This month worldatlas.com published a list of the ten most popular sports on the globe. In the top ten there is of course room for the regulars of this type of rankings, but this time there were also some small surprises.
Sport is much more than just the struggle of absolute professionals. Every year various sports disciplines are more and more willingly practiced by a wide range of amateurs, and the stadiums are bursting at the seams on the occasion of prestigious events. So which activities enjoy the greatest interest among athletes and fans from all corners of the world?
First on the list comes soccer, better known as soccer in the U.S. and Canada, at the top of the World Atlas list. The number of 4 billion fans of this sport is impressive, after all, that’s more than half of our entire population! The success of soccer lies primarily in its simplicity. Many sports require professional and often expensive equipment, while to take part in a football match you only need a ball and everything else depends on your skills. As a result, soccer has become the favorite game of all social classes and deservedly leads the list.
The second place went to cricket, which can boast of 2.5 billion fans. A large part of them are citizens of the United States, Australia, Pakistan and some parts of the United Kingdom. Rounding out the top three is field hockey, both on ice and on grass. The former is particularly popular in Canada and the United States, while the latter is popular in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. In total, 2 billion people from different parts of the globe are interested in field hockey.
Tennis is also a very decent sport with around a million fans. The rivalry on grass and hard courts has become a worldwide phenomenon, and Roger Federer and Serena Williams are now true icons of the sport. Volleyball is not far behind with 900 million fans, to which the Poles have certainly contributed. Sixth place, in turn, was taken by table tennis. It turns out that the popular ping-pong is a source of fascination for 875 million people. It is particularly widespread in Asia, where a lot of players who regularly triumph at major tournaments come from.
Surprisingly, the relatively low position of basketball is only in seventh place. The number of people interested in basketball is 825 million. Baseball is next on the list, with 500 million people interested in it, especially in the United States, the Caribbean and Japan. The top ten is rounded off by rugby (475 million) and golf (450 million).
Featured photo: Freepik
