There are people watching or participating in sports in countless locations around the world right now. Nothing compares to our species’ involvement in sport, whether directly participating or supporting and encouraging others who do, which means that sports are also big business. Because sports are so popular, millions of people tune in to watch the biggest events whenever they are broadcast to fans and followers all over the world. Similarly, betting on outcomes has become a global phenomenon, though betting successfully takes time and patience, and improving knowledge can also help gain an important edge. Sports have become a big part of our lives. The power of sports is astounding, from watching it seriously as a child to making it a fitness ritual, hobby, and often a career in adulthood. It’s a fantastic way for people and cities to bond while also learning tactical intelligence from our most experienced athletes. In this post, we’ll look at the most popular sports, with an emphasis on the number of people who consider themselves fans of these sports. Given the rapid growth in popularity of sports betting, betting sites are providing more sports coverage than ever before, covering events from all over the world. But, according to the most recent statistics, what are the most popular sports in the world? This is exactly what you will read in this blog. So, let’s get started!
● Football
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with approximately 4 billion fans worldwide. However, it is not only one of the most popular sports; it is also one of the most accessible and watched. For example, 3.6 billion people watched the FIFA World Cup 2018, making it by far the most popular sporting event with the highest viewership figures. Finally, the sport’s largest governing body, the Fédération International de Football Association (FIFA), has around 211 affiliated associations. The current form of the sport originated in England (making it one of the most popular sports in the UK). It is well known for being the most popular sport in Europe, with the majority of the best players hailing from the continent. With soccer being so popular, it’s no surprise that soccer players are among the wealthiest athletes in the world. Lionel Messi, for example, had an average salary of around $92 million in 2019, but he earns around $130 million per year. Soccer also ranks first among women’s sports in terms of popularity. Women’s soccer also has a sizable TV audience, with 993 million people watching the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The finals drew more than 260 million viewers, 14.3 million of whom were from the United States.
● Cricket
The Gentleman’s Game,” as they call it!
England is where cricket’s origins may be traced. Cricket is a game that uses a bat and ball and is frequently referred to as the “gentleman’s game.” The game is played on a field with a pitch that is 22 yards long in the middle of it. Matches are played between two teams, each with eleven players. As many runs as they can are scored by each team by taking turns at bat. The opposing team’s job is to field and attempt to take out as many batsmen as they can from the team that is batting while the other team tries to bat. At the game’s conclusion, the team with the most runs wins. According to estimates, cricket has between 2.5 and 3 billion supporters worldwide, which makes it the second most popular sport. The third format of the game, known as twenty-twenty, was created by the ICC, the sport’s official governing body. A significant increase in the number of fans has been attained by this new format in addition to Test Series and One Day International Series. It is not surprising that cricket has made the list of the Top 10 Most Popular Sports in the World.
● Hockey
One of the oldest sports in existence is hockey, which has experienced tremendous popularity in South Asia. The Netherlands and Australia swiftly took over and have shown to be a dominant force in the contemporary scene, as India and Pakistan dominated this sport during the first part of the 20th century. However, because no significant changes have been made to the game to make it more thrilling and viewer-friendly, the audience has been steadily declining. Hockey is the common name for field hockey. One of the most well-known sports in Asia, Australia, and even Europe is this one. There are around 2 billion fans of it worldwide. In England during the 19th century, modern hockey was initially practiced. The organization that oversees the sport is called the International Hockey Federation. Since 1924, there have been 127 National Hockey Federations affiliated with the IHF. Two teams each have 11 players, plus 5 substitutes, and compete in a hockey game.
The majority of our individual heroes have come from this game. With a fan following of over 1.5 billion people, this sport is also one of the most well-known and prestigious ones.
The game was created in the first half of the fourteenth century. One of the major supporters of this game was King Louis X of France. He also had his own tennis court in his palace.
Furthermore, players such as Steff Graf and Maria Sharapova helped to popularize this game. Tennis has become a lot more marketable and exciting with the rise of Sports tech, players, and different formats.
Events that occurred off the playing field, such as the Wimbledon Gala Nights, Agassi and Steffi Graph’s wedding, and Becker’s bankruptcy, all helped to promote the sport. Each year, ticket sales for Grand Slam events set new records. The growth of tennis as a spectator sport is demonstrated by this.
● Volleyball
Volleyball is thought to have a fan base of more than 900 million people, and that number is thought to be gradually increasing as the sport gains popularity and new followers. The game of volleyball was invented in Massachusetts, United States, and later expanded to other parts of the world. It shares similarities with tennis and handball in terms of its rules and play.
Volleyball has been a part of the Summer Olympics since 1964. It is typically played on a court with a net and six players on each side. Beach volleyball is a different variation of the game that is played on sand with two players on each side and is an Olympic sport. Given how well-liked Volleyball has become as a sports, readers are frequently surprised by other sports that didn’t make the top five. If you like this blog, do let me know in the comment section about your favorite sport.
