Top 10 Most Popular Sports in the World – Currently Ranked

Since time immemorial, humans have been associated with sports. Right from its nomadic forms, we played it as a pastime and to create communities. Fast forward to today, sports have become a way of life. The sports we all love and play developed from their trivial forms into the advanced versions we see now. Going from amateur to professional changed the way we look at sports as we started forming bonds with teams and players.

Today, the sports industry has emerged as a billion-dollar business. The industry is also rapidly growing, with new markets being captured every day. The beauty of sports is that there is a lot of choice for everyone. A person can pick whatever sport they like and follow it with passion. With the number of choices available, each sport developed a generous fan bases that run into billions, making these sports some of the most popular in the world.

List of Most Popular Sports in the World

Sports can be categorised as both team and individual. The competitive nature of sports made it immensely popular. Fans begin to associate with the sports and root for either team or players individually. Billions around the world became invested in the sport and even play it themselves. Thanks to that, a few sports have become the most popular sports in the world.  

Rank	Sports Name	Viewership (approx in billions)
10	Golf	0.45 billion
9	Rugby	0.475 billion
8	Baseball	0.5 billion
7	Table Tennis	0.85 billion
6	Volleyball	0.9 billion
5	Tennis	1 billion
4	Hockey (Field + Ice)	2 billion
3	Basketball	2.2 billion
2	Cricket	2.5 billion
1	Football (Soccer)	3.5 billion

How did we rank the Top 10 Most Popular Sports in the World?

Although each sport is unique in its own way, some sports gripped the world more than others. Thanks to their universal appeal, they became a part of the daily routine to either play or cheer for the teams. Also, the leagues associated with the sport are playing a pivotal role in the sport reaching new markets. With advancements in technology and connectivity, we expect sports to go even more global.

• Global Fan Base

First and foremost indicator of the most popular sports in the world are characterised by a global fan base. The larger the audience, the more effective the sports reach.

• TV Viewership

The huge fandom around the world is hooked to the TVs to watch their favourite team. This, in turn, generates huge revenues for the sport, allowing it to expand more.

• Social Media Presence

In the era of social media, sports are breaking new barriers across the world to open up new markets and broaden their horizons.  

Which sports is most popular in the world?

With the factors mentioned in mind, let us dive into the top 10 most popular sports in the world. The table above might have given you a brief picture of the top sports. Plenty of them have their origins in the British Isles or in the United States. Despite their regional birth, they have travelled the world and become what they are today. Let us find out the answer to the question of which sports is most popular in the world?

10. Golf

Golf is the only club-and-ball sport on the list. The concept of Golf is very simple. The players need to hit a ball into holes on a golf course in as few strokes as possible using multiple clubs. Although the concept is simple, its execution needs precise skill, strategy and brilliant technique. Golf is played as an individual sport. The beauty of the game lies in the design of the course. The courses are often natural terrain set in picturesque locations.

The courses have lakes, sand dunes and hillocks in the path, making it difficult for the players. The game has a dedicated following amongst the elite class. The four annual events known as the Majors are the pinnacle of the sport. Europe and North America draw huge crowds for these majors. The elite tag of the game makes it out of reach for aspiring youngsters from a steady financial status. However, its ease to play makes it suitable for all age groups.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
Scotland	Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson	10

9. Rugby

Rugby is an intense sport known for its physicality. Rugby players are known to be some of the strongest and endurable athletes ever. Rugby has several formats, with Rugby Union and Rugby League the most recognised formats. The core concept of the game is to carry the ball over the goal line or kick over the line to score points. The opponents try to hack down the players and force a turnover of the ball.

Recently, Rugby sevens, a shorter, high-speed version, gained immense popularity around the world. This format was introduced in the Olympics as well and has its own World Rugby Sevens Series. The Rugby World Cup, held every four years, is the pinnacle of the sport. It draws millions of fans worldwide and is widely celebrated.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
England	Johah Lomu, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Gareth Edwards, Brian O’Driscoll	10

8. Baseball

Baseball is unofficially considered the national sport of the United States. Such is its impact in the country. The bat-and-ball sport gained immense popularity in the 1900s as children and youth started playing the game. Its short and different run scoring format caught the eyes and imagination of the masses. It was integrated into communities and schools, with each faction having its own team.

The emergence of Major League Baseball changed the scene as Baseball’s popularity exploded. The sport expanded and found new markets in the Far East. It remains a widely popular sport in South Korea and Japan, adding millions of fans. The World Baseball Classic brings different teams from around the world and celebrates the sport.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
United States	Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Pedro Martinez, Barry Bonds	100

7. Table Tennis

Table Tennis was developed as an alternative to Lawn Tennis for those who couldn’t play the sport. It its easy to play and was quickly lapped up by the players. Its ease of play made it appealing for people of all groups to play the sport. It exploded through Britain’s colonial routes and found new homes. Especially, China became a huge market for the sport.

Fondly called Ping-Pong, it took over the Chinese markets. The country’s massive population loved it, and they produced one superstar after another. It became a game of lightning-fast reflexes, technique and dedication as competition increased fiercely. The Olympics and, Table Tennis World Cup are considered the best events of the game.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
England	Ma Long, Jan-Ove Waldner, Deng Yaping, Wang Liqin	1.5

6. Volleyball (Indoor + Beach)

Another net and ball sport in the list of the most popular sports in the world. Volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of six players on opposite sides of the net. It tests the team’s coordination and the ability to play as a team. The aim of the game is to ground the ball in the opponent’s half to earn a point.

Volleyball demands physical excellence from each player. It has another form called Beach Volleyball, which has only four players on each side. As the name suggests, it is played on waterfronts in beach sands, making it a popular waterfront activity. These sports found a place at the Olympics and are quickly rising in popularity.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
United States	Karch Kiraly, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Misty May-Treanor, Kim Yeon-koung, Giba	1

Also Read: Top 5 Biggest Sports Leagues in the World 2025 | Ranked

5. Tennis

The game has roots in France and England, but the version perfected by the English elite as Lawn Tennis is the most popular one in the world. Tennis is an individual sport at its core. It is widely regarded as the most physically demanding game in the world and the best solo sport in the list of the most popular sports in the world. It has two players taking on each other on opposite sides of the net to win points by putting the ball out of play.

Tennis also has a doubles version, but its single version is the favourite of billions. Players often battle for hours to decide the winner on three different court surfaces. The games are played on either grass or hard, or clay courts. Four major events called Grand Slams are considered the pinnacle of the sport. They are the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
Englannd	Roger Federer, Martina Navratilova, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams	6

4. Hockey (Field + Ice)

Hockey is a team sport which pits teams of eleven players against each other. The aim of the game is to the ball or the puck in the opposition’s net using curved sticks. Hockey has a rich 4,000-year history with roots found in ancient Egypt. It was England who perfected the modern version and made the sport accessible. Known as field hockey, it is played on hard or grass surfaces. It found a place at the Olympics, and the Hockey World Cup is one of the biggest ever events in sports.

Canada developed a version of Hockey called Ice Hockey, which is played on a frozen rink by players wearing skates. Ice Hockey uses a puck instead of the dotted ball. It was adopted by the United States, which came up with a league called the National Hockey League. Known as the NHL, it popularised Ice Hockey and helped the sport earn global recognition.  

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
England and Canada	Dhyan Chand, Sohail Abbas, Teun de Nooijer, Jamie Dwyer, Moritz Furste	60

3. Basketball

Another invention of the United States, Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world. Thanks to its incredibly fast-paced and entertaining nature, it gained a cult like following around the world. Basketball has two teams of five players each trying to shoot the ball into an overhead hoop to score points.

The skill used by players to outfox their opponents and shoot the ball towards the basket. The game went to the next level with the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league is considered one of the best in the world and rakes in billions of dollars annually and has high viewership per game. Basketball is rapidly rising in popularity in the Balkan countries and Asia.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
United States	Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stephen Curry, Magic Johnson	150

2. Cricket

Despite being known as a colonial sport, cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world, thanks to its incredibly large fan base in the subcontinent. Known as the gentleman’s game, cricket originated in Medieval England as a pastime for kids. It spread across the world through English colonies and gained popularity. It is a bat and ball game where teams of eleven play in two innings, trying to score more runs than the other.

The game has three formats called the Test, One Day International and T20. Although the aim of each format remains the same, the number of overs (balls bowled by the fielding side) differs in each format. In that regard, T20 cricket is considered the most exciting format due to its high run-scoring scenarios in limited overs. Each format has a trophy-winning tournament called the World Cup held either biannually or quadrannually. Various leagues like the Indian Premier League, SA T20 and Big Bash League, with franchises playing in T20 format and helped the sport expand in new markets like Europe and North America.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
England	Sachin Tendulkar, Sir Vivian Richards, Don Bradman, Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting	50

1. Football (Soccer)

Now, finally answering the ultimate question of which sport is the most popular in the world, we arrive at Football, the beautiful game. With over 3.5 billion fans around the world, the sport is watched by nearly 50% of the entire world population. The game has been around for 5000 years and was turned into its modern format in 19^th-century England. Its ease of play made it hugely popular in the world.

Football has eleven players on each team trying to score a goal by sending the ball into the opponent’s net. It depends on the individual brilliance of the player, along with tactical discipline and coordination of the team, to outscore the opponents before the final whistle. Football’s popularity knew no bounds when leagues like the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga were televised around the world.

The players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Pele were considered the best footballers of all time for their mind-bending feats on the field. When these players lineup for their national teams at the FIFA World Cup, the world comes to a standstill. The FIFA World Cup is the most-watched event in the world, with the most recent final in 2022 drawing a record 1.5 billion viewers.

Country of Origin	Notable Players	Valuation (in billion $)
England	Pele, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr	70

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