Top 10 Most Popular Sports In The World

Everybody is curious to know about the top 10 most popular sports in the world. We widely recognize that sports play a significant role in our lives. Nowadays, many athletes have large followings globally, especially on social media. Consequently, every youngster aspires to become a famous sports figure. However, with numerous sports available, it’s essential to understand the most popular ones.

It’s noteworthy that some traditional sports have gained immense popularity due to premier leagues in recent times. The viewership of certain sports has skyrocketed accordingly. Additionally, several iconic sports maintain billions of fans worldwide. In this article, we’ll explore the top 10 most popular sports in the current generation.

Top 10 Most Popular Sports In The World

10. American Football & Rugby – 410 Million Followers

Many people think these two sports are the same. But rugby is different from American football, and both are the most popular sports in the world. There is an inadequate difference between the two sports even rules are not the same. In American football, each team has 11 players on the field. Rugby teams have 15 players each. American football games last for 60 minutes, while rugby games go on for 80 minutes.

In these two sports, there is a lot of physical contact. The goal is to grab the ball that looks like a coconut shape and bring it beyond the end line of the opponent’s team. There will also be a free kick in both sports when any fouls occur. These two sports gained higher popularity in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and European countries. It’s pretty cool that almost 410 million people all over the world follow these two sports, landing them in 10th place on the list of the most popular sports globally. Especially American Football and Rugby sports have immense popularity in the places mentioned above.

• Sport Format – Two Teams Compete For Each Other (11 Players Per Team In American Football And 15 Players Per Team In Rugby)
• Sport Time (American Football) – 60 Minutes
• Sport Time (Rugby) – 80 Minutes
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 410 Million
• Most Popular Sport In the United States, France, Australia, New Zealand, And South Africa

9. Baseball – 500 Million Followers

People mainly play baseball in the United States, Japan, and Cuba, and it is similar to cricket. However, it is still one of the most popular sports in the world. Nine players make up a Baseball team, and they play a total of nine innings to determine the match’s outcome. That means this sport doesn’t depend on the timer. But there are some rules to complete an inning in such a period. The final result will not change if an inning ends late, but the team will be penalized.

In this sport, the batsman hits the ball thrown by the pitcher and then runs by covering four bases in a series in the counter-clockwise direction. Each of these four bases is called the first, second, third, and home plate. Accordingly, players near all four bases should start running and reach the base next to them after the striker hits the ball.

The fielding team considers the batsman out if they catch the ball and touch him before he reaches the base. Also, that run didn’t add to the scoreboard. Almost 50 crores of people follow this thrilling sport all over the world. It is an American national sport. They treat it as a religion. So with 500 million followers around the globe, baseball stands in 9th place in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world.

• Sport Format – Two Teams Compete For Each Other (9 Players Per Team)
• Sport Time – No Time Limit
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 500 Million
• Most Popular Sport In United States, Japan, And Cuba

8. Kabaddi – 550 Million Followers

Even though Kabaddi is an ancient Asian sport that didn’t have much popularity a decade ago, the Pro Kabaddi League, which started in 2014, took the sport to the next level. Present the Pro Kabaddi League is the most famous in India after the IPL. The sport thrills the present Asian countries and has become one of the most popular sports in the world.

Two teams, each consisting of seven players, are participating in the Kabaddi match. The game lasts for 40 minutes and is divided into two halves. Each half lasts 20 minutes. However, Kabaddi is a physical contact sport. The rider has to go into the opposite team’s court by chanting the word kabaddi continuously and have to score points. That too in 30 seconds. If the raider is tackled by the opposing team’s defenders, the raider is considered out.

So this sport, which is only 40 minutes long, makes the fans sit on the edge of their seats every second. Accordingly, Kabaddi has 55 crore followers around the globe and is ready to compete in the Olympics in the future. If that happened, then there was a chance the sport would become more famous worldwide and reach a better place on this list. So with 550 million followers around the globe, Kabaddi is in 8th place in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world.

• Sport Format – Two Teams Compete For Each Other (7 Players Per Team)
• Sport Time – 40 Minutes
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 550 Million
• Most Popular Sport In India, Bangladesh, And Iran

Also Read – Top 10 Kabaddi Players In The World 2021 – Best Players In Pro Kabaddi

7. Table Tennis – 850 Million Followers

Table Tennis is one of the significant in most popular sports in the world. It is a physical sport that takes place in a minimal playing area. The table tennis sport is also known as ping pong. Two or four players split into two teams to play table tennis by setting up a small net in the middle of a plywood board, approximately 2.74 meters long and 1.525 meters wide.

Once a player has served the ball, the second player must strike the ball only after bouncing once in the opposing player’s court. Players engage in a back-and-forth motion in this sport, determining the winner by amassing the most sets. The game is unfaltering with regard to time. However, table tennis is very popular worldwide with 85 crore followers, which gives it 7th place in the list of the top 10 most popular sports in the world. Table tennis is prevalent in Asian countries as well as in Europe and African countries.

• Sport Format – Singles or Doubles
• Sport Time – No Time Limit
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 850 Million
• Most Popular Sport In Asia, Europe, And Africa

6. Volleyball – 900 Million Followers

Twelve players are split into two teams, and each team contains six players. Volleyball has a massive following worldwide, and it is one of the most popular sports in the world. However, volleyball is played on different courts but all the big matches are played on the regular court in an indoor stadium. Volleyball is played by dividing a rectangle area 18 meters long and 9 meters wide equally with a net. When a team player serves the ball from outside their court, the opposing team must send the ball to the other team over the net within three touches without falling the ball on their court.

The opposing team gets the point when the ball drops on the ground. The team with the most sets won at the end will be announced as the winner based on the points scored. Therefore even in this sport, time is not so important. Volleyball is part of the Olympics and is followed by almost 90 crores of people around the globe. Volleyball is especially popular in Asian countries as well as in Europe and the American continents. So with 900 million followers worldwide, volleyball defies in 6th place in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world.

• Sport Format – Two Teams Compete For Each Other (6 Players Per Team)
• Sport Time – No Time Limit
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 900 Million
• Most Popular Sport In Asia, Europe, And America

5. Tennis – 1 Billion Followers

There is no need for an extensive introduction to this sport which is called Royal sport. Tennis has a rich history when it comes to the most popular sports in the world. It is hugely followed, especially in the European countries, like a table tennis sport. The two sports look almost similar. However, table tennis is played on a small board; regular tennis is played on a larger court.

Tennis also involves two or four players splitting into two teams and fighting for victory. So whoever scores the most points and wins the most sets is declared as the final winner. That means there is no time limit in this sport too. Once in a while, this sport is played for a few hours to get the result. Tennis is followed by almost 2 billion people across the globe, which gives it 5th spot in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world. Tennis has a mad following, especially in the European countries and the American and Asian continents.

• Sport Format – Singles or Doubles
• Sport Time – No Time Limit
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 2 Billion
• Most Popular Sport In Europe, America, And Asia

4. Hockey – 2 Billion Followers

Hockey is India’s national sport, but it is not as popular in that country as cricket. Still, hockey has a huge fan base worldwide which helped it become one of the most popular sports in the world. There is a massive craze for this sport played on ice, especially in some cold countries. So hockey is played in two formats, named field hockey and ice hockey. However, the team has 11 players in field hockey, while only six players per team in ice hockey. But even in these two types of hockey, the players’ target is the same.

With the help of their hockey sticks, players have to send the ball on the ground into the opposing team’s goalpost. So hockey has a time limit of 60 minutes. At the end of the clock, which team that scores the most goals is declared the winner. The sport is played by almost all countries worldwide and is followed by nearly 200 crores of people. Hockey is especially popular in Asian countries as well as Africa, Europe, and Australia continents. With over 2 Billion followers worldwide, hockey attains 4th place in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world.

• Sport Format – Two Teams Compete For Each Other (11 Players Per Team)
• Sport Time – 60 Minutes
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 2 Billion
• Most Popular Sport In Asia, Africa, Europe, And Australia

3. Basketball – 2.2 Billion Followers

Basketball is a thrilling sport that electrifies viewers every second. People watch this high-voltage sport without blinking their eyes. The thrill of the sport made it one of the most popular sports in the world. The basketball match lasts for 48 minutes and is played by ten players divided into two teams. Both teams score points by sending the ball from the basket assigned to them. At the end of the 48-minute timer, the winner is declared based on which team scored the most points.

However, physical contact is prohibited in this sport. Anything that accidentally bumps the opposing team player to steal the ball will be considered a foul. Hence a basketball match lasts for about 2 hours as the clock pauses frequently. Basketball has a huge craze worldwide, with more than 220 crore people watching this sport, it secures 3rd place in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world. Basketball is especially popular in the United States, Canada, and China.

• Sport Format – Two Teams Compete For Each Other (5 Players Per Team)
• Sport Time – 48 Minutes
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 2.2 Billion
• Most Popular Sport In United States, Canada, And China

2. Cricket – 2.5 Billion Followers

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. Even cricket is not played in all countries worldwide, and it has a massive craze in some biggest countries. On a 22-yard pitch, there is a classic battle between the bat and ball that thrills everyone and becomes a famous sport even not part of the Olympics. Cricket is played in three major formats, with 22 players divided into two teams each team containing 11 players. There are three major formats in cricket Test, ODI, and T20I. In cricket, one team bowls in an innings, and the other team bats.

However, the winner of the match will be announced based on which team scores the most runs. Cricket is England’s national sport, and this sport is currently being expanded around the planet. According to some sources, cricket will likely become the world’s number-one sport in a few decades. The sport, which is rapidly expanding worldwide, already has around 250 crore followers. However, it is not an exaggeration to say that half of the followers are from India alone. Accordingly, cricket is considered a religion in India and countries like England, Australia, and Pakistan. With over 2.5 Billion followers worldwide, cricket accomplishes 2nd place in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world.

• Sport Format – Two Teams Compete For Each Other (11 Players Per Team)
• Sport Time – No Time Limit
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 2.5 Billion
• Most Popular Sport In India, England, Australia, And Pakistan

Also Read – Top 10 Most Viewed Cricket Videos On YouTube (2021) – Best Cricket Videos

1. Football – 3.5 Billion Followers

Football is the number one sport in the world which stands most popular sport in the world. With more than 25 crore players in almost 200 countries playing this sport, one can understand how popular football is. There will be a lot of joy in this sport, where a total of 22 players will split into two teams. On an acre of the rectangular area, 22 players do many experiments to send a round ball into the opposing team’s goalpost.

Also, every minute of this sport, which lasts for 90 minutes, is fascinating. The whole stadium is in an uproar, especially when the players score a goal. 350 million people follow football, which is played in almost all countries worldwide. So this is a Worldwide Famous sport. There is a mad craze for football, especially in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the American continents. If football had gained, the popularity of cricket in India would have crossed the 5 billion followers mark. With over 3.5 Billion followers worldwide, football finishes 1st place in the list of top 10 most popular sports in the world.

• Sport Format – Two Teams Compete For Each Other (11 Players Per Team)
• Sport Time – 90 Minutes
• Estimated Followers Worldwide – 3.5 Billion
• Most Popular Sport In Europe, Africa, Asia, And America