Top 10 most popular sports in the world 2021

Ranked by number of enthusiasts

Sport is a competitive physical activity which is played according to some set of rules. But now sports are not just physical activity people are taking it as an entertainment activity and there is a business too in sports.

Over our lives, physical activities play an important part. In our childhood, we take sports seriously. Tell you're the friend that your player is better than their player. Your friendship is in danger. Give your negative opinion about any player in the comment section of any sport-related account, you will receive hate from that player's fans. 

Nowadays there is debate on a subject like "which sport is most famous in the world" or "which sport is best". And everyone tries to convince you how his favourite sport is better than yours. He will do everything to defend his favourite sports. 

This list of the top 10 most popular sport is based on the viewership that sport gets, the infrastructure, number of countries. This list does not include regional sports like Indian kabaddi, Spanish bullfighting. This list comprises sports with a presence in a minimum of 50 countries.

10. Golf

Golf is a club and ball sport in which players use different clubs to hit balls into series of holes on the course in as few strokes as possible.

The modern game of golf originated in Scotland. But sports ancient history is debated. Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of "paganica". 

Golf may not be the most played sport in the world but it enjoys a broad following among elites of society like businessmen and celebrities. It is popular in developed countries like the USA, Japan, Uk, South Korea.

9. Rugby

It is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends.

The game originates during English school football at rugby school in Warwickshire in 1823 when William Webb Ellis is said to have picked up the and run with it. Rugby Football Union formed in 1881.

Rugby popular mostly in Europe, Canada, Latin America and Australia. There is a professional league that exists in every country.

8. Baseball

Baseball is a bat and ball game played between two opposing teams who take turns and fielding. The game proceeds when a player on the fielding team, called the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team tries to hit with a bat. 

Baseball evolved from the older bat and ball games. Baseball is originated in North America as the improvement of older game rounders.

  

Baseball is the national sport of the USA. Baseball is popular mostly in North America, Latin America, East Asian countries like Japan, South Korea. Some countries have their baseball leagues like MLB in the USA.

7. Table Tennis

Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net.

the game was developed by British military officers in India around the 1860s or 1870s, who brought it back with them. The sport originated in Victorian England, where it was played among the upper-class as an after-dinner parlour game.

Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988. It is popular mostly in Asian nations, especially in south-east Asia. It is also popular in China.

6. Volleyball 

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are divided by a net. Each team attempts to score points by knocking down a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.

Volleyball originated in Massachusetts, USA. The game created by William G. Morgan known as "Mintonette". Nowadays known as volleyball. It was designed to be an indoor sport.

Volleyball is an Olympic game but most popular in Europe and East Asia.

5. Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball through the defender's hoop while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their hoop.

Basketball invented by James Naismith, a Canadian Professor in Massachusetts, USA.

Basketball is also an Olympic sport. It is a popular sport in the USA, it is gaining attention in China. The USA has a professional basketball league known as NBA. It is also popular in south-east Asia.

4. Tennis

Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent or between two teams of two players each. Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with a cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The matter of the game is to manoeuvre the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. 

Tennis was originated in Northern France in the 12th century where the ball was struck with the palm, later evolved into modern tennis. Like golf, tennis is also the favourite sport of elite people like businessmen.

Tennis is an Olympic sport and almost every country has a tennis fan base. But tennis is mostly popular in developed countries like the USA, European countries, Australia etc.

3. Field Hockey

Surprisingly, field hockey is at number three on the list. Field hockey is a widely played team sport of the hockey family.

Each team plays with ten field players and a goalkeeper. Players use sticks made of wood, carbon fibre, fibreglass to hit a round, hard, plastic hockey ball.

The Hockey Association was founded in 1886. Hockey was originated in ancient Greece during 510 BC. It was played with horn and ball. later evolved into modern hockey.

Hockey is an Olympic sport. Almost every country have a national team. Once it was a popular sport in the world but then lost position. 

It is popular in Western Europe, South Asia, Southern Africa, Australia.

2. Cricket

Cricket is a bat and ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a 22-yard pith with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side score runs the ball bowled at the wicket with the bat by running between the wickets and by boundaries, while the bowling and fielding side tries to prevent this by avoiding the ball from leaving the field and getting the ball to either wicket and dismiss each player.

Cricket was originated in South-Eastern countries in England during the medieval period.

Later evolved into a modern game. Then it was spread in English colonies.

It is played globally, but most popular in South Asia, Commonwealth countries, Caribbean countries. Alone South Asia contribute more than 1.5 billion fan base to the sport. And cricket is not an Olympic sport.

1. Football 

Without any doubt, the Association of Football is the worlds most popular sport.

Football is a team sport that involves, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. The goalpost is guarded by the goalkeeper.

The game football was originated in China, during the second and third century. Modern football developed and spread across the world.

Football is an Olympic sport. It is the world's most-watched sports having a larger fan base than other sport. Every country starting their professional league. It is the most popular sport in Europe, Latin America, Africa and it is gaining attention in India, China, the USA.