Thrilling gameplay, dramatic storylines and top-notch talent are all important factors in ensuring a sport's popularity grows and fanbases thrive. The most popular sports in the world are all spectacles of athletic competition that attract large crowds in the stands and around the television.

1. Soccer

With over 3.5 billion soccer fans in North America, Latin America, South America and various European countries, soccer (football) is the most popular sport in the world.

This beloved game has been internationally televised for decades, and top venues like the Olympics or FIFA World Cup constantly attract new soccer fans.

Major League Soccer is gaining popularity in the United States, with many top-level soccer players retiring from the Premier League and bringing their talent and brand awareness to American teams in the waning years of their careers.

2. Cricket

The fast-paced action of cricket is a favorite pastime for 2.5 billion fans from all corners of the former British Empire.

The basic rules may confuse the non-initiated, but the World Championships governed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) fill more seats than the largest college football stadiums. In fact, the largest stadium in the world is a cricket stadium in India.

3. Field Hockey

This beloved sport has deep roots in the history of human civilization, with many records describing regional popularity in Africa and the Middle East dating back nearly 6,000 years ago. It is now a favorite spectator sport of roughly 2 billion fans worldwide.

4. Tennis

Although there are some cases of professional teams in doubles competitions, tennis is a rank-driven sport typically reserved for individual champions solidifying their legacies on grass and clay. Once you learn the basic rules and scoring system, you can join a big fan base of roughly a billion people.

5. Volleyball

As far as American sports go, volleyball is one of the most universal. Any coastal community will likely have a local league or club for beach volleyball, but between both beach and indoor variations, it has become one of the fastest-growing Olympic sports for fans of jaw-dropping ball games.

6. Table Tennis

You may think table tennis is more fitting for basement parties than the Olympic games, but you would experience resounding disagreement from professional team athletes and loyal spectators alike. Exciting international competitions and low barriers to entry have helped this table sport flourish.

7. Basketball

Although basketball has long been one of the major sports in the United States, it is quickly gaining popularity to become a fast-growing world sport.

It is currently ranked as the sixth-most-popular sport, but that could change soon based on the blockbuster-level attention the sport received during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

8. Baseball

Major League Baseball is often paired with apple pie as an essential cultural touchstone of the United States. However, like basketball, football and other American sports, baseball fans are popping up all over the world, with much of the new talent of professional teams coming from South America and Asia.

9. Rugby

Rugby union football, more commonly known as rugby, is a fast-paced sport where two teams of 15 move the ball downfield with kicks and lateral passes. Although the players wear less protective gear than American football players, it is widely regarded as a safer sport due to controlled body tackles that protect the athletes.

Rugby is most popular in Europe, South Asia and Oceania, especially New Zealand — home to arguably the most iconic franchise, the All Blacks. The All Blacks have been one of the most dominant teams in professional leagues for decades and have gone viral for their intimidatingly beautiful pregame haka ritual.

10. Golf

The golf course is an idyllic landscape for leisure, but the game is also a popular spectator sport with roughly 400 million fans tuning in to the Masters and Opens tournaments.

The compensation for top athletes is also on par with other sports leagues, with many of the top performers earning contracts for $100 million or more every year.

11. Ice Hockey

Winter games like figure skating and ice hockey were once reliant on regional popularity since people had to live in cold climates to be close to the action. However, roller hockey or street hockey has made the sport accessible for nearly anyone.

The World Cup for the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Winter Olympics have accumulated droves of new fans to pick up skates and sticks to become the next Wayne Gretzky.

Original article: 11 Most Popular Sports in the World

Copyright © 2024 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company