Most popular sports around the world

All kinds of sports are popular globally, but what sports can we call THE most popular in the world? Some of the answers may surprise you.

It’s no surprise that soccer, or what Americans call “football,” is the most popular sport in the world to play and watch. An estimated 3.5 billion people watch or play soccer. The World Cup is the world championship of this sport and this tournament is played every four years. The World Cup itself is one of the most-watched sports on television, with many countries tuning in in droves to watch their country’s team play. Soccer is popular throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and South America. Yet with so many other sports still popular, the United States still lags behind in its interest in “soccer.”

Next, we have cricket. This sport, which consists of a bat and a ball, has been around for hundreds of years and originated in England. The sport is popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, some African countries, some Caribbean countries and is the most popular sport in the countries of India and Pakistan. An estimated 3 billion people watch or play cricket each year.

The next most popular sport is a sure surprise, and that is field hockey, with an estimated 2 billion players or viewers, mainly in Asian countries, European countries, Australia and around Africa. This sport tends to be played in high schools across the United States, usually for girls only.

Next up is tennis. Not that surprising, but there are an estimated 1 billion tennis players and viewers around the world. Tennis tends to be popular in wealthier countries, including the United States, Asian countries, Australia, and Europe. There are four main tennis tournaments, called “Grand Slams”, in which players from many countries play. The first is the Australian Open, then the French Open, Wimbledon, and then the US Open at the end of August. Grand Slam tournaments tend to get the most attention during the tennis season.

Next we have volleyball. Yet another surprise, with an estimated 900 million viewers or players worldwide. Volleyball is popular in the United States, where the sport originated, as well as in Brazil, throughout Europe, Russia, China, and Japan. Volleyball is a popular secondary school sport in many countries due to its team-focused play and lack of specialized equipment requirements.

Table tennis, also known as Ping Pong, is also popular. This is another surprisingly popular sport around the world, with an estimated 900 million viewers or players. Table tennis originated in England as an after-dinner activity for Victorians in the late 19th century. Table tennis as a competitive sport is popular in many countries, but it is especially popular in China, Korea, and Singapore.

After these sports, we have a triumvirate of more mainstream American sports, including baseball, golf, American football, and basketball, with each sport attracting between 400 and 500 million players or viewers worldwide.