The championship was created in 2017 as the successor to two preceding categories — the European Junior Cup and the European Superstock 600 Championship — that had previously served as developmental classes for younger riders aspiring to reach the World Superbike paddock. By granting the new class full FIM world championship status, the series elevated the developmental pathway while maintaining the same accessible, low-cost ethos. Like its predecessors, WorldSSP300 raced exclusively at European rounds of the World Superbike calendar rather than following the full global schedule.
The inaugural race was held on 2 April 2017 at MotorLand Aragón, with 37 riders competing. Spanish rider Marc Garcia became the first WorldSSP300 world champion, defeating Italian Alfonso Coppola by a single point in the standings.
Despite bearing "300" in its name, the championship was not restricted exclusively to 300 cc engine capacities. Instead, eligible machines were drawn from a range of small-displacement production models, each subject to specific minimum weight limits and maximum rev limits calibrated to achieve competitive balance. From the 2018 Aragón round, the FIM-approved specifications were:
The KTM RC 390 R, a single-cylinder machine, raced with a minimum weight of 136 kg and an RPM limit of 10,450. The Yamaha YZF-R3, a twin-cylinder, ran at 140 kg with a 13,300 RPM ceiling. The Kawasaki Ninja 400, also a twin, raced at 150 kg with a 10,350 RPM limit. The Honda CBR500R, a twin-cylinder, competed at 143 kg with an 11,200 RPM cap. Entry was open to riders aged fifteen and above, making the series one of the youngest-eligible world championships in FIM motorcycle racing.
The championship established itself quickly as a close and often chaotic racing series, with large grids and tight competition leading to criticism from some quarters that the sheer density of riders increased collision risk, particularly in the event of mid-pack incidents. The series nonetheless attracted strong entry lists driven by its accessibility and the prestige of world championship status.
In 2018, Ana Carrasco achieved a landmark result that extended beyond WorldSSP300: on 30 September 2018 she became the first female champion in the history of FIM world championship motorcycle racing, taking the WorldSSP300 title with Provec Racing on a Kawasaki Ninja 400. A year earlier, she had become the first woman to win a race in a world championship organised by the FIM — also in WorldSSP300. Her 2018 title was historic for the sport as a whole, not merely for the class.
For the 2019 season, the FIM split practice and qualifying into two separate groups to manage the large entry lists that had built up following the championship's successful first two seasons.
The WorldSSP300 ran its final season in 2025, after nine years as the entry rung of the World Superbike ladder. It was replaced from 2026 by the newly created Sportbike World Championship. During its operational years it provided a world-level competitive platform for young riders from across Europe and served as the launch point for several careers that progressed toward WorldSSP and WorldSBK.