Top 10 Sports in the World 2022

10. Golf – 450 million fans

GOLF

Country or region: Worldwide (most popular Western Europe, East Asia and North America) First played: 15th century , at the Kingdom of Scotland Estimated Global Following: 450 million people -- the British Open, which was first played in 1860, is one of the four major championships in men’s professional golf.

9. Rugby- 475 million fans

RUGBY

Country or region: Worldwide (most popular in certain European and Commonwealth countries) First played: 19th century, England, United Kingdom Estimated Global Following: 475 million people -- In 2014, there were over 6 million people playing rugby around the world, of whom 2.36 million were registered players. 

08. Baseball – 500 million fans

BASEBALL

Country or region: Worldwide (Most Popular in United States, Caribbean and Japan) First played: 18th-century England, United Kingdom (predecessors) 19th-century United States (modern version) Estimated Global Following: 500 million people -- The game evolved from the older bat and ball game already played in England by the middle of the 18th century. 

7. Basketball – 825 million fans

Basketball

Country or region: Worldwide First played: (December 21, 1891) Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. Estimated Global Following: 825 million people --Basketball was invented in 1891 by Canadian-American gym teacher James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. Over the years basketball has become one of the most popular and widely watched sports in the world. 

6. Table Tennis – 875 Million fans

TABLE  TENNIS

Country or region: Globally First played: 19th century, England, United Kingdom Estimated Global Following: 875 million people -- The game is fast and demands quick reactions. Also, spinning the ball changes its trajectory and limits the opponent’s options, giving the hitter a major advantage. 

5. Volleyball – 900 million fans

VOLLEYBALL

Country or region: Worldwide (most popular in Europe and East Asia) First played: 1895, Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States Estimated Global Following: 900 million people -- Volleyball is the adapted version of volleyball at the Summer Paralympic Games and has been a part of the program since 1964.

4. Tennis – 1 billion fans

TENNIS

Country or region: Worldwide First played: 19th century, England, United Kingdom Estimated Global Following: 1 billion people --The sport is played on four main types of surface for tennis courts: Grass, clay, hard and artificial grass. 

3. Hockey – 2 billion fans

HOCKEY

Country or region: Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia First played: 19th century Estimated Global Following: 2 billion people -- Field hockey is mainly played in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, while ice hockey is particularly popular in Canada, the Americas, and northern Europe. 

2. Cricket – 2.5 billion fans

CRICKET

Country or region: Worldwide (most popular in Commonwealth, British territories, and especially in South Asia) First played: 16th century: South-East England Estimated Global Following: 2.5 billion people -- The sport is most popular in the UK and some former British colonies, particularly India, Pakistan and Australia.

1. Football–  4 billion fans

FOOTBALL

Country or region: Worldwide First played: Mid-19th century England Estimated Global Following: 4 billion people --It is played by approximately 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies, and has over 4 billion followers globally.