The 10 most popular sports in the world

As we all know, sport is a powerful tool for peace, social change, and national and educational development. We understand that fans have their preferences, but, amazingly, there are about eight thousand sports in the world today. Some are only practised in a village in Tibet or India, but they are still a sport. We won't take you through all the different sports in this article but instead, go straight for the top and the 10 most popular worldwide.

1. Football - 3.5 billion fans

Football or soccer is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the most popular sport in the world.

The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The aim of the game is to score by using any part of the body, except the arms and hands, to get the ball into the opponent's goal.

More than half of the world's population consider themselves fans of football (soccer), which makes it the most popular sport there is. It is estimated that the sport is followed by 3.5 billion people and has a global sphere of influence.

2. Cricket - 2.5 billion fans

Cricket is one of the most popular sports and one of the top ten in the world. It is the second most popular sport in the world with 2.5 billion fans (in India, UK, Pakistan, Australia, Asia, etc.) It's the most popular sport for betting in India, and you can learn more about sports betting at sportsbetting24.in.

The sport's birthplace was 16th century England, where it became a national sport in the 18th century.

Cricket is similar to baseball, and you'll find one team batting and one team pitching. There are some differences, such as it's played on an oval, grassy field and the bat is flat

3. Basketball - 2.2 billion fans

Basketball, with 2.2 billion followers, is the third most-watched sport in the world. It's the most popular in the United States with the NBA being the most popular league worldwide. However, it is considered highly popular in the rest of the world, including Argentina and Russia, homes to many big NBA stars.

Basketball is a game that requires both ball skills and athleticism. It's played by two teams of five players each, whose goal is to successfully throw the ball through a hoop three feet off the ground.

4. Field hockey - 2 billion fans

Field hockey is a team sport in the hockey family. The game can be played on grass, synthetic turf, and covered surface.

Field hockey, a contemporary sport, was first played in England in the 19th century. The game is largely similar to football, except that players use sticks to fling the ball instead of their feet.

Field hockey has about 2 billion fans worldwide, and its primary influence is in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

5. Tennis - 1 billion fans

Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent or between two teams of two players each.

Each player uses a tennis racket, which they secure with a string, to hit a hollow, felt-covered rubber ball over or around a net and into the opponent's court.

It is estimated that tennis has a billion fans worldwide and has a global influence. It is believed that different versions of the sport were played by the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, although the modern version was first popularised in France.

6. Volleyball - 900 million fans

Volleyball is a team sport in which a net separates two teams of six players. According to organised rules, each team tries to score points by placing a ball on the ground on the other team's field.

The sport was invented in the United States by William G. Morgan in 1895. He was a member of the Young Men's Christian Association as an instructor, and he borrowed elements from basketball, tennis, handball and tennis to create the sport.

Volleyball's main influence is felt in Western Europe and North America, and it is estimated that the sport has 900 million fans worldwide.

7. Table tennis - 850 million fans

Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a white ball back and forth across a table with small rackets.

The sport originated in XNUMX century England as a miniature version of regular tennis. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net.

Table tennis has a global influence and has around 850 million followers worldwide. It has the highest popularity in China, where approximately 1,4 billion people play it occationaly.

8. Baseball - 500 million fans

Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two opposing teams that alternate at bat and on the field.

The gameplay consists of a player from the pitching team, the pitcher, throwing a ball where a player from the batting team attempts to hit with a bat. Then the batter's goal is to run around the field to score points.

Baseball has about 500 million followers worldwide and is most popular in the United States, the Caribbean and Japan.

9. American football - 410 million followers

American football, or just called football in the United States and Canada, is played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. Each team has a set of defence and offence players, and the goal is to earn points with a touchdown or field goal.

The sport is not highly popular outside of the North Americas, but the interest has increased worldwide over the last few years, with a few matches hosted in England.

The Super Bowl is the main event and has boosted the sport's popularity, with about 98 million viewers in the US. The sport has a strong social media following and significant sponsorship support from major brands such as Verizon, Gatorade and Bud Light.

10. Golf - 390 million fans

Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use different clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course with minimal strokes.

Unlike most ball games, Golf cannot and does not use a standardised playing area, and managing the varied terrain of the different courses is an essential part of the game.

There are an estimated 390 million golf fans worldwide, and its influence is felt mainly in Western Europe, East Asia and North America.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes