The International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine Ski World Cup was the premier circuit for alpine skiing competition. The inaugural season launched in January 1967, and the 2020–21 season marked the 55th consecutive year for the FIS World Cup. As it had every year since 2006, the season began in Sölden, Austria in October, and it ended with the World Cup finals in March, which were held in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many changes to the original racing schedule. Among them were the following:

The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA. It was soon backed by International Ski Federation president Marc Hodler during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1966 at Portillo, Chile, and became an official FIS event in the spring of 1967 after the FIS Congress at Beirut, Lebanon.