Although there are numerous sports, some of which are played globally, whilst others exist only at a local level, there are some that transcend the others in terms of appeal and popularity.

These are the most popular sports in the world

1. Football/Soccer (4 billion fans)

Football.ua, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

By far the most popular of all sports is the game known as soccer in the USA and Canada, but simply as football to the rest of the world. It is estimated that in excess of 4 billion people identify as football fans worldwide, whilst the sport is played globally by 270 million people (and that does not take into account the hundreds of millions of people who play the game on improvised pitches using whatever is to hand to serve as a ball.)

It is estimated that much than half the world’s population at the time watched some of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

And popular competitions like the Champions League and the Premier League attract weekly audiences in the hundreds of millions, with matches broadcast live to most countries.

An increasingly important and growing segment of this market is women’s football, which, until comparatively recently was banned in some countries, but is now attracting an increasing number of players and spectators.

Unlike almost any other sport, football is both played and followed in almost every country on any continent in the world.

The basic simplicity of the game lies at the heart of its almost universal appeal.

Real Madrid is the most popular team in soccer. The Spanish giants are also one of the clubs with the most trophies globally, having won over 100 major trophies, including La Liga, Champions League, Club World Cup, Super Cup, Copa del Rey, etc.

2. Cricket (2.5 billion fans)

Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Cricket is in second place in the list with 2.5 billion fans, many of them concentrated in South-East Asia – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh – where it has quasi-religious status for many fans.

It is also home to the IPL (Indian Premier League) an annual twenty over a side franchise tournament that has become the richest of its kind in the world.

Cricket originated in England originally and was exported to its former colonies, which is why it became popular in the English speaking world.

Like football, women’s cricket is the fastest growing segment of this market.

The next step on its global journey as far as cricket is concerned is to “crack” the lucrative US market.

India is the most popular cricket team globally, as it is the hub of the sport globally. Some people say cricket is more like a tradition due to the large following in the country. The most popular team is the Indian Cricket team.

3. Ice Hockey (2 billion fans)

Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ice hockey has a global fan base of 2 billion fans, although these are mostly congregated in North America and North Europe, where many people grow up playing the game, especially in the winter months.

By far the best known competition is the National Hockey League which is competed for by franchises based in the USA and Canada. Ice hockey is also a major Olympic sport.

Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in the US, and the most popular team is the Chicago Blackhawks. They’ve won the Division Championship, conference, President’s Trophy, and Stanley Cup.

4. Tennis (1 billion fans)

Steven Pisano from Brooklyn, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tennis has 1 billion fans worldwide, who have two major tours to follow – the ATP for men, and the WTA for women. In addition, there are several tiers below the main tours. Tournaments take place throughout the year, although the highlights are the four Grand Slams – the Australian, French and US Opens and Wimbledon.

The sport has also made global superstars of players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams.

In terms of betting popularity, though, tennis is second only to football.

A barrier to entry in some countries for those wishing to take up the sport can be the lack of publicly available courts.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are some of the most famous tennis players in the world.

5. Volleyball (900 million fans)

Biser Todorov, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Volleyball’s popularity is growing amongst both men and women, with increasing numbers of people taking up the sport. One thing that has held the sport up though is that it is less televised than many other sports, particularly outside major competitions like the Olympic Games.

The sport can be played in or outdoors, and beach volleyball is a popular variant.

Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh, and Karch Kiraly are some popular volleyball players.

6. Table Tennis (875 million fans)

Joel Solomon, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Table tennis – also frequently known as ping pong, originated in England in the early 20th century, but like other sports they have exported, it is other countries who have gone on to enjoy particular success with it.

Its fan base is mainly concentrated in East Asia, although it is also followed in Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

Table tennis is an individual sport. Some of the most popular players include Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, and Wang Liqin .

7. Basketball (825 million fans)

Tim Wang, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Just behind table tennis in terms of global popularity is basketball, which is one of the highest profile of all sports, especially with programmes like the “Last Dance” made about it.

That was based upon the exploits of Michael Jordan in the NBA (National Basketball Association) in the US, which can be considered one of the heartlands of the sport, and which, in revenue terms, is the third richest league in the world.

Basketball is one of the sports that dominate in the United States. It is also considerably popular in Europe, especially in countries like Spain, Turkey, and Greece.

8. Baseball (500 million fans)

Red Sox at Orioles 9/18/17

Baseball has been called America’s national sport, although, in fact, it is also played and followed enthusiastically in countries like Venezuela, Japan and throughout the Caribbean.

Despite that the fan base does have a predominantly North American representation, which is why fans of other sports sometimes mock the climax of the MLB (Major League Baseball) season being called the World Series when, in reality, it is anything but.

Baseball is a traditional sport in the US. The Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox are some of the most popular teams.

9. Rugby Union (475 million fans)

Photo by Glen White, editing by Nigel Cross, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Another contact sport that originated in England – legend has it that it began when a schoolboy playing football picked the ball up and ran with it.

Like cricket it became popular in the English speaking world, but also has a substantial following in parts of France and Italy.

A variant on the game called Rugby League, is very popular in Australia and New Zealand, and also in northern parts of the UK.

Another sport that is getting increased traction from female fans.

10. Golf (450 million fans)

Lilrizz, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Golf has around 450 million fans worldwide, although most of these are concentrated in North America, Europe, and Asia. They also tend to be male, overwhelmingly white, and middle class.

Like tennis, it has four major championships, three of which are held in the US, and one in the UK.

The sport itself is currently in turmoil with two competing tours vying to sign up the best players and stage the most prestigious tournaments.

As a participatory sport, golf suffers in many countries because there are few public courses, and, when they are available, it can be very expensive for the average player to play a round.

Tiger Woods is one of the most famous athletes in the history of golf. The American has also dominated it, winning major trophies.