The Motocross of Nations –known as MXoN– stands as the crown jewel of the international motocross calendar. Known today as the peak of the FIM Motocross World Championship season, this legendary event has grown dramatically from its humble origins more than 75 years ago.
The birth of the Motocross des Nations
Before it became the massive global spectacle we know today, motocross was simply known as scrambles in the 1920s and 1930s. Following the disruption of World War Two, motocross started to take shape as the sport we know today. And a big part of this change is due to the creation of the Motocross of Nations.
Back in 1947, two years after the end of World War Two, an initiative from the FIM and the Dutch Motorcycle Federation (KNMV) was about to change motocross forever. The KNMV proposed a national team competition to be held on July 20, 1947, near The Hague in Wassenaar, Netherlands. Thus, the ‘Motocross des Nations’ —actually know as the MXoN— was born.
One of the few pictures from the original edition, with the parcipants reunited in front of the KNMV logistical truck. (Image from: mxvintage.be)
Just three nations were invited in this inaugural event: the Netherlands, Belgium, and Great Britain. The format back then was quite different from what is done today — riders used 500cc machinery to battle through two 8-lap races on a 3km track, with the winner decided by the combined total time of all three team riders. A nation was able to present different teams in all the races.
Though Belgian rider Auguste Mingels was the fastest rider of the day, the Great Britain team —consisting of Bill Nicholson, Fred Rist, and Bob Ray—secured the very first team title by a razor-thin margin of just 8 seconds over Belgium.
The first effort to create the Motocross des Nations was welcomed by other national federations, who started to hold the event in the next years. Belgium, a country with a profound love for Motocross, was the second host of the MXoN. This second edition was celebrated in La Fraineuse, next to Spa and was a total success: more nations were invited, expanding to include France, Sweden, and Luxembourg and the event was able to mass 30,000 fans who rooted for their national team. Belgium got its revenge on home soil with riders Nic Jansen, Marcel Cox, and Andre Milhoux to win its first Motocross des Nations.
The Chamberlain Trophy and its derivates Trophée des Nations and Cup des Nations still are prizes of the MXoN nowdays. (Image from: Motocross Action Magazine)
After this success, the future of the Motocross of Nations was reassured. In 1949, Great Britain hosted and claimed their second victory, keeping the original cup indefinitely. This prompted the British federation (ACU) to donate a new trophy. Following the passing of FIM Vice-President Peter Chamberlain in 1954—a massive champion of the sport—this new prize was officially named the Chamberlain Trophy.
Growing success: the birth of the Trophée des Nations and Coupe des Nations
In the 1950s the MXoN consolidated. It was a decade defined by British dominance, with Team Great Britain snatching seven victories out of ten; only Belgium in 1951 and Sweden in 1955 and 1958 beat them.
In view of the success of the Motocross des Nations, in 1961 the FIM decided to create a similar competition for motorcycles in the 250cc category. But instead of creating a subdivision within the Motocross des Nations itself, this new initiative received another name: the Trophée des Nations.
The Trophée des Nations follows a parallel history to the Motocross des Nations. Essentially the same competition by nations, the Trophée was always held on different dates and also in alternative locations to the Motocross des Nations. They were, therefore, two different sister competitions.
The winning Swedish team of 1955 including Bill Nilson, who will become the first ever MX World Champion in 1961. (Image from: Motocross Action Magazine)
In the 1960s, the Motocross des Nations continued to grow along the number of federation sending teams to compete. What it didn’t change as much was Great Britain dominance: the team won six victories in that decade, including a then record of five consecutive from 1963 to 1967. But it will be the swang songs, as new forces will dominate the sport soon.
A particular year was 1968, when the MXoN was celebrated in the URSS. The event held in the actual country of Moldova, taking place at Chișinău (back then called Kishinev). It was the first time a country from the communist block – in an era of a World strongly divided by politics, it was a significant event. In protest of URSS then recent invasion of Czechoslovakia, numerous national teams boycotted, including the title defender Great Britain, the event and there were only six participants and the URSS local team won for the joy of the authorities.
The 1961 edition at Schijndel, Netherlands (Image from: Harry Pot, Fotocollectie Anefo - Wikimedia C.C.)
The decade ended with a symbolic victory of the times that were coming: the Belgian team regained the Chamberlain Trophy with a name that will become legendary, Roger De Coster.
The 1970s saw a big battle between Sweden and Belgium, with both teams alternated victories except for Czechoslovakia triumph in 1972 and URSS in 1979. Roger De Coster stablished his legend as the then recordman with 6 victories at the Motocross des Nations and a staggering ten consecutive triumphs at the Trophée des Nations.
Roger De Coster onboard his yellow Suzuki at the 1976 Motocross des Nations celebrated in Sint Anthonys, Netherlands. (Image from: Hans Peters, Fotocollectie Anefo - Wikimedia C.C.)
Changes in the 1970s were also more profound: in the motorcycle scene there was massive technological disruptions with the arrival of Japanese manufacturers like Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki; motocross was no exception. Also a future powerhouse of motocross landed at the MXoN: United States. The first participation of Team USA was in 1972, as the American federation (AMA) wasn’t adhered to the FIM until 1970. The first incursions of the USA team were irregular, not racing every year, but as time passed motocross grew in popularity in the States and the team become a reference.
The big breakthrough for Team USA come in 1981: managed by Belgian former World Champion Roger de Coster, the four-man Honda squad of Danny Laporte, Chuck Sun, Johnny O’Mara, and Donnie Hansen swept both the Trophée des Nations in Belgium and the Motocross des Nations in Germany just one week later.
The victorious Team USA from the 1982 edition. (Image from: Motocross Action Magazine)
Motocross also evolved: smaller class grew in popularity and market quote. For this reason, the FIM introduced the Coupe des Nations in 1981, dedicated to the 125cc category. Italy become the main winner in the class, clinching the initial Coupe des Nations.
But the era of having three separate national competitions under three different trophies was soon about to end.
Enter the modern era with a new format
The great revolution of MXoN occurred in 1985. The FIM decided to group the Motocross des Nations, the Trophée des Nations and the Coupe des Nations into a single tournament. This was the birth of the current format.
That year the current competition format was born, where the three categories of the time (125cc, 250cc and 500cc) began to compete together on the same weekend, with a single rider per category in each national team and in three main races: 125-500, 125-250 and 250-500.
Jeff Ward in action in Gaildorf, West Germany, 1985. (Image from: RacerX)
This is the format that has been maintained to this day, with small changes to adapt the competition to modern times. That is why the 1985 MXoN marked a clear separator in the history of MXoN, signifying the beginning of the modern era of the competition.
What it didn’t change was the domination of Team USA: the Americans clinched a total of 13 consecutive victories from 1981 to 1993. They even won the last four edition of the Coupe des Nations (1981-1984). Riders like David Bailey with five consecutive victories or Jeff Ward with seven wins – a new record surpassing De Coster’s six – became the new names of MXoN.
In fact, Team USA achieved the ultimate "perfect score" of 7 points (achieving 1-2 finishes in all three races, minus the dropped score) in MXoN. Team USA pulled off this legendary feat at Maggiora, Italy, in 1986 with the iconic trio of David Bailey, Ricky Johnson, and Johnny O’Mara; a feat that has only been accomplished once in history.
A chaotic start of a moto in the 1994 edition. (Image from: MotoVerte)
The fortunes of Team USA created a natural rivalry USA vs. Europe that fuelled the event until today. USA’s streak was interrupted by the dramatic win of Great Britain team in 1994, giving the British the coveted Chamberlain Trophy 27 years after their last triumph. In Roggenburg, Switzerland, a squad formed by Rob Herring, Paul Malin and Kurt Nicoll held off Team USA; it was a shock for the entire MX world that a team without World MX Champions clinched the victory.
But it was the sign of new times: European teams started to pair USA talent in motocross. New heroes emerged, like the Belgian Stefan Everts, who helped to win 5 MXoN for Belgium between 1995 and 2004. Also new nations joined the winner’s rostrum: Italy achieved its first triumph in 1999 – a feat that they will repeat in 2002 – and in 2001 was time for the French team to savour the flavour of victory.
The 2006 MXoN was the final race in the impresive career of Stefan Everts, a day that will be remember as legendary in his battles with James Stewart. (Image from: MXGP)
A globalized battlefield: Motocross of Nations name adopted
With the beginning of a new century, the FIM officially dropped the classic Motocross des Nations name for the anglicised name of Motocross of Nations. A nomenclature change of symbolic valour and commercial meaning that will join more sportive changes in the next years as motocross evolved from traditional classes 250/500 to the new MX1 (from 2014 MXGP) and MX2 classes.
The beginning of the XXI century was marked by a new generation of American aces helped Team USA to regain the reigns of the MXoN: legendary names like Ricky Carmichel, Ryan Villopoto or James Sterwart secured 7 consecutive victories between 2005 and 2011. In 2012 another nation joined the illustrious list of winners: Germany won the MXoN at Lommel (Belgium) with Ken Roczen, Maximilian Nagl and Marcus Schiffer.
The French trio that achieved the first victory for France in Latvia, 2014. (Image from: MXGP)
From 2014 until 2018, France enjoyed an incredible golden era, taking five consecutive Chamberlain Trophies between 2014 and 2018 with stars like Gautier Paulin, Romain Febvre, and Dylan Ferrandis leading the charge; Paulin signed the five victories joining the exclusive club of riders with more victories at MXoN.
The French streak was interrupted by the talent of Jeffrey Herlings and the Netherlands teams, giving to the orange team its very first MXoN; an historical reward for the nation who created the Motocross of Nations!
The Covid pandemic forced the organizer of MXoN to cancel the event in 2020, originally taking place in Ernée, France. It was the first time in the history of the event that a cancellation was put in place.
Ken Roczen in 2023; he's performance in 2013 helped the German team to win its first MXoN. (Image from: MXGP)
After that interruption, Italy, USA, France and Australia have been sharing the fortunes of MXoN, with Australian being a new addition to the winners list thanks to the efforts of Jett Lawrance and Hunter Lawrance with Kyle Webster.
MXoN winners list: the legend continues
The tally of nations winners of MXoN is quite selective. Since 1947 and up to know, only eleven nations have won the Motocross of Nations, including the era of Motocross des Nations for 500cc machines (1947-1984) and Trophée des Nations for 250cc (1961-1984) and Coupe des Nations for 125cc (1981-1984).
USA holds the record of victories, followed by Great Britain and Belgium quite close to the British. The tally of Belgium is higher if considered the sum of Trophée des Nations and Coupe des Nations combined to MXoN/Motocross des Nations triumphs, tied with 27 wins with Team USA.
Jett Lawrence flying at the 2025 MXoN. (Image from: MXGP)
This reduced list is due to the demanding format. In the MXoN it’s important to have great riders across all the three classes, just one fast rider can clinch the overall victory. MXoN puts to work the national teams in a true organized and strategic way in the track but also keeps the federations working to improve the level of all their national riders across all championships and bring a top team to MXoN’s yearly rendezvous.
What started as a three-nation experiment in the Dutch sands has become the biggest, loudest spectacle in dirt biking: the Motocross of Nations remains the ultimate test of speed, strategy, and national pride. A real reason that has earn the MXoN the sobriquet of ‘the Olympics of Motocross’.
Motocross of Nations / Motocross des Nations winners
- USA: 23 (1981-1993, 1996, 2000, 2005-2011, 2022)
- Great Britain: 16 (1947, 1949, 1950, 1952-1954, 1956-1957, 1959-1960, 1963-1967, 1994)
- Belgium: 15 (1948, 1951, 1969, 1972-1973, 1976-1977, 1979-1980, 1995, 1997-1998, 2003-2004, 2013)
- Sweden: 7 (1955, 1958, 1961-1962, 1970, 1971, 1974)
- France: 7 (2001, 2014-2018, 2023)
- Italy: 3 (1999, 2002, 2021)
- URSS: 2 (1968, 1978)
- Australia: 2 (2024-2025)
- Czechoslovakia: 1 (1975)
- Germany: 1 (2012)
- Netherlands: 1 (2019)
Trophée des Nations winners (1961-1984)
- Belgium: 11 (1969-1978, 1980)
- Sweden: 5 (1963-1968)
- USA: 4 (1981-1984)
- Great Britain: 2 (1961-1962)
- URSS: 1 (1979)
Coupe des Nations winners (1981-1984)
- Italy: 2 (1981-1982)
- Belgium: 1 (1983)
- Netherlands: 1 (1984)
