The championship was inaugurated in 1957 under a 500 cc engine displacement formula, making it one of the longest-running off-road world championships in existence. Prior to 1957, the competition had been staged as the European Championship. In 1962 a 250cc class was added to broaden the competitive structure, and in 1975 a 125cc class was introduced, expanding the championship to three tiers and deepening the talent pipeline.
In 2004 the FIM restructured the displacement regulations to reflect changes in engine technology and to encourage a shift toward environmentally friendlier four-stroke power units. The new MX1 class became the premier category, permitting two-stroke engines of up to 250cc and four-stroke engines of up to 450cc. The MX2 class catered for two-stroke engines up to 125cc and four-stroke motors up to 250cc. A third tier, MX3, accommodated larger two-stroke engines of up to 500cc and four-stroke units up to 650cc.
The class designations were later rebranded to MXGP and MX2, modernising the series' identity and aligning its naming conventions with other FIM world-championship properties.
The FIM Women's Motocross World Championship, designated MXW, was inaugurated in 2005 as a women-only motocross championship. It serves as both a companion and a feeder series to the main FIM Motocross World Championship, running alongside selected rounds of the premier-class calendar. The MXW has grown from a small debut field into an internationally contested series that has significantly expanded participation opportunities for women in motocross.
Each grand prix event comprises two motos per class — the moto format that has defined the championship since its origins. The combined results of both motos determine the grand prix winner. A point-scoring qualification race is incorporated into each event, adding competitive weight to the Saturday programme. The season calendar typically visits circuits across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania, reflecting the global reach the championship has built across nearly seven decades of competition. Nations hosting grands prix span multiple continents, with the rotating calendar evolving each season to reflect commercial agreements and circuit developments.
The FIM Motocross World Championship has served as the defining arena for the sport's greatest riders across its entire history. Its evolution from a single 500cc European series into a globally broadcast, multi-class championship with dedicated women's and junior tiers — the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship runs alongside the main series — reflects the transformation of motocross from a regional off-road discipline into one of the most-watched motorsport properties in the world. The combination of technical regulation changes in 2004, the transition to four-stroke dominance, and the establishment of purpose-built motocross venues has elevated the spectacle and safety of the championship across successive generations of competition.
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