Top Five Most Popular Sports In The world

There are over 200 sports played in the world either as a career, hobby, or even as part of fitness. Some games are more popular than others. Discussed below are the top five most popular sports in the world.

Soccer (Association Football)

Soccer has become the most popular sport in the world, with an estimated 4 billion fans, which is more than half of the world’s population. Ancient soccer was traced to China in the 2nd Century but modern soccer began in England. Soccer is more prevalent in Europe and America compared to other continents. Two teams characterise this sport with eleven players for each team and two goalposts.

Cricket

Cricket is the second most popular sport with an estimated 2.5 billion fans worldwide. Most fans of this game are in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries. It is also popular in former British colonies like India and Australia among others. Two teams play this sport with eleven players for each team.

Field Hockey

Field Hockey was first played in England in the 1800s. The current primary sphere of influence is in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. This game is similar to soccer; the only difference is the use of sticks to drive the ball instead of feet. The estimated global following of Field Hockey is 2 billion fans.

Tennis

The estimated global following of Tennis is 1 billion fans. The first Tennis was played in France and then spread to other parts of the world. This sport is characterised by two teams of either one or two players.

Volleyball

Volleyball has an estimated 900 million fans globally with North America and Western Europe having this sports significant influence. Two teams of six players each characterise this game.

Sports have evolved a lot since their invention, and each game has attracted its own fans. All these sports are great, and fans choose their teams according to personal preference and also socialisation.