The Motocross of Nations: History, Format and Winners
The Motocross of Nations is motocross's annual team world championship, often called the Olympics of the sport. Each country sends three riders, one for each class, and the nation with the lowest combined score wins. It was first held in 1947 at Wassenaar in the Netherlands, where Great Britain won. The United States has won it more than anyone, 23 times, and Belgium won the most recent edition at Ernée, France, on October 4, 2026.
For one weekend a year, riders who spend the season racing for rival factory teams and in different championships line up under their national flags. AMA stars and Grand Prix regulars share a gate, which is why the event draws some of the biggest crowds in the sport and produces arguments that last until the next one.
How the Motocross of Nations format works
Every team has three riders, each entered in a different class:
- MXGP: the premier class, raced on 450cc machinery.
- MX2: the smaller-bike class, raced on 250cc machinery.
- Open: a third rider on any eligible bike, usually a 450.
Sunday's program has three races, and each one pairs two of the classes on the gate together: MXGP with MX2, MX2 with Open, and MXGP with Open. That means every rider races twice, and every race mixes riders on different bikes. A team collects six scores in total.
Scoring is by finishing position, so first place is worth one point, second is worth two, and so on. Each nation throws out its single worst result and adds up the other five. The lowest total wins. Saturday's qualifying races set the gate order and decide which nations make Sunday's main program.
The format rewards depth more than star power. In 2026, Belgium won with 23 points to Spain's 26 and the Netherlands' 34 without winning a single race. France's Romain Febvre won the first race and the Netherlands' Jeffrey Herlings won the other two, but Belgium's three riders never had a bad result to drop.
All-time Motocross of Nations wins by country
| Nation | Wins | Most recent win |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 23 | 2022, RedBud |
| Belgium | 16 | 2026, Ernée |
| Great Britain | 16 | 1994 |
| France | 7 | 2023, Ernée |
| Sweden | 7 | 1974 |
| Italy | 3 | 2021, Mantua |
| Australia | 2 | 2025, Ironman |
| Soviet Union | 2 | 1978 |
| Czechoslovakia | 1 | 1975 |
| Germany | 1 | 2012 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 2019, Assen |
The early years: Great Britain's era
The first Motocross des Nations in 1947 was won by a British team of Bill Nicholson, Fred Rist and Bob Ray, and Britain owned the event for two decades afterward. Of the 21 editions from 1947 through 1967, Great Britain won 15. Sweden took four of the others and Belgium two. Britain's 16th and final win came much later, in 1994.
From the late 1960s through the 1970s the trophy moved around Europe. Sweden won again in 1970, 1971 and 1974, Belgium collected five wins in that decade, and the Soviet Union (1968 and 1978) and Czechoslovakia (1975) both broke through. It was a European event in every sense, raced by European riders on European tracks.
Team USA's 13-year winning streak
That changed in 1981. An American team of Chuck Sun, Danny LaPorte, Johnny O'Mara and Donnie Hansen won the event for the first time, and the United States did not lose again until 1994. Thirteen consecutive wins, from 1981 through 1993, is still the longest streak in the event's history. American riders were raised on stadium supercross and brutal outdoor nationals, and they arrived in Europe faster and fitter than the competition had expected. Teams like 1987's Bob Hannah, Ricky Johnson and Jeff Ward made the win look routine.
The U.S. won again in 1996 and 2000, then put together a second dynasty with seven straight victories from 2005 through 2011. The 2011 team of Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey and Blake Baggett closed that run. An 11-year drought followed until 2022, when Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper won at RedBud in Michigan for the country's 23rd title.
The modern era: France, Australia and Belgium
France answered with a dynasty of its own, five straight wins from 2014 through 2018, which matched Great Britain's run from 1963 to 1967. It added another on home soil at Ernée in 2023. Germany (2012), the Netherlands (2019 at Assen) and Italy (2021 at Mantua) each won once in that period.
Australia had never won until 2024, when brothers Jett and Hunter Lawrence and Kyle Webster won at Matterley Basin in England. The same three riders defended the title in 2025 at Ironman Raceway in Indiana, the first time the event had been held in the United States since 2022.
In 2026 the event returned to Ernée, where Belgium's Liam Everts and brothers Lucas and Sacha Coenen won it. It was Belgium's first win since 2013 and its 16th overall, tying Great Britain for second on the all-time list. Liam Everts is the son of Stefan Everts, the 10-time world champion, so the Everts name is now on the trophy as a family tradition.
Recent winners
| Year | Winner | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Belgium | Ernée, France |
| 2025 | Australia | Ironman Raceway, Indiana, USA |
| 2024 | Australia | Matterley Basin, England |
| 2023 | France | Ernée, France |
| 2022 | United States | RedBud, Michigan, USA |
| 2021 | Italy | Mantua, Italy |
| 2020 | Not held | — |
| 2019 | Netherlands | Assen, Netherlands |
| 2018 | France | RedBud, Michigan, USA |
| 2017 | France | Matterley Basin, England |
Why the Motocross of Nations matters
Most of the season, the world's fastest riders never meet. American riders race AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross, Grand Prix riders race the FIM world championship, and their schedules hardly overlap. The Nations is the one weekend a year when the question of who is really fastest gets an answer on the same track on the same day.
It is also a team event in a sport that is almost entirely individual. One crash or one bad start can cost a nation the title, and a third rider who is rarely in the headlines can win it for his country by finishing steadily. That is why careers are remembered for Nations rides. To see how the Grand Prix side of the sport works the rest of the year, read our guide to MXGP and world motocross.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Motocross of Nations?
It is motocross's annual team world championship. Each country enters three riders, one each in the MXGP, MX2 and Open classes, and they race three combined races on one weekend. The nation with the lowest total score, after dropping its worst single result, wins.
Which country has won the Motocross of Nations the most?
The United States, with 23 wins. That includes a record 13 in a row from 1981 through 1993. Belgium and Great Britain are tied for second with 16 each.
Who won the 2026 Motocross of Nations?
Belgium won the 2026 Motocross of Nations at Ernée, France, on October 4, 2026, with Liam Everts and brothers Lucas and Sacha Coenen. They scored 23 points to Spain's 26 and the Netherlands' 34, without winning any of the three races.
How is the Motocross of Nations scored?
Riders score points equal to their finishing position, so a win is worth one point. Each team has six results, two per rider. The worst one is thrown out, the other five are added together, and the lowest total wins.
