Most Popular Sports Worldwide

[Storekeeper]

This list pretty much nails it don'tcha think ?

1) Football Soccer.
The most important and popular sport in the world. In Europe and Latin America is the number one sport in all countries, in Africa is almost the most important sport as well its becoming a mayor popular sport in China, Korea, Japan and the Middle East.
Weakness: Its no so popular in India, USA and Canada. Women Football is not as popular as men.
2) Basketball
The second most popular sport in the World. Its one of the most popular sports in USA, Canada, the second in importance in Europe, Brasil, Argentina and China. nº1 sport in Lithuania.
Weakness: It’s a sport for tall people, not so popular in Africa, the middle east, India, and East Asia.
3) Car Racing (F1, Rally, CART etc).
The highiest TV rating sport in the World.
Weakness: Some people don’t consider this to be a real sport.
4) Tennis.
A worldwide sport, played everywhere. Wimbledon, Roland Garros, US Open, Australia and the Davis Cup and mayor world sports events. For Women it’s the most popular sport in the World.
Weakness: It’s a sport for middle and high class people.
5) Athletism (includes swimming)
The World Cup is the third in importance after the Soccer World Cup and the Olimpic games.
Weakness: Its being constellation of sports in which Capitalism fought peacefully against the Communist countries. In Latin America and the Third World Countries, this kind of sports are not that popular.
6) Golf
Another Worldwide sport, played everywhere. Specially in USA and Europe.
Weakness: Its a sport for very high class people.
7) Boxing.
Some people consider Boxing the second sport in popularity. But it depends too much on the actual boxers in activity.
Weakness: It’s a danger sport, only occasionally there is a fight that stimulates the worlds attention.
8) Baseball.
The nº1 sport in USA.
Weakness: It’s a local sport, only being popular in USA, Venezuela, Central America, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Japan. It doesn’t have a World Cup, and the best players never attend in the Olimpic Games.
9) Volleyball (includes beach volley)
A Worldwide sport. Being played in every corner of the planet. It’s the second most popular sport in Brasil. Women volley is the second sport for Women in the World.
Weakness: Many people practice it, but doesn’t follow the professional tournaments. The best players are not known by the people and the mass media.
10) Hockey (ice, land and roller).
Another Local Sport. Land Hockey: It’s the National and Second in Popularity sport in India and Pakistan. Also a mayor Olimpic Sport.
Ice Hockey: The National Sport in Canada and very popular in USA, Russia and Northern Europe. A mayor sport in the Winter Olimpic Games.
Weakness: It’s a sport being played in few countries with no big popularity. In Latin America its only being played in Argentina where the women version of Land Hockey is more popular than the men s one.
11) Water, Wind Sports. (surf, wind-surf, boating, etc)
Too many and of different kinds. Only popular in the high class people.
Surf is a very popular sport everywhere.
Weakness: competitions doesn’t awake the worlds attention.
12) Skiing. A Sport for high classes in USA and Europe.
13) Cricket
Another Local Sport. Played almost in the British Colonies, it’s the most important sport in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies (Bahamas), and its the national sport in England and the third in popularity in Australia and South Africa.
Weakness. Its just a Local sport with no existence in the rest of the World.
14) Rugby (union, league and seven)
A Local Sport. Played in the British Colonies and in France. It’s the most popular sport in New Zealand, the second in England, France and South Africa. And very popular in Australia.
Weakness: Its not an Olimpic Sport. In some parts of the World, specially in the whole American continent, East Europe, Asia and Africa this sport is don’t even known.
15) Table Tennis.
It’s an important Olimpic sport. The National Sport in China.
Weakness: In most parts of the World its just a game.
16) Martial Arts (Judo, Taek Won Do, Karate, etc)
Another important Olimpic Sports.
Weakness: The ordinary people doesnt understand its rules, so its difficult to see it if you have never practice them.
17) Cycling
A Mayor Sport. Important in the Olimpic Games. The nº1 sport in the Basque Country (Spain).
Weakness: It’s a boring sport to watch it on TV.
18) American Football
A Sport only being Popular in USA
19) Handball
A Sport only important cause its an Olympic Sport.
20) Waterpolo.
A Sport only important cause its an Olympic Sport. Only popular in Spain.
21) Bull Fighting
Only popular in Spain and Mexico.
22) Badminton
A Sport only important cause its an Olimpic Sport, in many countries its just a game.
23) Polo
It’s a sport for Aristocrats. Only Popular in Argentina.
24) Australian Football.
Nº1 Sport in Australia.
25) Hurlingham. Only played in Britain and some parts of USA

[Professorfart]

I'd move cricket way up that list. Certainly to above Volleyball and Baseball.

[NickA]

Where's snooker, darts and dominoes????

I doubt basketball is 2nd, I've never met anyone who likes it. On the other hand I know many people who like cricket, so that should move up a lot.

[Little Chuchok]

14) Rugby (union, league and seven)
A Local Sport. Played in the British Colonies and in France. It’s the most popular sport in New Zealand, the second in England, France and South Africa. And very popular in Australia.
Weakness: Its not an Olimpic Sport. In some parts of the World, specially in the whole American continent, East Europe, Asia and Africa this sport is don’t even known.

Game made in Heaven.American Football would still be called rugby if your mob hadn't cocked it up.

The Rugby World Cup is the third most popular sporting event in the world (behind the Olympics and Soccer WC)

Not being an olympic sport is a plus.It may be the second most played sport in South Africa,but it would be the most popular spectator wise.

The game is quite strong in Argintina and many Eastern Europe countries.

[Professorfart]

Well consider that there are 1,095,351,995 people in India most of whom are cricket mad and you start to get the picture.

Football (English Premiershit) is popular in India, just not as popular as cricket.

[Little Chuchok]

Well consider that there are 1,095,351,995 people in India most of whom are cricket mad and you start to get the picture.

Football (English Premiershit) is popular in India, just not as popular as cricket.

Isn't that why the Indians were flexing their muscles regarding revenue etc at Crickets governing body.I think that 60 % of the world cricket advertising revenue comes from India.

[NickA]

Revised List

1. Football
2. Cricket
3. Snooker
4. Darts
5. Chess
6. Rugby
7. Golf
8. International Monkey Tennis

The rest are crap and don't really matter.

[RandomChances]

I read somewhere before, that fishing was the world most popular participation sport. I always classed it as a pastime, or an occupation

[Professorfart]

The old Sports vs Pastimes is an age old argument as some people class chess as a sport and if that were the case it would be int the top 5 as well as angling.

Cricket revenue in India is massive and on the increase as the Indian middle class with disposable income grows. The problem is that demand outweighs supply. What we could well see in India in years to come are one day games and maybe even test matches between non Indian teams being played on Indian soil.

[Storekeeper]

I read somewhere before, that fishing was the world most popular participation sport.

One thing I've always wanted to do is learn to fly fish.

[poolcleaner]

I think it's spot on.

I actually started reading think "Right, when do I get to call SK 'full of shit'?" but I couldn't find any reason to.

A couple of sports might be down or up a level or two. And maybe using specific criteria ie % of population that like a sport, India, cricket, etc there would be a total change in the list but overall it's pretty accurate in my bok.

[kingwilly]

^ for the most part I agree - but rugby and cricket most definately need to be somewhere in the top 5 IMO. certainly above baseball.

and I think the description of those two sports as LOCAL SPORTS is somewhat incorrect and perhaps designed to wind up .....

ah hang - it worked!

[RandomChances]

One thing I've always wanted to do is learn to fly fish.

Glueing the wings onto them is the hardest part

[danbo]

I would think that basketball rates v.high for participation, but pretty low on viewing figures (albeit much higher than those for basketweaving).

From a UK perspective soccer/football dominates, cricket and Rugby are popular with the TV audience, but mainly when Internationals/Test Matches are on. Formula 1 gets headlines, but it's seen as an 'event' - same, same major athletics competitions. On the back-pages of the newspapers it really is all football.

[Wally Dorian Raffles]

I'd move cricket way up that list. Certainly to above Volleyball and Baseball.

Depending on which way you look at it, cricket is the most popular sport in the world - if you were to judge it on fan base. 1.2 billion Indians are the reason for this..

[SheriffAndy]

Horse Racing?

[Storekeeper]

How in the hell did the USA get ranked # 5 by FIFA ? Nice thing about soccer in the USA is that even when your favorite team loses ... nobody even remembers 48 hours later.

[Mr Earl]

I read somewhere before, that fishing was the world most popular participation sport.

One thing I've always wanted to do is learn to fly fish.

It's much more access-able nowadays because you can buy descent equipment at walmart now for cheap prices.

But fly fishing isn't a casual sport. There is a real "zen" to it.

[Mr Earl]

I like frisbee

[Mr Earl]

And croquet.

[Storekeeper]

But fly fishing isn't a casual sport. There is a real "zen" to it.

Are you a Bodhisattva then ?

[aging one]

Ultimate frisbee should be in there.

[Storekeeper]

I would have expected bowling and billiards to be in the Top 25.