From TV ratings to social media mentions, there are many indicators used to gauge a sport’s popularity. However, with so many ways to measure popularity, it can sometimes be challenging to determine which sports are most popular worldwide. For example, soccer is a billion-dollar industry that is played by celebrities and viewed by millions of fans on TV or live at the stadium. It’s become an integral part of pop culture and has even been called “the beautiful game” as it wasn’t always seen in such high regard. With its rich history and current heights of fame and glory, it seems that few other games have earned this title more than soccer but debates continue unabated over which 6 best sports in the world are truly the most popular in the world today.
The popularity of sports is an important factor in a nation’s culture and it defines its character. Attending to the popularity of sports, let us find out which types of sports are most popular in the world.
1. Football
Football is an extremely popular sport around the world. Over half of Earth’s population tunes in every 4 years when the World Cup arrives and over 250 million people are said to play it regularly. As a result, football is considered to be the most followed sport in the world.
Soccer is more popular than football. Over half of the world’s population watches soccer and over 250 million people from around the globe play it at least once a week making it the most popular sport in the history of man. This is a sport that transcends borders because Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America are all into soccer. North America is the only continent where football does not reign supreme!
2. Cricket
Cricket is an extremely popular sport followed by over 2.5 billion people in many countries, most notably India, Pakistan, Australia, and England. In cricket, a ball, as well as a large circular area, are involved and it’s vital to “score” runs like in baseball.
Cricket, also known as test cricket, is played by two teams of eleven players over five days of play. Over 2.5 billion people throughout the world follow cricket in popular countries such as New Zealand, England, and Australia. In these three nations, cricket is a national sport but it is especially popular in India and Pakistan. Cricket is an international game that involves both males and females from all around the globe. There are runs scored, bases hit, wickets captured, and dismissals just like baseball which makes it easy to compare the two sports together. The first-ever cricket match was reportedly played in 1646 though it has seen many tweaks since then in its rules and regulations as well as field size variations.
3. Basketball
Basket Ball as a sport has become more and more prevalent in recent times. Basketball, unlike soccer and football, or cricket, isn’t a centuries-old game with a strong history. Basketball started in the late 19th-century and is a global sport that draws people from all over the world – including Canada, China, Japan, and the USA among many others. Despite this, it has begun to experience growth globally within certain regions where basketball is fast becoming popular.
Basket-ball as a sport has been on the rise throughout recent times and people are now beginning to take an interest in basketball at an increasing rate. When compared to other popular sports, such as cricket and soccer, basketball is arguably a much more youthful sport when taking into consideration its short history. Compared to these other sports with rich histories, basketball is relatively young when put into context. It was only in the late 19th-century that this game was formed so it’s no surprise that this sport is still going strong – despite its relative infancy when compared to some of the older sports. For example, in terms of following this sport, China almost always ranks first for any given year but what’s surprising about this statistic is that it was not even among the top ten countries as recently as 2010!
4. Hockey
Ice hockey and field hockey are the two largest parts of field hockey as a game. Ice hockey predominantly occurs across Canada and parts of the United States, but in many other countries, including India, it’s more common to play field hockey. Hockey is a significantly smaller sport compared to some of the more well-known games in terms of both. Its global reach and its television ratings, although it can be found in most regions worldwide much like. How some people enjoy curling or soccer, depending on where they’re located.
It’s impossible to think of winter without calling to mind images of children learning. How to skate and fall onto ice. Ice hockey is one of the most popular winter sports that’s played in places like the United States and Canada, but in places like India and Pakistan, it’s common for people to play field hockey. In fact, three-quarters of all countries that participate in international hockey championship events choose field hockey! Hockey is just as popular here in America as any other major sport; if not more so, having added almost 200,000 new players over the past five years.
5. Tennis
Tennis has become a very popular sport in the U.S. since its introduction during the late 1800s. It’s estimated to be played by millions of Americans, making it a great way to take some exercise and have fun doing it! It’s a great option for those who want to improve their overall health. While also having an enjoyable time competing with others. It can really help you achieve your fitness goals!
Tennis is played by a total of 60 million people from all around the world. This makes it the most popular individual sport. Tennis is also very popular when you play doubles. So it’s just as fun for two partners or to play solo against another player or a bunch of friends.
6. Badminton
Not a lot of people know this. You see, badminton is one of the world’s most popular sports. In fact, there are approximately 220 million people that play this famous indoor sport regularly. Badminton is not only a prominent sport in Asia. But it is also prevalent in Europe and North America as well.
Badminton is commonly played in Asia. The game was created in England, but its origins can be traced back to ancient China and India. It’s common for some Badminton games to last for an hour or longer. But if only a half-hour is available there are many shorter games that can be played until the time runs out.
Badminton may not be the most popular spectator sport played in this world. But it is definitely one of the widely played sports. There are an estimated 220 million badminton players around the globe. During a session, participants use feather-stuffed shuttlecocks to hit a small solid racquet. While defending their own high net against their opponent’s smash.
