In general, sports are for everyone. No matter in which age zone you lie, you always have an interest in something to play. That is the reason why sports are the most popular hobby around the world.
You meet people, you ask them about their interests, and come to know that 8 out of 10 people like to participate in games or watch sports in their free time. However, it’s pretty confusing to find out which sports are the most popular.
At FAYVO, we conducted research on our users who were interested in the sports category and found out that around 80% of our users interact with people interested in some sports or games.
Continuing this, it is also observed that the internet has played a key role in fueling love and passion for sports, especially in the 21st century. When everything is online, so are the live streaming and sports highlights.
Fans can watch their favorite games on YouTube or subscription-based sports-dedicated platforms, catch-free highlight reels on social media, and get the latest sports betting odds online at the tap of a button.
Not only this, people nowadays consider their sporting heroes as their role models and have a strong emotional attachment with their favorite sports stars and sports teams. Be it anywhere in the world, sports and sports fans are gaining popularity day by day.
So, here we are, with a list of the most popular sports in the world these days.
Let’s read about them:
Football or Soccer:
With an estimated 4 billion supporters in the United States and Canada only, football is one of the most popular sports around the world.
The game originated in the 19th century. England is known to hold the history of the very first football matches. According to the books, it is suggested that people have been playing similar games for around two thousand years, and they were based in China. It is one of those games where you can spot thousands of diehard fans to meet their favorites. Today, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are worldly known for their outclass performance in soccer matches. Every year, multiple tournaments are planned and played throughout the world, and fans look forward to these events.
If we talk about participation, there is almost no restriction. You just have to have interest, good practice, and a sportsmanship spirit. Soccer is played all across the world and is popular in Europe, Central and South America, and Africa.
Cricket:
Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world and is being played a lot in Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. This game is getting huge appreciation day by day. One big reason for the popularity of this sport is that it is a group activity.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), it is stated that Cricket is played in 125 countries throughout the world. Fans desperately wait for the World Cup and other tournaments to watch their favorite players scoring well. Also, this sport is discussed a lot after every other match that goes live.
It is quite similar to baseball, as both games feature two teams, a bat, a large field, and scoring runs. However, the rules in Cricket are a little complex.
Badminton or Tennis:
In some regions, this game is known as Tennis while in other countries people call it Badminton. Some may be surprised to know that Badminton is one of the top most popular sports in the world. It is mainly because of its fewer restrictions for the players. It is an interesting sport being practiced by an estimated 220 million people worldwide.
Majorly, it is popular in Asia, with many great players taking part in international tournaments.
The sport is played using racquets to strike a shuttlecock across a net. The most typical types of games are called “singles” and “doubles.” The game has now become immensely popular in Europe as well. Moreover, people are coming to it with recent contests monopolized by China.
According to the most popular sports in the world by participation, Badminton holds the third position.
Volleyball:
Volleyball is also one of the ancient games which originated in America. The sport has a staggering worldwide participation statistic of 998 million individuals, which makes it a very popular game.
Over 220 national federations are associated with the sport’s worldwide regulatory organization, the ‘FIVB.’ It can be played both inside and outdoor. Brazil is quite popular for its Volleyball game, but the sport has gathered fans from all over the world.
Sports and activity experts from around the world count Volleyball as a significantly entertaining sport. It is arguably the most popular sport in Africa.
Volleyball has two exciting playing modes. You can play it indoors or out in the sun at the beach. Approximately 900 million people are the crazy fans of Volleyball, and around 800 million people play this game. In addition, it is one of the most admired games in the world.
Related: How to Choose the Right Sport for You?
Basketball:
Although basketball is a world-known game and is greatly played around the world, many people still associate it with the USA only. This wrong concept may lead to the thought that it is not a very popular game in the world, but actually, it is being watched, loved, and played by many people. It is one of the most popular sports in China and is played in schools and colleges across the country. There are a number of amateur and professional leagues calling out basketball lovers from the world.
The large number of people playing in China, when added to the popularity of the game elsewhere in the world, including the USA, Russia, and Indonesia, leads us to state that basketball is one successful sport in the world.
Hockey:
Hockey is one sophisticated game and is amazingly played both on ice and on a field. Hockey boasts a following of two billion people worldwide. Field hockey is mainly popular in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, where the regions are not so cold. In comparison, ice hockey is particularly popular in Canada, the US, and Northern Europe, where the people experience snowfall for a major part of the year.
The game involves two teams where each team tries to put a ball into the opposing team’s net with a hockey stick. Unlike ice hockey, field hockey does not require body contact in the form of checking.
Table Tennis:
This indoor pass time game had gained more popularity during the lockdown season when families were bound to stay at home. After that, the game can now be found in schools, social groups, corporate offices, and athletic facilities all over the world. Table tennis has a number of 300 million people playing the game all over the world.
If you love playing Tennis, why not table tennis. It is played with a table in the middle and players on both sides aiming to get a ball past their opponents. It is also called Ping Pong. The game was initially invented in England in the early twentieth century, and since then, it has gained an incredibly huge fanbase of around 875 million people worldwide.
Baseball:
Historically baseball, when it originated, was more popular in America than anywhere else in the world. However, with time, the sport has become increasingly popular in other countries such as Japan. Softball is another version of the game with female participants. It is recorded by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) that 65 million people play either baseball or softball in over 140 countries.
Rugby:
Rugby originated in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century. After that, it became highly famous in the elite class communities. This sport is most popular in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Georgia, and Madagascar. With the worldwide recognition of the game as one of the most played activities, Rugby is getting popular in all the communities.
All over the world, the game has 475 million fans, and around 400 million people watch the game regularly on social media and TV. It has its origin in England and is now most popular throughout the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Rugby is somehow a little similar to American Football in terms of contact sport, but rugby players wear relatively little protection compared to American football players.
Golf:
Beginning with a fact, the golf game we play today is the modernized version of the original one. Golf initially originated in Scotland back in the 15th century, and the game has gained fame and flourished throughout time.
Today, it is one of the most popular sports in England. According to the popular forum Golf Today, 60 million individuals around the world routinely participate in the sport, which is quite interesting. Initially, golf was named as a wealthy sport and was known to be played in the leisure time only.
However, with time, the concept has evolved, and several individuals worldwide have loved playing it.
