Football is dominating the world of sport. Whether it is American football or soccer, everyone in the world seems to agree on one thing: football is the best sport in the world. However, a few countries beg to differ. India is among the few countries that value cricket above any other sport. In fact, India is the country in the world that loves cricket more than any other country in the world, followed by Pakistan in second place and Sri Lanka in third place.
Football vs. cricket
Football is popular in AMerica, because it is a part of the American identity. It is their most favorite sport. This is shown in the strong interest harbored by most Americans, not only for the NFL but also for college football, which has a big industry surrounding it. Americans are so passionate about football that they make college football predictions and place bets when watching the sport.
Similarly, cricket is a part of the Indian identity. Everyone outside of India knows that cricket is important to the Indian people, and that it is something that ties the Indian people together. Subsequently, football will never have the same status in India as it has in most of the world. However, football has gained more attention in India over the last decade. Since the Indian Super League began the fan following of Indian football has increased. In 2018, for example, a survey showed that 45 % of India’s city population are interested in football, which is an increase of 15 % from 2013. Today the number is likely higher. In fact, football ranks the fourth most popular sport in India. Still, cricket takes the first place.
Indian team is among the best in the world
Perhaps the reason why cricket will never be replaced by football as the most popular and loved sport in India, is that the Indian national cricket team is among the best in the world. In fact, the Indian team is currently the second best in the world. In comparison, the men’s Indian national team of football is ranked the 104th in the world, while the women’s team is ranked the 56th in the world.