World’s Top 5 Most Popular Sports

Published on: Jun 04, 2022

Sports is a recreational activity that requires skill, and physical effort/exertion and involves healthy competition. It is played following laid down rules and regulations for fair play and to ensure that it is enjoyed without violence. Sports that used to be seen as a hobby and were expected to be played only during leisure periods have now become a profession for many.

There are several reasons why people are involved in sports activities. Some do it for the skill and talent that they have in their preferred sport type, some do it for amusement/entertainment, some as a form of exercise to keep healthy, and some others for money. However, there are a group of other people who love different kinds of sports but are better off as spectators, otherwise called fans.

With that, let us take a look at the top most popular sports in the world. This recognition and statistics are computed based on the numbers of fans that enjoy these activities but will be listed in no particular order.

Golf (Estimated Fans – 450 million)

Golf is a stress-free game that engages people to skillfully put a round white ball in a hole using a stick preferably called a golf club. Golf was first recognized in Scotland in the 15th century before it eventually gathered fame and is now globally played in developed countries like North America, Western Europe, East Asia, and so on with an estimated fan base of 450 million.

Despite not being among the top 5 most popular sports, it is still the most popular in England.

Cricket (Estimated Fans – 2.5 billion)

Cricket is the 2nd world’s most popular sport. Like many others, it is played on a field and involves two teams but, scoring runs using a bat distinguishes it. The sport boasts over 2 billion fans as far as Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and many Asian countries and can be said to be the most popular in the UK. The ICC Cricket world cup organized after every four years remains the biggest world cricket competition

Association Football, otherwise known as Soccer (Estimated Fans – 3.5 billion)

Without an iota of doubt, soccer is the most popular sport all over the world with a fast-rising fast base of 4 billion. It requires two teams of 11 players each and is now played by nearly 200 million people in almost 200 different countries. It originated in the 19th century in England. The football world cup is arguably the most lucrative and largest sports event and with its popularity comes the purchase of expensive equipment for use and safety.

Hockey (Estimated Fans – 2 billion)

Both field and ice hockey are very popular with an estimated fan base of 2 billion. Field hockey can be played on different types of surfaces, like tiles and grass. The teams are expected to score points by putting the ball in the opposing team’s net using a hockey stick. Unlike ice hockey, field hockey does not necessarily demand body contact.

Tennis (Estimated Fans – 1 billion)

It is a long-standing indoor and outdoor game recognized as the 4th most populous sport with about 1 billion fans. It is played with exceptional skill and is known to ameliorate psychomotor and cognitive abilities. It started as an outdoor game sometime in the 12th century and by the 13th century, it could also be played indoors. It continued to evolve until it was officially named “tennis” in the 16th century. Tennis could be played by just two people.