Sports is a kind of activity that takes a part of our life naturally from the very beginning. But the actual fact is that out of many indoor or outdoor games, we always have a likelihood towards a specific sport. So this belongingness grows from our childhood which heavily counts for the most popular sports in the world. There are many indices to gauge this popularity, like television viewership, highest-paid sportspersons, most coverings in the sports news, and last but most important, the most-watched sports in the Olympics. 

Sports are popular for a number of reasons. Keeping healthy, for example, is often cited as a reason for participating in sports. Others will tell you that they do sports for recreational purposes. Sports are even more popular with people who do not necessarily participate but love being spectators.

The ranking of the 10 most popular sports in the world has been tabulated with the help of different metrics like Google Trends, Keyword Research Tools, and Wikipedia’s Sports page view analysis. To conclude the final top 10, an estimated number of followers over the ten years has been considered.

Since time immemorial, people have been awed and inspired by extraordinary human beings who are able to perform tremendous athletic feats. Here is a brief discussion of the most popular sports in the world.

Most Popular Sports in the World: At a Glance

Most people are attached to one sport at least. They play that sport or like to watch that sport. Let’s know some amazing facts about the top 10 sports in the world or you can say that the most popular sports in the world.

Most Watched Sports in the World | Top 10 Sports in the World | Most Popular Sports in the World:

1. Football (Soccer) – Approx 5 B:

Football, the king of all sports, tops the list as being the most popular sport in the World. The reason behind the wide adaptability of football is the inexpensive nature of this outdoor game. The fundamental technique of this physically challenging game is the magic of ball control without the help of hands. Football is played between two teams of 11 players each on a rectangular-shaped ground equally divided by a centerline. The aim is to put the ball into a net behind a goalpost placed at each end of the playing field. FIFA is the regulating authority for all matters concerning football.

Football, better known as soccer in the US and Canada, is the most popular sport in the world, with an estimated following of 5 billion fans. Like some of the other sports on this list, the origins of football as we know it is in England in the 19th century, though history points to people playing similar games as far back as two thousand years, beginning in China. One reason for football’s popularity is that, unlike other sports that require expensive equipment, all you need to play football is a ball and your foot.

Hence, anyone, rich or poor, can enjoy the sport. It is played all over the world but is particularly popular in Europe, Central and South America, and Africa.

The football world cup is not only the most prestigious but also the biggest sporting event played all over the world in terms of popularity and sponsorship deals. The other two most famous tournaments are Euro Cup and Copa America Cup. Popular soccer clubs in Europe like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG, and Zuventus offer big deals to top players in the world for wearing their club jerseys during premier leagues.

If you look for the top 10 Forbes highest-paid athletes in 2022, 4 players from football (Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Tom Brady at no. 1, 3, 4, & 9 ranks respectively) feature in the list, which is the highest number of any kind of sport.

By the number of fans, soccer is most popular in China, with 300 million people reported to have an interest in the sport. The country that’s the greatest percentage number interest in soccer is The United Arab Emirates!

India is not far behind, with 240 million fans.

2. Basketball – Approx 2.7 B:

Basketball usually played indoors, involves two teams of 5 players each who try to score points (baskets) by throwing a ball inside a horizontal hoop fixed to a backboard at each end of a rectangular field. Though this fast-emerging sport is played all over the world, basketball is more popular in countries like the USA, Canada, Spain, Iraq, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, and the Philippines.

Players participating in the NBA, the most popular basketball league, are among the highest-paid sportspersons around the world. 

Invented by James Naismith, a Canadian teaching at a school in the US in the late 19th century, basketball is now played worldwide, and has an estimated following of 825 million. In basketball, two teams attempt to dribble a ball up a court and shoot it into a raised, hoop-shaped net to score points. If you like to run, jump and shoot, you’ll love basketball. Like football (soccer), it is particularly popular because not much equipment is needed besides two baskets and a ball, so is an accessible sport regardless of class.

Out of 2.7 Billion fans, FIBA states that at least 450 million people worldwide are playing basketball today. There are 213 countries that have professional basketball leagues and national teams and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. It is also estimated that China has over 300 million Chinese people playing the sport as of right now.

3. Cricket – 2.5 B:

Cricket, the so-called gentleman’s game, has three different formats depending on which match is being played. Test cricket is the oldest form for a 5-day long period, the One-Day format features a 50-overs match, and the T-Twenty (20-overs) format is the new edition of the game. Cricket is played on a 22-yard pitch within a big circular field. Bowlers take their run up from one end of the stump and throw the cricket ball in a defined fashion to the other end of the stump, where batsmen take their stance.

The bowler aims to deceive the batsman of the opponent’s team, whereas the batsman finds ways to collect runs by hitting the ball with the help of a wooden bat.

Cricket stands as the 3rd most popular sport just behind football & Basketball. The reason for the huge fans of cricket is due to the madness and love of inhabitants of Indian subcontinent countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The new IPL cricket league in India, watched by millions of cricket lovers, has certainly closed the gap between the no. 2 and 3 biggest sports in the world.

Cricket boasts a fan base of 2.5 billion. The game is most popular in the UK and some former British colonies, notably India, Pakistan, and Australia. Like baseball, it involves two teams, a bat, a large field, and scoring runs. There are significant differences, however, including a long rectangular pitch at the center of a cricket field, where the ball is thrown to a batsman, as opposed to a mound at the center of a baseball diamond facing a batter at home plate.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled the results of the largest-ever market research project into the sport which reveals cricket has over one billion fans (in the surveyed age category of 16-69) globally, the average age of which is 34 with a demographic breakdown of 61% male and 39% female on June 2018.

• More than 300 million participants

4. Hockey – 2 B:

This outdoor game is played on a rectangular-shaped natural grass or AstroTurf field between two teams of 11 players each (10 players and a goalkeeper). Hockey is played with the help of a stick to send a small, hard ball into the opponent’s goal. In hockey, only the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball with any part of the body.

Though hockey is a common game in most parts of the world, the popularity of this game has higher percentage in India, Pakistan, Australia, and the Netherlands. But due to the lack of sponsorship deals and television coverage, the following of hockey is in a declining trend in recent times.

In Russia, North Europe, the USA, and Canada, the game is specifically known as field hockey to distinguish it from ice hockey.

Hockey, both on ice and in a field, boasts a following of two billion people. Field hockey is mainly played in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, whereas ice hockey is particularly popular in Canada, the US, and Northern Europe. The game involves two teams trying to put a ball into the opposing team’s net with a hockey stick. Unlike ice hockey, field hockey usually does not involve body contact in the form of checking.

5. Tennis – 1.5 B:

Tennis is an individual game (Except doubles pairing as a team) that is not only one of the most-watched sports but also involves lots of prize money and sponsorship deals. The basic principle of this game is to hit a tennis ball (before bouncing twice) with the help of a racket in a fashion so that the ball bounces inside the opponent’s court after crossing over a net.

The main attraction of this sport is the four grand slam events, Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open, and the US Open where seedings of players are done by ATP and WTA ranking. Roger Federer, the legend of tennis, has a record for featuring among the top 10 in the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, 12 times in a row from the year 2010 to 2022.

An estimated one billion people worldwide follow tennis, tuning in from around the world. In tennis, players on both sides of an elongated net try to hit a ball with a racket so that it either goes past their opponents or bounces on their opponents’ side twice to score points. Pro tennis players, like Roger Federer and Serena Williams, are now household names around the world.

Approximately 90 million people play tennis around the world. That’s 1.17% of the world’s population that plays tennis. Tennis is one of the most watched sports on tv and is widely accepted as one of the most popular individual/non-team sports in the world.

6. Golf – 1.2 B:

Golf, probably the most expensive sport in the world, is played on a large highly maintained area known as a golf course. The game is played to pocket a small ball into a series of holes (18 or 9 is more common) by striking with various clubs. It requires notable skills and dedication to win the game in the fewest possible strokes. 

The Masters, British Open, U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship are the 4 most prestigious golf majors where the winner is awarded massive prize money of $1.44 million! Golf is also famous as a recreational sport among rich people where the game is confined to a series of 9 holes.

We can say that Golf is a game of Rich people. Ireland, Canada, USA, UK, Scotland, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, and Japan are the few countries where golf is most popular.

An estimated 450 million people are fans of the game that involves trying to put a small ball in a hole with the fewest strokes possible. Golf originated in Scotland in the 15th century. Interestingly, however, the word golf originated in the Netherlands, from the word “kolf” or “kolve,” which translates to “club.” Golf is particularly popular in Western Europe, East Asia, and North America.

There are 70 million golf players in the world, according to the latest stats posted by a Sports Marketing agency Survey in September 2022.

7. Badminton – 1 B:

In the game of badminton, known as the fastest racket sport, players require agility and fitness to quickly cover a rectangular court. The player (team for doubles) who succeeds to ground the shuttlecock on the opponent’s court area is declared the winner. 

Though badminton is played mainly indoors, outdoor badminton is also enjoyed as a recreational game. The entry of badminton as one of the most popular sports in the world is due to its wide acceptance irrespective of gender in densely populated Asian countries like China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and South Korea.

I’m not alone in knowing that badminton has captivated many spectators and aspiring players. Recreational or professional, badminton is a sport played by many people worldwide. However, have you ever wondered just how popular badminton is worldwide? You’d be surprised that on indoor courts and on the world stage, millions have fallen in love with badminton.

the number of badminton players is 320 million worldwide, which is about 2.9% of the world’s population at this time. 

Badminton is one of the top three favorite sports in 3 countries, with a combined population of around 1.4 billion. The list is:

• China
• Malaysia
• Mauritius

Badminton is one of the top 10 sports in 6 countries, with a combined population of around 1.9 billion. The list is:

• India
• Indonesia
• Singapore
• Thailand
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

Badminton is estimated to be one of the top 20 sports in 1 country, with a combined population of around 182.5 million. The list is:

• Pakistan

8. Baseball – 990 M:

Baseball, known as the “national pastime” of the United States is a dual fight between a pitcher who throws the ball and a batter who hits the ball. A catcher is positioned behind the batter to catch the ball and also for sending signals to the pitcher regarding the suitable position to throw the next ball.

The rule of the game is a bit complex, where the winner between the two teams is decided based on total runs of nine innings (an extra-innings is played in case the score is tied).

Baseball has an estimated 650 million global followers and enjoys its highest levels of popularity in the United States, the Caribbean, and Japan. The sport is a bat and ball sport involving two teams of nine players each, who participate in batting and fielding to earn points.

People use to play baseball mainly in North America, South America, and East Asia. But the reason for huge fan followers of this sport is due to its popularity in the USA where people love to spend time watching or playing baseball.

America’s national pastime is thought to have descended from English sports, rounders, and cricket. Baseball involves two teams trying to hit a ball with a bat between two white lines, with the batters running around a series of bases to score runs (points). Today, baseball is popular, not only in the US but also in East Asia and Latin America. The sport has an estimated following of 500 million fans.

9. Volleyball – 920 M:

Volleyball is a team sport, played between two teams of 6 players each on a rectangular field separated by a net. The basic objective of this indoor/ outdoor game is to ground the ball on the opponent’s court by volleying over the net. Volleyball has not gained much popularity at the professional level. The hike of volleyball sparkles during the Summer Olympics which is one of the most-watched sports.

Beach volleyball, another variant of volleyball, played on a sand court has shown a high rate of growth in recent years after its introduction in the Summar Olympics in 1996.

Volleyball involves two teams, each on one side of a raised net, trying to “volley” a ball onto the ground of the opposing team’s side for points. The game has a following of 900+ Million people, mostly in North America and Western Europe but also in Asia, Australia, and South America. One popular variant of the game, known as beach volleyball, is played on sand with two people on each team, as opposed to regular volleyball, where there are normally six players on each team.

Volleyball is popular in countries all around the world. Some of the top countries include Brazil, Russia, the United States, Japan, China, and Italy. However, there are plenty of additional countries in which volleyball has a large and enthusiastic following. 

10. Table Tennis – 890 M:

Table tennis has become one of the most popular sports in the last 10 years due to its integration into schools, social clubs, and sports centers around the globe.

The game of table tennis also called ping pong in the USA and Canada is played at all levels from schools, offices, and clubs to professional arenas among all age groups, from a 10 years boys/girls to 65 years veterans. And the most interesting fact is that among all the top liked sports, table tennis is the only game that you can play in your home also. Only you need a table tennis table (indoor or outdoor) to exchange rallies by hitting a small, light ball with the help of a paddle.

Table tennis is mostly popular in Asian and European countries. This sport is followed by 850+ million in the world, which has made it possible to include table tennis in the list of top 10 popular sports. It is the national game of China, the country with 18.47% of the world’s total population.

Think of it like tennis, except with what amounts to a table with a net at the center and players on each side trying to get a ball past their opponents. Also known as Ping Pong, table tennis originated in England in the early 20^th century. The game is now popular worldwide, with an estimated following of 850+ million. It is especially popular in Asia but is also followed in Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

The Future Of Sports

Sports are almost as old as human civilization itself. In fact, historical evidence suggests that human beings have been participating in sports for the last 3,000 years. Many things about sports have changed over time, even if that love for dynamism and athletic prowess has remained the same. New technology has revolutionized the way many sports are played nowadays.

Also relatively new is the concept known as the science of sport, which implies the use of science to improve, not only the performance of athletes but other aspects of sports as well. One of the most recent trends in sports is the move toward making them safer. Thus, athletes in the future may face a lesser risk to their health and well-being than their present or past counterparts. 

Wrapping up

It is worthwhile to mention the names of some other spectacular sports like American Football, Motorsport, and Rugby which have a great prospect to feature in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world in coming years.

Nevertheless, sports not only have a great role to keep you physically and mentally fresh but also have a great potential to bring the world together by building up social relationships, friendliness, and brotherliness.

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