Playing sports has become an important part of our lives. From watching it seriously in the childhood, to making it as a fitness ritual, hobby and often a profession in the adulthood, the power of sports is astounding. It is a great way to learn life skills, a way for the people and cities to bond, and learn tactical intelligence from our most experienced athletes. In this post, we will discuss the ‘most loved’ sports that majorly focus on the number of people who call themselves fans of these sports.
#1 Soccer – 3.3-3.5 billion fans
Soccer or football is the most popular sport across the globe. Over half of the world’s population watch the World Cup every year. The sport has been played by over 250 million people in more than 200 countries. This sport is played between two teams of eleven players each on a rectangular field with a goal net at each end. The aim of this sport is to get the football in the opposition goal using any part of the body except the hands and the arms. Only goalkeepers are allowed to grab the ball with their hands.
#2 Cricket – 2.5 billion fans
Although cricket is dominant in countries like, the UK, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia, its worldwide influence is undeniable. The Cricket World Cup draws the attention of more than 200 million followers from some of the biggest countries in the world. Cricket involves two teams of eleven players that take turns to bat and attempting to score maximum runs. Other team fields and prevent the batting team to score runs.
#3 Basketball – 2.2-2.4 billion fans
The majority of basketball fans belong to countries, such as the US, China, Canada, Japan and Philippines, making it the third most popular sport in the world. Unlike cricket and football, basketball is a relatively new sport that was started in the late 19th century. Basketball involves two teams of five players competing against each other to shoot a ball through a basket that is mounted at 10 feet. The basket is mounted at each end.
#4 Hockey – 2-2.2 billion fans
Hockey has two versions – field and ice. Field hockey is popular in Asian countries like India and Pakistan, where ice hockey is popular in Canada and the US. However, hockey is not as big as other sports in terms of revenue. That is because of the split between hockey versions. In hockey, two teams compete against each other to maneuver a ball into the opponent’s goal.
#5 Tennis – 1 billion fans
Tennis is one of those most loved sports, which is not played in large teams. Every individual competes against a single opponent or between two teams of two members in each team that are divided by a net in the center. Players use a racket to hit the ball to throw it on the opponent’s side. The objective of the game is to hit the ball in such a way that opposite player is unable to give a good return.
Tell us what sport is your favorite in the comment section.
