People play sports for different reasons. Some pursue their careers in sports while others are involved in sports as their hobbies or for fitness. While some sports have a huge fan base across the world, others have regional followings. This article outlines some of the most popular sports in the world.

Soccer

Soccer or association football is the most popular sport in the world. It is estimated that more than the population of the world consider themselves as soccer fans. The estimated fan base of the sport around the world is over 4 billion people.

Cricket

Cricket has an estimated fan base of around 2.5 billion people globally. The people are spread across the globe, but the sport’s primary sphere of influence is Britain and Commonwealth countries. Some of the countries where the sport is popular include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Field Hockey

With its primary sphere of influence been Australia, Africa, Europe, and Asia, field hockey has an estimated fan base of around 2 billion fans globally. This makes it one of the most popular sports in the world. The game is similar to football except that players use sticks. It is widely played in Australia, India, and Pakistan.

Tennis

The tennis fan base is estimated to be about 1 billion globally. Modern tennis originated from France and spread to other parts of the world. The sport involves two teams of one or two players. The game is played by bouncing a ball over a net using rackets.

Volleyball

Volleyball has an estimated fan base of 900 million people across the world. The primary influence of the sport is North America and Western Europe. The game involves two teams of 6 players throwing a ball over a net.

The above are the most popular sports in the world. Other mentions include basketball, rugby, baseball, and eSports among others.