1898 in sports

1898 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

American football
College championship
 * College football national championship – Harvard Crimson

Professional championships
 * Western Pennsylvania champions – Duquesne Country and Athletic Club

Events
 * The Morgan Athletic Club, which will eventually become Arizona Cardinals, is founded in Chicago and is the sport's oldest professional team.
 * 3 December — the Western Pennsylvania All-Stars are defeated by the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, 16–0, in the very first all-star game for professional football.

Association football
Belgium England Italy Scotland
 * Standard Liège was founded.
 * The Football League – Sheffield United 42 points, Sunderland 37, Wolves 35, Everton 35, Sheffield Wednesday 33, Aston Villa 33
 * FA Cup final – Nottingham Forest 3–1 Derby County at Crystal Palace, London.
 * Both the Football League First and Second Divisions are expanded from 16 to 18 teams in 1898, bringing the total number of League sides to 36. Additionally, the test match system is abandoned in favour of automatic relegation and promotion. There is no relegation from the First Division in 1898, Burnley and Newcastle United being promoted to increase the number of teams to 18.  To increase the size of the Second Division, Burslem Port Vale is restored to the League; Barnsley, Glossop (1898–1915) and New Brighton Tower (1898–1901) are elected for the first time.
 * Formation of the Italian Football Federation (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio or FIGC) in Turin. It is also known as Federcalcio.
 * Scottish Football League – Celtic
 * Scottish Cup – Rangers 2–0 Kilmarnock at Hampden Park

Athletics

 * USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
 * Ronald J. MacDonald wins the second running of the Boston Marathon.

Australian rules football
VFL Premiership
 * Fitzroy wins the 2nd VFL Premiership: Fitzroy 5.8 (38) d Essendon 3.5 (23) at Junction Oval

Baseball
National championship Events
 * National League championship – Boston Beaneaters. This is Boston's fifth championship in eight years under manager Frank Selee.
 * 22 April — multiple no-hitters are thrown on the same day by two players: Ted Breitenstein and Jay Hughes.

Basketball
USA
 * 23 April – The 23rd Street YMCA of New York City wins the first national basketball championship tournament, organized by the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

Boxing
Lineal world champions
 * World Heavyweight Championship – Bob Fitzsimmons
 * World Middleweight Championship – vacant → Tommy Ryan
 * World Welterweight Championship – Tommy Ryan → Ryan vacates title → "Mysterious" Billy Smith
 * World Lightweight Championship – George "Kid" Lavigne
 * World Featherweight Championship – Solly Smith → Dave Sullivan → George Dixon
 * World Bantamweight Championship – Jimmy Barry

Cricket
England Australia India South Africa West Indies
 * County Championship – Yorkshire
 * Minor Counties Championship – Worcestershire
 * Most runs – Bobby Abel 2053 @ 48.88 (HS 219)
 * Most wickets – Jack Hearne 222 @ 14.05 (BB 9–68)
 * Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year – Wilfred Rhodes, Bill Storer, Charlie Townsend, Albert Trott, William Lockwood
 * Sheffield Shield – Victoria
 * Most runs – Clem Hill 1196 @ 66.44 (HS 200)
 * Most wickets – Ernie Jones 76 @ 21.75 (BB 7–80)
 * Bombay Presidency – Parsees
 * Currie Cup – Griqualand West
 * Inter-Colonial Tournament – not contested

Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships
 * World Men's Champion – Henning Grenander (Sweden)

Golf
Major tournaments Other tournaments
 * British Open – Harry Vardon
 * U.S. Open – Fred Herd
 * British Amateur – Freddie Tait
 * US Amateur – Findlay S. Douglas

Horse racing
Events England Australia Canada Ireland USA
 * 11 June — Willie Simms becomes the only African-American jockey to win all three races of the United States Triple Crown Races when he rides Sly Fox to victory in the Preakness Stakes.
 * Grand National – Drogheda
 * 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Nun Nicer
 * 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Disraeli
 * The Derby – Jeddah
 * The Oaks – Airs and Graces
 * St. Leger Stakes – Wildfowler
 * Melbourne Cup – The Grafter
 * Queen's Plate – Bon Ino
 * Irish Grand National – Porridge
 * Irish Derby Stakes – Noble Howard
 * Kentucky Derby – Plaudit
 * Preakness Stakes – Sly Fox
 * Belmont Stakes – Bowling Brook

Ice hockey
Stanley Cup Events
 * 5 March — Montreal Victorias wins the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) championship and the Stanley Cup. It is the club's fourth AHAC championship in a row and second straight Cup title.
 * 10 December — first championship ice hockey league, the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) disbands over a dispute to allow a new member in its senior league. The Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL) is formed to replace it, from the clubs seceding from AHAC.

Motor racing
Paris-Amsterdam-Paris Trail
 * The 1898 Paris–Amsterdam–Paris Trail is run on 7–13 July over 1431 km and won by Fernand Charron driving a Panhard-Levassor in a time of 33:04:34. The race is in retrospect sometimes referred to as the III Grand Prix de l'ACF.

Rowing
The Boat Race
 * 26 March — Oxford wins the 55th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Rugby league
Events England
 * Dewsbury RLFC founded
 * Championship – not contested
 * Challenge Cup final – Batley 7–0 Bradford F.C. at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds
 * Lancashire League Championship – Oldham
 * Yorkshire League Championship – Hunslet

Rugby union
Home Nations Championship Events
 * 16th Home Nations Championship series is not completed
 * London Irish founded

Speed skating
Speed Skating World Championships
 * Men's All-round Champion – Peder Østlund (Norway)

Tennis
England France USA
 * Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Reginald Doherty (GB) defeats Laurence Doherty (GB) 6–3 6–3 2–6 5–7 6–1
 * Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Charlotte Cooper Sterry (GB) defeats Louisa Martin (GB) 6–4 6–4
 * French Men's Singles Championship – Paul Aymé (France) defeats Paul Lebreton (France): details unknown
 * French Women's Singles Championship – Françoise Masson (France) wins: details unknown
 * American Men's Singles Championship – Malcolm Whitman (USA) defeats Dwight F. Davis (USA) 3–6 6–2 6–2 6–1
 * American Women's Singles Championship – Juliette Atkinson (USA) defeats Marion Jones (USA) 6–3 5–7 6–4 2–6 7–5