Top 22 most popular sports in the world revealed as of 2024

Did you know there are over 8,000 indigenous sports in the world? Different people like specific games better than others. The most popular sports in the world are enjoyed by people from different parts of the world.

The list of the most popular sports in the world is based on various factors, such as the sport's popularity and estimated fan base. These spots have existed for many years and are loved by many.

What are the 22 most popular sports in the world?

Here is a summary list of the most popular sports in the world in 2024.

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Most popular sports in the world in 2024

Participating in sports often leads to higher self-esteem and better social interaction. Some games are indoors, while others are outdoors. The most popular sports in the world are played and enjoyed all over the world. Below is a compilation of the best sports in the world in 2024. Numerous people love watching and playing them.

22. Athletics - 100 million fans

• Estimated fans: 100 million fans
• Regional popularity: Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, North and Central America and the Caribbean and South America
• Usain Bolt holds the world record for the fastest 100-meter and 200-meter sprints.
• The Marathon is named after a Greek town called Marathon.
• Athletes can be disqualified for false starts in sprinting events.

Athletics is a group of gaming events that involve competitive jumping, running, walking, and throwing. The most common types of competitions in athletic sports are racewalking, track and field, cross-country running, and road running.

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21. Bowling - 120 million fans

• Estimated fans: 120 million
• Regional popularity: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa
• Bowling games can be distinguished into two general classes: pin bowling and target bowling.
• Technological innovation has made bowling accessible to members of the disabled community.
• Children afraid of thunderstorms are told that thunder is God's bowling.

Bowling, also known as tenpins, is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins. A heavy ball is rolled down a long, narrow lane toward a group of pins. Bowling sport aims to knock down more pins than an opponent.

20. Cycling - 150 million fans

• Estimated fans: 150 million
• Regional popularity: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland
• The world's longest bike was 135 feet and 10.7 inches long.
• Damien Hirst designed the world's most expensive bike.
• Cycling is three times faster than walking.

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Competitive cycling consists of professional and amateur races. Cycling sport officially began on 31st May 1868. The game is governed overall by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) based in Switzerland.

19. Handball - 270 million fans

• Estimated fans: 270 million
• Regional popularity: Germany, France, Europe, Africa, North America, Asia, South and Central America
• Spain is the country where the sport has the greatest popularity.
• Handball is rarely shown on TV in the USA.

Handball is one of the oldest ball games, and its history can be traced back to the baths of Rome. The handball game is played in a standard four-wall court measuring 40 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 20 feet high. It also features a back wall measuring 12 -14 feet high.

18. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) - 300 million fans

• Estimated fans: 300 million
• Regional popularity: the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Singapore and China.
• Martial arts gym owners have the highest median salary.
• Since 2012, the number of martial arts businesses in the United States has grown at an average rate of 18.7%.

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Mixed martial arts incorporate techniques from judo, boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, jujitsu, and karate. Mixed Martial Arts sport is one of the world’s fastest-growing spectator sports in the early 21st century. MMA fighters compete in a ring or a fenced area. They fight using padded fingerless gloves but do not wear shoes.

17. Basketball - 400 million fans

• Estimated fans: 400 million
• Regional popularity: America, Philippines, Australia and Canada
• James Naismith, a teacher at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, is credited with inventing basketball in 1891.
• The game became an official Olympic event at the Summer Games in Berlin, Germany, in 1936.
• The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, Mass.

Basketball is played between two teams of five players each. Each basketball team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent’s elevated horizontal hoop and net, called a basket. It is the only major game of American origin. Basketball has the most popular sports team in the world.

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16. American football - 410 million fans

• Estimated fans: 410 million
• Regional popularity: USA, Canada, Germany and Mexico
• The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football.
• The first football game was played in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton.

American football is also known as gridiron sport. It is the most played sport in America and is a crossbreed of soccer and English rugby. Players are permitted to touch, throw, and carry the ball with their hands, unlike soccer.

15. Golf - 450 million fans

• Estimated fans: 450 Million
• Regional popularity: Europe, Asia, America, Canada.
• Golf balls were originally made of feathers and leather.
• To date, Tiger Woods has won an astounding 82 PGA tournaments.
• Jack Nicklaus was the first golfer who was able to successfully defend his Master’s title.
• Modern-day golf was invented in 1457 in Scotland, predating South Florida golf courses by quite some time.

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In golf, players use clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course. Players with the fewest successful strokes are declared winners. The golf game was established in the Netherlands in the mid-16th century.

14. Rugby - 475 million fans

• Estimated fans: 475 million
• Regional popularity: England, New Zeland, Ireland, South Africa, France and Wales
• Rugby union was only classified as a professional sport in 1995.
• England is the only team in the northern hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup.
• Rugby first appeared at the Olympics in 1900.

Rugby is a game played with an oval ball by two teams of 15 players. It is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby sport is based on running with the ball in hand.

13. Formula 1/ Grand Prix racing - 500 million fans

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• Estimated fans: 500 million
• Regional popularity: Great Britain, USA, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Mexico and Australia.
• A Formula One car can go from zero to 160 kph in just four seconds.
• Formula One teams can consist of 600 people, including drivers, mechanics, engineers and designers.
• The average Formula One car is worth seven million dollars. Each car is designed and built from scratch by the team.

Formula 1 is also known as Grand Prix racing. This interesting game involves automobile racing on closed highways or other courses. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) sets the specifications for all racing-car classes.

12. Baseball - 500 million fans

• Estimated fans: 500 million
• Regional popularity: America, Japan, Dominican Republic, Canada and Cuba
• The first recorded game took place in 1846.
• Babe Ruth holds the record for single-season record for total bases.
• The World Series is the biggest professional baseball event.

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Baseball is among the top 20 most popular sports in the world today. It is played with a bat, ball, and gloves. Two teams of nine players each compete on a field with four white bases laid out in a diamond. Baseball game's rules closely resemble rules for rounders.

11. Lacrosse - 674 million fans

• Estimated fans: 674 million
• Regional popularity: British Isles, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, and the USA
• Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.
• The first women’s lacrosse game was played in Scotland in 1890.
• The game was originally used to toughen up young men for war, focusing also on the spiritual side.
• In the summer of 1763, lacrosse was played by 2 tribes to distract British soldiers in order to recapture Fort Michilimackinac (upper Michigan).

Lacrosse is a modern version of Baggataway, a popular North American Indian game. In this Lacrosse game, two teams use long-handled crosses to catch, carry, or throw a ball down the field or into the opponent’s goal. A crosse is sharply bent at the top to form a hook to enable catching and carrying.

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10. Badminton - 709 million fans

• Estimated fans: 709 million
• Regional popularity: China, Asia, England, Wales, Scotland.
• It has a particularly strong interest in growth in Asia.
• At least every second fan in most markets follows badminton daily or weekly on TV or social media channels.

Badminton is one of the world's most famous sports. The game is also known as court or lawn game, and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) is its international governing body. Badminton sport is played with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock.

9. Swimming - 825 million fans

• Estimated fans: 825 million fans
• Regional popularity: Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Parts of Africa, South America, Europe, North America
• Swimming emerged as a competitive recreational activity in the 1830s in England.
• Competitive swimming became popular in the 19th century.
• Major swimming styles are butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

Swimming is one of the most popular sports in the world, and it is also one of the healthiest. Beyond the physical benefits, swimming offers a mental escape, a chance to immerse oneself in the tranquillity of the water while pushing physical limits.

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8. Volleyball - 900 million fans

• Estimated fans: 900 Million
• Regional popularity: Europe, Australia, Asia, America.
• Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan in 1895, but it did not become an Olympic sport until 1964.
• The longest volleyball game on record lasted a total of 85 hours.

Volleyball is popular in different parts of the world. Two teams of six each use their hands to bat a ball back and forth over a high net. In the volleyball game, each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organised rules.

7. Tennis - 1 billion fans

• Estimated fans: 1 billion
• Regional popularity: Europe, Asia, America.
• The word “Tennis” comes from the Anglo-Norman term “Tenez.”
• The first Wimbledon was played in 1877. It is also the first of the four Grand Slams to be founded.
• Tennis is also an Olympic sport, and it can be played by wheelchair users.

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Tennis is a racket game played individually against a single opponent or between two teams of two players each. Points are awarded to a player or team whenever the opponent fails to return the ball within the prescribed court dimensions.

6. Horse Racing - 1.45 billion fans

• Estimated fans: 1.45 billion fans
• Regional popularity: Ireland, UK, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, United Arab Emirates
• Horse racing events attract varying crowd sizes.
• Horse racing fan culture includes handicapping and wagering

Horse racing is among the top 5 most popular sports in the world. It is an equestrian performance sport involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. Horse racing is one of the most ancient sports, with its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance.

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5. Field hockey - 2 billion fans

• Estimated fans: 2 billion
• Regional popularity: Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia.
• A fast-paced sport played in over 100 countries, with a strong presence at the Olympics.
• The hockey stick is made of wood, carbon fibre, fibreglass and carbon.

In field hockey, two opposing teams of 11 players each use sticks curved at the striking end to hit a ball into their opponent’s goal. It is played on a field, unlike ice hockey. The game was invented in England, and the British army spread it in India and the Far East.

4. Ice hockey - 2 billion fans

• Estimated fans: 2 billion
• Regional popularity: Canada, Russia, the United States, Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic
• The early hockey pucks were made from faecal matter.
• NASA has used Hockey Pucks weighing 2 tons to train their astronauts.

Ice hockey is a team sport played on ice skates on an ice skating rink. Two teams of six each propel the hockey puck past a goal line and into a net guarded by a goaltender. Ice hockey game made its Olympic debut in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. Its one of the most watched sports events in the world, with a fan base of 2 billion.

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3. Cricket - 2.5 billion fans

• Estimated fans: 2.5 billion
• Regional popularity: Asia, Australia, UK
• A popular sport with a massive following in India, Pakistan, and Australia.
• Cricket began as a children's game in England in the 16th century.
• South Africa's John Watkins is the oldest living Test cricketer.
• The longest-recorded cricket match lasted 14 days.

Cricket is played by two teams of 11 with a bat and ball. One player on each team acts as captain. Cricket matches can range from informal weekend afternoon activities on village greens to top-level international contests spread over five days.

2. Football/ soccer - 3.5 billion fans

• Estimated fans: 3.5 billion
• Regional popularity: Europe, Africa, Asia, America.
• In the most recent FIFA worldwide survey, 265 million individuals participated in the sport, alongside 5 million referees.
• . The most goals scored by one side in a Soccer World Cup match is 10. It happened during the 1982 World Cup in Spain between Hungary and El Salvador.
• Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo opened a museum in 2013 dedicated only to himself.
• The 20 richest soccer clubs in the world are all European.

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Soccer is arguably the 2nd most popular sport in the world in 2024. It is a game involving two teams of 11 who try to move a ball into the opponent’s goal without using hands or arms. It is the world’s most popular ball game based on the number of participants and spectators.

1. Boxing - 4.74 billion fans

• Estimated fans: 4.74 billion
• Regional popularity: United States Of America, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Cuba, and Japan
• Boxing is the most popular sport in the world, with 59.6% of people having an interest in it.
• Nearly 85% of young adult women indicate an interest in learning to box in the United States.
• Boxing's global audience was estimated at 439 million in 2018.

Boxing is one of the most-viewed sports in the world. Boxing involves attacking and defending with fists. In this combat game, two people throw punches at each other for a set amount of time in a boxing ring.

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What is the most popular sport watched in the world?

The most popular watched sports in the world are soccer (football), with billions of fans and players worldwide, followed by cricket, which is especially popular in countries like India, Pakistan, and England. Basketball also holds a significant global following, with the NBA being a major league.

Which is the most popular sports franchise in the world?

The most popular sports franchise in the world is often considered to be the New York Yankees, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. The Yankees have a rich history, numerous championships, and a massive global fan base.

What is the 5th most popular sport?

The 5th most popular sport is field hockey, with 2 billion fans. It is a fast-paced sport played in over 100 countries, with a strong presence at the Olympics.

Who is the highest-paid sport?

In terms of average salary per player, basketball takes the crown. The average NBA player makes around $10.8 million annually, which is more than double the average salary in the NFL (second place at $2.8 million).

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What is the best sport in the world?

Soccer is the most popular sport globally. It's relatively inexpensive to play, requires minimal equipment, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels.

What are the top 10 most popular sports in the world?

The top 10 most popular sports in the world include:

There are many sports that people play and watch in the world. These most popular sports in the world promote physical fitness and good health. They also provide entertainment for millions of people.

Source: Legit.ng