We all have favorite sports & argue they’re the best, but opinions can differ. here are the top 10 most popular sports in the world that is followed by millions.
Since ancient times, sports have been an important part in human life as it offers numerous benefits like physical fitness, a gentlemanly attitude, a lot of entertainment and strengthen bonds between people. Sports have become an international craze that surpasses all the boundaries and cultures, it has provide the most loving and crazy fans worldwide and also encourage them to play. with billions of sports loving people worldwide that follow any sports, we have compiled a list of the top 10 most popular sports in the world that have been provide the ultimate entertainment all over the world.
1. Football (or Soccer)
football, is the most popular sport globally, with 3.5 billion fans it is also know as soccer (mostly in usa). Its very easy to understand and played by 200+ countries thats make it above to all the other popular sports in the world, not just that it latterly has no interaction like rain, that make it more special. The FIFA World Cup, is the biggest and most watched sports event in football held every four years. its is also played in leagues and the Top leagues are the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, and French Ligue 1, which is played by the best players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Neymar Jr.
2. Cricket
Cricket is the second-most popular sport, with 2.5 billion fans worldwide but if we talk about most popular sports in Asia then it’s the number 1, the top countries where cricket is played are India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England its origin is UK and wherever they ruled cricket became popular, but now its played by around 126 countries including Usa and China. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the governing body of cricket worldwide and the ICC Cricket World Cup (which include ODI, T20 world cup, Champions trophy) is the second-most watched sporting event all over the world. Its also played in leagues which include the Indian Premier League (IPL) the richest and most popular cricket league, Big Bash League (BBL), and Caribbean Premier League (CPL), with top players like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar.
3. Basketball
Basketball ranks third with the 2 billion crazy fans. It is very popular in countries like the US, China, Philippines, and Europe, and in India too it is being watched by many. It was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, and soon it became very popular. mostly it is plyed ny very tall people so that the can easily Score by throwing the ball into the hoop. Basketball provide global entertainment, and the NBA is the premier professional league that is watched by millions of fans. Top players who play basketball are LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and James Harden, with top leagues like the EuroLeague and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
4. Tennis
Tennis is amongst the few sports that being practiced by over 200 countries is followed by about one billion people across the globe and stands at number four in the world.Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are currently the top players in tennis. India also has talented players like Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, and Rohan Bopanna who have made us proud by winning Olympic medals. It is a very infesting sport that can be played indoor (for small tounament ) as well as outdoot (for professional tournament) and the fans get attach when its been played. The professional tennis league is governed by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for men tennis and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for women tennis, and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) overseeing the global sport. its also played in leagues and the top league are Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
5. Volleyball
Volleyball secures the fifth spot, with 900 million fans, it is popular in Brazil, China, Japan, and the US, and being an Olympic sport with a strong international following. its Top leagues include the FIVB Volleyball Nations League and CEV Champions League, and the best known players are Karch Kiraly, Lang Ping, and Giba.
6. Table Tennis
Table Tennis is an indore game and played by very energetic people, its followed by 875+ million fans. it has crazy following in the countries like China, Japan, and South Korea. it is also an Olympic sport and its popularity is growing day by day . Top leagues of table tennis are ITTF World Tour and Chinese Table Tennis Super League, and the most loved players are Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Ito Mima.
7. Rugby
Rugby takes the seventh spot in our list with 850+ million followers, Its is extremely popular in the counties like USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. the Rugby World Cup is the major international event for Rugby fans. Top leagues of Rugby that engage most of the fans are The Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup and its been played by the best known players like Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, and David Pocock.8. Baseball
Baseball is in eighth position if we compare it in terms of most popular sports in the world. It has around 800+ million fans. its very popular in the Countries like US, Japan, and Latin America. if we talk about popular baseball league then MLB is the top professional league in the baseball sport which is organized in US. the top players that play baseball are Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, and Clayton Kershaw and the best leagues of baseball are Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).9. Golf
Golf ranks ninth, with 750 million fans, Its basically known as the “Rich people sport” and its very popular among wealthier people. It has world wide following and the major tournaments are the Masters and the US Open & the PGA Tour is the most premier professional circuit. Top known players of golf are Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas.10. American Football
Last but not the least, American Football is the last sport under are top 10 most popular sports in the world. It has around 650 million fans and majorly played in the US and Canada. The NFL being the top professional league. and if you dont know the difference between american football and the football then let us clear it. American Football and Soccer are different sports with different goals. In American Football, players try to carry the bll or throw it to the end of the field. In Soccer or known football, players try to kick the ball into the other team’s goal, i hope it clears your query. The top loving players that play this sports are Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Odell Beckham Jr. top leagues that cover American football are the College Football Playoff (CFP) and Canadian Football League (CFL).Conclusion
These are the top 10 most popular sports in the world, if your favorite sports didn’t end up in this list then it doesn’t mean its not good, after all the main objective of playing sports are to get entertainment, get fit and be happy. These sports have not only made fans worldwide but also connect people from different countries. if you liked our article then do comment us or if you have any suggestion then we are eagerly waiting for get that.