The Maccabi World Union is an international Jewish sports organization spanning 5 continents and more than 50 countries, with some 400,000 members.  The Maccabi World Union organizes the Maccabiah Games, a prominent international Jewish athletics event.
 
The organization comprises six confederations: Maccabi Israel, European Maccabi confederation, confederation Maccabi North America, confederation Maccabi Latin America, Maccabi South Africa and Maccabi Australia.
 
The Maccabi World Union was created at the 12th World Jewish Congress in Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia in 1921. It was then decided by the secretariat of Jewish sport leaders to form one umbrella organization for all Jewish sports associations. Its aims were defined as working "foster physical education, belief in Jewish heritage and the Jewish nation, and to work actively for the rebuilding of our own country and for the preservation of our people".  In 1960, the International Olympic Committee officially recognized the Maccabi World Union as an "Organization of Olympic Standing".