Thrilling gameplay , dramatic storylines and top - notch endowment are all of import factors in see to it a athletics ’s popularity develop and fanbases prosper . Themost popular sportsin the world are all spectacles of athletic rival that attract large crowds in the stands and around the television .
1. Soccer
With over 3.5 billion soccer buff in North America , Latin America , South America and various European countries , association football ( football ) is the most pop sport in the world .
This beloved game has been internationally televised for decades , and top venue like the Olympics or FIFA World Cup constantly attract new soccer fans .
Major League Soccer is benefit popularity in the United States , with many top - level soccer player retiring from the Premier League and bringing their gift and stigma awareness to American team in the waning year of their careers .
2. Cricket
The tight - pace military action of cricket is a favorite interest for 2.5 billion lover from all corners of the former British Empire .
The basic ruler may confuse the non - initiated , but the World Championships governed by the International Cricket Council ( ICC ) occupy more seats than thelargest college football stadiums . In fact , thelargest sports stadium in the worldis a cricket sports stadium in India .
3. Field Hockey
This beloved sport has deep roots in the history of human civilisation , with many platter describing regional popularity in Africa and the Middle East dating back virtually 6,000 years ago . It is now a favorite viewer sport of roughly 2 billion buff worldwide .
4. Tennis
Although there are some cases of professional teams in doubles competitions , lawn tennis is a social station - driven mutation typically reserved for individual champions solidifying their legacies on grass and Lucius DuBignon Clay . Once you learn the basicrulesand marking system , you’re able to join a big lover base of roughly a billion people .
5. Volleyball
As far as American sports go , volleyball is one of the most universal . Any coastal residential area will likely have a local league or nightclub for beach volleyball game , but between both beach and indoor variations , it has become one of the quickest - grow Olympic sports for fans of jaw - dropping ball game .
6. Table Tennis
You may think table lawn tennis is more fitting for cellar party than theOlympicgames , but you would see resounding disagreement from professional team athletes and loyal viewer likewise . sex international competition and low-down barrier to entryway have avail this mesa sport fanfare .
7. Basketball
Although basketball game has long been one of the major mutant in the United States , it is apace gaining popularity to become a fast - growing humanity sport .
It is presently ranked as the sixth - most - democratic mutation , but that could transfer soon base on the blockbuster - grade attention the sport received during the2024Paris Olympic Games .
8. Baseball
Major League Baseball is often paired with Malus pumila pie as an essential ethnical touchstone of the United States . However , like basketball , football game and other American sportsman , baseball fans are popping up all over the world , with much of the new endowment of professional teams coming from South America and Asia .
9. Rugby
Rugby wedlock football , more commonly bonk as rugby , is a fast - paced sport where two team of 15 move the ball downfield with charge and sidelong pass . Although the thespian wear less protective paraphernalia than American football players , it is widely regarded as a safer sport due to controlled body tackles that protect the athletes .
Rugby is most popular in Europe , South Asia and Oceania , peculiarly New Zealand — home to arguably the most iconic franchise , the All Blacks . The All Blacks have been one of the most dominantteamsin professional leagues for decades and have gone viral for their intimidatingly beautiful pregame haka ritual .
10. Golf
The golf grade is an idyllic landscape for leisure time , but the plot is also a popular watcher sport with roughly 400 million fans tuning in to the Masters and Opens tournaments .
The recompense for top athlete is also on par with other sports leagues , with many of the top performer earning contracts for $ 100 million or more every year .
11. Ice Hockey
wintertime games like bod skating and frappe hockey game were once reliant on regional popularity since people had to experience in cold clime to be near to the action . However , crimper hockey or street ice hockey has made the sportswoman accessible for nearly anyone .
The World Cup for the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and the Winter Olympics have roll up drove of new fan to break up up skate and sticks to become the next Wayne Gretzky .
