The Most Popular Sports Around the World: Top 7 Popular Sports in the World

What brings people close as much as sport? In 2022, the sports market made more than $403 billion. This says a lot, right? It’s even expected to hit $680 billion by 2028.

Soccer’s still the most popular sport in the world. Still, cricket, basketball, hockey, and tennis are also massive across the globe.

This article will show you the best sports with the most fans. Keep reading to discover the top seven.

Top 7 Most Popular Sports Around the World

Soccer
Tennis
Basketball
American Football
Baseball
Horse Racing
Cricket

Soccer

If you’re looking for the world’s favorite sport, soccer wins hands down. It has about 3.5 billion fans worldwide. According to betting expert Evelyn Balyton, it’s number 1 on the betting scene. But what makes soccer a popular sport in the world? Well, it’s super simple to play with basic rules. You don’t need a stadium. All you need is a ball, some space, and you’re good to go.

When a big competition like the FIFA World Cup happens, the whole world stops to watch.

As former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter put it, “Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the world comes together.”

The FIFA World Cup is every four years. It’s big. For example, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar had over 3.5 billion viewers. That’s about half the world! There’s also iconic sports leagues like the Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, and Germany’s Bundesliga. Millions watch their favorite professional team in these leagues. There’s a local league in almost every country.

Players like Ronaldo and Messi have made the sport bigger. A new talent like Lamine Yamal or Cole Palmer could carry it in the future.

Tennis

Tennis has around a billion people worldwide hooked. Big tournaments like Wimbledon, US Open, and French Open fill the stands every time. Fans love seeing someone fight their way from the bottom to the top.

As tennis legend Arthur Ashe put it: “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” It’s such a competitive sport.

The Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open are the big 4. They’re among the most-watched sports events. Iconic players like Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal are famous global sport icons. Kids everywhere want to be just like them.

Basketball

Another popular sport in the world is basketball. Over 400 million people are crazy about it. James Naismith invented the game and it’s one of the beloved sports in the United States. It also has a big fan base in Canada, China, and the Philippines.

It’s especially popular in Europe too with the EuroLeague. European countries have teams competing here. It’s got fast-paced action and a thrilling gameplay that keeps the spectator on the edge of their seat. There’s always someone scoring.

Leagues like the NBA have taken basketball everywhere. Guys like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry have turned superstars that everyone knows. During the NBA Finals, millions of people are glued to their screens. Plus, basketball at the Olympic games just makes even more people fall in love with the thrill of the sport.

American Football

It seems ball games have a charm. The National Football League’s got about 410 million die-hard fans, mostly in the States. The Super Bowl is such a massive deal that millions watch it worldwide, even if they don’t care about the sport the rest of the year. The NFL’s trying to win hearts in other countries by bringing games to places like London and Mexico City.

While most people outside North America aren’t huge football fans yet, that’s starting to change. More folks in Germany, Britain, and Mexico are getting into the sport. Now there are football leagues popping up in these countries, and flag football is even going to be in the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles.

Baseball

Baseball has caught the attention of about 500 million fans around the world. It’s huge, especially in the United States, Japan, and Latin America. People love its rich history and all the strategy involved. The best baseball happens in the Major League Baseball (MLB) in America and in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Big events like the World Series and World Baseball Classic draw tons of viewers.

Baseball’s actually getting more popular these days. Getting into the 2028 Olympics is going to be huge for the sport. The sport’s also gotten pretty high-tech, with all sorts of fancy stats and new technology that helps fans understand and enjoy the sport better.

Horse Racing

Believe it or not, horse racing pulls in millions of fans globally. People have loved watching horses race for hundreds of years, and they still do. Big races like America’s Kentucky Derby, Britain’s Grand National, and Australia’s Melbourne Cup are huge sporting events.

Let’s be honest: betting is a big reason why so many people love horse racing. The sport provides several betting avenues and markets. You can bet on a win, exacta, trifecta, double, superfecta, and more.

In the past, wagering on races was strictly traditional and on the race courses. However, this is no longer the case with the rise of online bookies. Now, there are so many review resources with horse racing online betting sites where punters wager a lot of money on their favorite horses and jockeys. Aside from betting, people love other things about it. We’re talking about fancy clothes, the traditions, and watching horses and riders work together.

Cricket

Here’s something wild: cricket’s actually the second biggest sport on earth. It’s got about 2.5 billion fans. Most of the fan base is in India, Pakistan, Australia, and England. People just can’t get enough of its rich history, and when international competitions like the ICC Cricket World Cup come around, everyone’s hooked.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) flipped cricket on its head with its Twenty20 format. The sport became faster and more exciting than traditional cricket. Of course, it brought in new fans and money from all over. The sport’s not just staying put. It’s catching fire in places like the US, Canada, and the Netherlands.

Notable Mentions

While we’ve covered the top 7 major sports, some deserve our mention. These are:

Rugby
Volleyball
Beach Volleyball
Ice Hockey

Field Hockey
Roller Hockey
Street Hockey
Table Tennis
Rugby Union

Conclusion

These are 7 of the most popular sports. Just take a second to let these numbers we’ve thrown around sink in. We’re talking billions of people who drop everything to cheer on their best teams and favorite players. And you know what’s cool? Each pastime brings something iconic to the spectator. At the end of the day, these games remind us that sports have this amazing power to bring people together like nothing else can.