry Bradshaw incomplete pass in what has been called the greatest play in NFL history—The Immaculate Reception—to beat the Oakland Raiders 13–7.
Association football
- Brazil – Palmeiras wins the Campeonato Brasileiro
- England – FA Cup – Leeds United won 1–0 over Arsenal
- Europe – Cup Winners' Cup – Rangers F.C. won 3–2 over Dinamo Moscow
- West Germany beat the Soviet Union 3–0 to win the European Championship.
Athletics
- September – Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich
Australian rules football
- Victorian Football League
- Carlton wins the 76th VFL Premiership (Carlton 28.9 (177) d Richmond 22.18 (150))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Len Thompson (Collingwood)
Baseball
thumb|180px|Hall of Famer [[Sandy Koufax]]
- The Washington Senators move to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas to become the Texas Rangers.
- 19 January – The BBWAA elects Sandy Koufax (344 votes), Yogi Berra (339), and Early Wynn (301) to the Hall of Fame.
- Sparky Lyle saves 35 games for the New York Yankees, breaking Ron Perranoski's 1970 records for AL pitchers and left-handers. Lyle also becomes the first left-hander to save 100 career games in the American League.
- World Series – Oakland Athletics win their first World Championship since the team was based in Philadelphia in 1930, and sixth in franchise history, by defeating the Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 3.
- 31 December – The Pittsburgh Pirates' legendary right fielder Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash near Puerto Rico on his way to bring relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.
Basketball
- NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship –
- UCLA wins 81–76 over Florida St.
- NBA Finals –
- Los Angeles Lakers won 4 games to 1 over the New York Knicks
- 1972 ABA Finals –
- Indiana Pacers defeat New York Nets 4 games to 2
Boxing
- 26 June – Roberto Durán stopped Ken Buchanan in the thirteenth round to win the WBA Lightweight Championship.
Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Hamilton Tiger-Cats won 13–10 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Vanier Cup – Alberta Golden Bears won 20–7 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Eddy Merckx of Belgium
- Tour de France – Eddy Merckx of Belgium
- UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Marino Basso of Italy
Disc sports
- Disc sports are introduced to Canada at the Canadian Open Frisbee Championships in Toronto
Field hockey
- Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Munich, West Germany
- Gold Medal: West Germany
- Silver Medal: Pakistan
- Bronze Medal:
Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Ondrej Nepela, Czechoslovakia
- Ladies' champion: Trixi Schuba, Austria
- Pair skating champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexei Ulyanov, Soviet Union
- Ice dancing champions: Lyudmila Pakhomova & Alexandr Gorshkov, Soviet Union
Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Jack Nicklaus
- U.S. Open – Jack Nicklaus
- British Open – Lee Trevino
- PGA Championship – Gary Player
- PGA Tour money leader – Jack Nicklaus – $320,542
- The European Tour begins its first season of competition.
Men's amateur
- British Amateur – Trevor Homer
- U.S. Amateur – Vinny Giles
Women's professional
- LPGA Championship – Kathy Ahern
- U.S. Women's Open – Susie Berning
- Titleholders Championship – Sandra Palmer
- LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $65,063
Harness racing
- 21 September – Strike Out became the first Canadian owned harness racing horse to ever win the Little Brown Jug.
- United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
- Cane Pace – Hilarious Way
- Little Brown Jug – Strike Out
- Messenger Stakes – Silent Majority
- Super Bowl wins the United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
- Hambletonian – Super Bowl
- Yonkers Trot – Super Bowl
- Kentucky Futurity – Super Bowl
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Welcome Advice
Horse racing
Steeplechases
- Cheltenham Gold Cup – Glencaraig Lady
- Grand National – Well To Do
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Piping Lane
- Canada – Queen's Plate won by Victoria Song
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by San San
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Steel Pulse
- English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – High Top
- The Derby – Roberto
- St. Leger Stakes – Boucher
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby – Riva Ridge
- Preakness Stakes – Bee Bee Bee
- Belmont Stakes – Riva Ridge
Ice hockey
- 18 March - NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – Boston University Terriers defeat Cornell University Big Red 4–0 in Boston, Massachusetts
- 22 April - Czechoslovakia defeats the Soviet Union to win the 1972 Ice Hockey World Championships.
- 11 May - The Boston Bruins defeat the New York Rangers 3–0 to win the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals four games to two.
- 14 May - The Cornwall Royals defeat the Peterborough Petes to win the 1972 Memorial Cup Canadian amateur ice hockey junior men's championship.
- 15 May - The Spokane Jets defeat the Barrie Flyers 6–3 to win the 1972 Allan Cup Canadian amateur ice hockey senior men's championship.
- Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins
- Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins
- 28 September – Paul Henderson scored the "goal of the century" to give Canada the win in the Summit Series, the first ever Canada versus the Soviet Union challenge series.
- 7 October - The National Hockey League begins the 1972–73 season.
- 11 October - The World Hockey Association (WHA) professional league begins play in its first season. This new league signed several of the top NHL stars including Bobby Hull and Derek Sanderson.
Lacrosse
- The Long Branch P.C.O.'s win the first Founders Cup.
- The New Westminster Salmonbellies win the Mann Cup.
- The Peterborough PCO's win the Minto Cup.
Motorsport
Rugby league
- 1972 NSWRFL season
- 1972 New Zealand rugby league season
- 1971–72 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season
- 1972 Rugby League World Cup
Rugby union
- 78th Five Nations Championship series is undecided after two matches are not played for political reasons
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Alex Higgins beats John Spencer 37–32
Swimming
- XX Olympic Games, held in Munich, West Germany (28 August – 4 September)
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Australian Open – Ken Rosewall
- French Open – Andrés Gimeno
- Wimbledon championships – Stan Smith
- U.S. Open – Ilie Năstase
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- Australian Open – Virginia Wade
- French Open – Billie Jean King
- Wimbledon championships – Billie Jean King
- U.S. Open – Billie Jean King (first player in Open Era to repeat as singles champion)
- Davis Cup – United States wins 3–2 over Romania in world tennis.
General sporting events
- 1972 Summer Olympics takes place in Munich, Germany
- USSR wins the most medals (99), and the most gold medals (50)
- 1972 Winter Olympics takes place in Sapporo, Japan
- USSR wins the most medals (16), and the most gold medals (8)
- Seventh Winter Universiade held in Lake Placid, New York, United States
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Mark Spitz, Swimming
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Olga Korbut, Gymnastics