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The World's Most Popular Sport is Soccer / Football

soccer playerQuestions about what is the world's most popular sports is often asked and possibly has never been definitively determined. A quick search online found many references to the top sports of the world, and soccer / association football is nearly always on top no matter what the criteria for the list.

What Does Popular Mean?

The problem with listing the world's most popular sports is coming up with a clear defining meaning for popular. By popular, do you mean most watched, the most played, or the most talked about! Just some of the factors which could help determine the lists of popular sports include the number of spectators, the number of registered participants, the number of national associations, the number of people that play the game, stadiums and facilities worldwide, tournaments held all over, and merchandise sold. Many of these should be factors in a list of the world's top sports, though it would be difficult to include them in a single list (hence the many popular sport lists).

Soccer is King

Most of the lists we have seen, whether based on most fans or most participants or whatever the definition of popular, World Football / Soccer is top of the list. Depending on what criteria you use for popularity, the next sports in the list may include basketball, cricket, volleyball, baseball and other versions of football (American, rugby).


Most Watched (Most Fans) Sports

Watching sport can include watching live, on TV and even online. Most information points to the most watched sport as football (soccer), though using online audiences can be biased with regional differences in support for certain sports (e.g. US sports such as basketball, baseball and American football). Another sport that is viewed in high numbers around the world is cricket, despite not being played in many parts of the world. See more about the most watched sports.

Most Played Sports

When discussing popular sports around the world, the sports most played is often considered, not just what people like to watch (there is a difference). Soccer is played in the streets by millions of kids worldwide, though they are not always counted on the most played sports lists as they do not participate in organized games and are not easily counted. Using official figures, sports such as Volleyball and Table Tennis have very high participation rates. See more about the most played sports.

Other Sports Popularity Lists

What do you think?

Now that you have seen a few lists of the world's most popular sports, based on various criteria, why not be part of another list. There is a difference in the world between sports that people like to play and those who like to watch. It will be interesting to see how these lists differ, and how they relate to the other lists above. As with most online polls, my list will be biased to the site visitors, which are not a true even representation of the world's regions or age groups.

Related Pages

Old Comments

  • 1. Football/Soccer, 2. Cricket, 3. Basketball, rest who cares (from LOL, Apr 2013)
  • Soccer is sooooo boring! NOTHING EVER HAPPENS!!! Don't get me wrong, soccer players are some of the greatest athletes in the world. And soccer is an extremely difficult sport. But so is baseball. But both are just sooo boring. But, I once read that the most difficult thing to do in any professional sport is to hit a baseball in the major leagues. You have about 20 yards to swing a 34" wooden stick w/ a 2.75" diameter to perfectly time a range of types of pitches and hit the 3" diameter ball reacting to possible breaking balls that look as if they're going to hit you to landing on the opposite side of the plate, change-ups that throw you off balance, fastballs that travel up to 100+ mph, etc. Basketball seems to be increasingly losing it's popularity because of the evolution of athletes has made it where it's not really exciting anymore. Football is still doing well. MMA is becoming popular. Which I would rather see boxing come back. But they screwed themselves. There is 17 weight classes, and at least 5 (recognized) belts per weight class. So that means that there could be 85 boxing champions!!! Seriously!! 85 champs! No wonder why boxing is losing popularity at a faster rate than any other sport. Seriously! There is 3 Heavyweight Champions right now (go ahead, look it up). And there is actually 2 boxers with the same belt! How is that even possible? Wladimir Klitschko & Alexander Povetkin are both WBA Champs! How!!! Not only that, but other than the WBA belt, Wladimir Klitschko owns 3 other belts and his brother, Vitali, owns another (WBC). There's 6 cruiserweight champs, 4 lt heavywt, 5 super middlewt, 5 middlewt, 5 super welterwt, 6 welterwt, 6 super lightwt, 4 lightwt, 5 super featherwt, 6 featherwt, 4 super bantamwt, 4 bantamwt, 5 super flywt, 4 flywt, 6 lt flywt, & 6 minwt. For those keeping score, that's 84 f***ing boxing champions! While MMA also has several commissions out there, the UFC is the obvious front-runner, and there is 8 champs (& that's just recently added. It was only 5). Remember the days, or hearing, watching, or reading about the days when the boxing heavyweight champion of the world (Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Clay/Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Tyson) was THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP! No longer! For one, boxing's heavyweight has had a drought of exciting fighters. And two, I looked in the paper and saw a WBA junior welterweight championship bout between Khabib Allakhverdiev & Breidis Prescott. I never heard of either of these fighters...and I try to keep up with boxing! It's ridiculous. The WBA used to be the one! But when I looked this Khabib Allakhverdiev and saw that he and Danny Garcia both have the WBA Belt!??! How is that possible? And why aren't Allakhverdiev and Garcia fighting??? I know the obvious answer to all of my questions is MONEY! But come on Boxing! If you keep being greedy, boxing is going to fizzle into oblivion. Y'all rich, powerful ***holes need to do what's right for our sport, not what benefits you a few extra dollars that you don't need. Come on!!! Please!!!
  • I was jst readin all ur commets, and 4 does of u of u who don't like or love football(soccer) u all re pdestrians.but 1st speakin soccer is not only played on but its an heavenly game 2,football is like a human on its own bcoz human has d gud, d bad, and d ugly so as football,there is no other games to b compete wit football is't richies, naughty, fans, facilities, manna,e.t.c. Dis is a game that god himself create not human's. So like i said ealier football has everytin u can tink of.so does of u who does not not like football(soccer) should go hell.but all other sport are grate 2 (from kevin, Apr 2013)
  • If football (soccer) wasn't in dis world racism could have been d greatiest disease(atomic bomb, nuclea weapon,the movie name 2012 earthquake, by force invasion of d earth, sodom and gomorha) (from kennist4, Apr 2013)
  • i think SOCCER IS ONLY FOR EUROPE BECAUSE MANY SOCCER CLUB MADE IN EUROPE.BUT CRICKET IS POPULAR ASIA,AFRICA,USA(CARRIBEAN),AUSTRALIA AND SOME EUROPE COUNTRIES (from jamer, Mar 2013)
  • To the people saying soccer/football is so easy to play, I dare you to play on a competitive level. I bet none of you will even last 10 minutes. (from Calionfire, Mar 2013)
  • From my piont of view we should respect every sport second i like cricket alot then soccer bcoz its really hard to play ones need a very good stamin but if someone talks about street soccer then than would be preferable bcoz thats when u get fun in soccer plus it gets more entertaining when raining is going on at the same time!!!but still CrIcKet is CRicKeT ;) (from Yawar, Mar 2013)
  • Football is the best sport in the world  also it's called football not soccer. NHL, NFL, basketball are all boring, only yanks call it soccer (from Ryan cabble, Mar 2013)
  • Love real football ... I'm from the US. But am immensely  ashamed of  how  people here think  their sports are the best in the world.   Makes me wonder if their ignorance well ever go away. (from Cristobal Villalpando, Mar 2013)
  • Football game is my favirate game , i love football . lazy cricket game ... 5 billion fan football in world ,and cricket fan 1.25 billion .........hopeless cricket... (from vishal desai, Mar 2013)
  • I really don't understand you americans!! How can you say baseball en football en ice hockey are the best?? They don't even compete at an international level!!!! Obviously soccer is the most famous. But nothing beats rugby!! No padding and helmets, just men playing a beautliful game!! (from south african, Mar 2013)
  • Basketball is the 2nd most popular sport in the World yo! It is one of the major 4 sports in North America. One of the most popular team sports in China. And also is very popular in Europe, Africa and the rest of the World. (BTW I'm an ASIAN)! (from hoopking, Mar 2013)
  • CRICKET IS THE SPORT OF LEGENDS. soccer - the whole thing is corrupt for one, just look at the EPL and Fifa all corrupt and the pussies who play it get a little flick on the leg and jump on the ground like they've been shot, god, no skill is needed what-so-ever. its one of the worst sports ever. (from Cody Ackland, Mar 2013)
  • Without a doubt, football/soccer is both the most popular and my personal favorite sport. By the way, I find baseball, basketball and hockey very boring. I don't need to mention NASCAR because it's not a sport. (from An American, Feb 2013)
  • Some people talk about football while they don't anytin about it.it is the most sweetest sport in the world.it contains every u can ever tink of, suspense, heartbreak , joy, wildemotion, sorrow, pain, shout of jubilation when your team scores. it require strength, starmina, speed, balance agility, sportmanship spirit it is not a lazy sport.people don't watch it becuz of it popularity but becuz of the joy and love it carries behind it.sitin down in the stadium or a sport bar 4 a whole 93minute 4 a goaless draw and stil watch their next match it is not just a game but a bond uniting people frm different part of the word 2gether in peace and harmony.football is more than a game and people should respect it becuz it is the most dangerous, most difficult in fact the hardest game on earth,seeing player having injury that can last 4 more than 2years,playin in a very harsh whelter condition an stil the stadium wil stil be full i don't there is notin more than to say it the most greatest sport on earth. (from Silent player, Feb 2013)
  • Soccer is a gentleman's sport played by hooligans. Rugby is a hooligan's sport played by gentlemen. Football is a hooligans sport played by hooligans. This quote says it all. Rugby is a game of elegant violence. We are not slugs who's main purpose is contact. (from Player, Feb 2013)
  • Best sports in the world is cricket .2nd place for hockey & football only ..that's it .. (from kamal.gamelover, Feb 2013)
  • For the guy who said not everyone can ice skate - Not everyone had ice in their country. And football is not just about running and kicking. Maybe that's how fat people view it as! (from RaptorFlightSchool, Feb 2013)
  • football soccer is the most popular sport and lionel messi is not only the best footballer but he is the best sport person in this world.i love football and i love lionel messi.leo messi is the best .....!!!! (from neetu, Feb 2013)
  • Maybe study is better sports ... Creates a intelligants tradgedy than ever ... ! So drop it make your own sports. (from Sunny, Feb 2013)
  • We must divided sport by professional and for recreational, amateur or hobbies. I think no one sport is best because of every sport have differentiation and uniqueness. Just enjoy our sport. which one sport that every person in the world no matter their age, their body condition, their mental condition could play? (from royan, Jan 2013)
  • Soccer is the most popular sport. Even though it's being ruined as the day goes. All around the world national federations are choosing to create new leagues which changes the tradition of football. If football was always the same with not to many changes it would flog every other sport by a mile. (from Ustasa, Jan 2013)
  • The only reason Ice Hockey is not the most popular sport is because NOT EVERYBODY CAN ICE SKATE!!!!!  and the only reason soccer is BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD KNOW HOW TO RUN AND KICK!!!  Soccer is the biggest pussy sport if ive ever seen one.They dive and cry and are probably the gayest most uptight fuckers ive ever seen. Everyone knows that hockey is the most diffucult all around sport. Between conditioning, technique, physical presence, and many more things like stickhandling, shooting, skating, and for goalies, having the the quickest eyes and reactions in sports. Hockey is THE GREATEST SPORT ON THE PLANET BECAUSE ONLY A SPECIAL BREED OF HUMAN CAN PLAY IT!! (from matt, Jan 2013)
  • Cricket does not qualify as a sport. If you wanna talk sports, let's talk soccer, hockey, basketball, tennis but not cricket. 
  • Ok. Soccer and Cricket is the best ever..!.. There is no doubt..no need to be proven.. Coz.. These two have been proven all the way..!. Love  Cricket..Love the Soccer..and feel the fright, fight,light,excitement.. and endurance ... vibration of heart beats ... !.. All the way you are taken into a new world of curiosity with what happens next ..so, Cricket all most has got what need to be a special figure in the world ... Soccer all the way ready to debate with Cricket.. Who wins..? it is up to the world.. not to a person..! (from Uchith, Jan 2013)
  • Officially soccer is the most famous world sport, but sports are viewed differently in different places. (from BOB, Jan 2013)
  • DODGEBALL ... OBIVIOUSLY IS THE BEST SPORT ME KING U NOT ... BOOYAKASHA PEOPLE. (from Juan Avila, Jan 2013)
  • Cricket is most popular sport in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, srilanka, Afghanistan, & 2nd popular in Australia, New Zealand, west Indies, England, south Africa & Zimbabwe. near about 5 billion people like cricket. on the other hand football is liked by 30 billion people. so football is more popular then cricket. but in terms of interesting game its cricket. CRICKET IS MOST INTERESTING SPORTS IN THE WORLD. 5 year ago football was most popular sport in Bangladesh, but cricket grab that position. now 90% people like cricket. & i m 100% sure within next 10 year T20 will Rock the world. (from Saikot, Jan 2013)
  • lol. soccer is the worst game. i wonder why people just watch the ball or the round sack of air go to the net. same types of shot every time. some socceroos or dont have brain cells. cricket is a lazy game doesnt mean the game is lazy. actually it was a game to make the lazy people active and lazy people means those royal families. so we can say that cricket was born in the royal family of england. and where was soccer born i think in the ancient slums of england. but baseball is the worst sport in the world. the father of baseball is a theif made that game from cricket (from the real american, Jan 2013)
  • gymnastics is the best because i am a junior elite on the competitive team it so totally rocks and i love it!!! (from Sara, Jan 2013)
  • I am from india my opinion is soccer is the best followed by cricket, hockey, basketball, tennis. (from aakash, Jan 2013)
  • cricket is the best sport in the world. the players like sehwag, sachin are popularised game . according espn survey in 2020 the cricket fans are dominating soccer/football fans (from santhosh, Jan 2013)
  • Football is far better then cricket or any other sports b coz its a game which is played all over world but cricket the worst game ever. how can any one can watch the test match all day man its too too too crazy to watch cricket or its waste of time (from Saroj, Jan 2013)
  • BASEBALL ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the most boring is golf aand cricket
  • anyone who thinks footballis the best are stupid idiots, its the most over hyped boring over paid over injured softest sport in the world, touch the geeks n they die, no loyalty all money grabbing divs, no class at all (from annon, Jan 2013)
  • Cricket is the best game ever. it checks the real sportsperson. it is a game to be played by full concentration. soon hopefully it will be biggest sports. n sachin tendulkar is the god of cricket salute to him. salute to millions of indian fans. salute to cricket. love this game. (from george, Jan 2013)
  • cricket requires high skill. you got to understand it. it has complex rules even great players of cricket dont understand or know many of these rules. its a mind game, requires a lot of skill in bowling, batting, fielding. you will have, left armer, off spiner, leg spiner, carrom bolwer, doosra bowlers, fast quickers, medium fast, hard hitter, good tempered, pinch hitters, well groomed, highly technical, orthodox, unorthodox batsman a lot of things involved here. some people did their Phd while making some rules of cricket like darkworth and lewis method. even cricket can be played indoor. i would say its a game required a lot skill, practice and you can only learn it by playing all around the globe. becasue different part of the world demands different skils. (from akm sabbir, Jan 2013)
  • I'm sorry if offended, but I don't understand how americans thi their sports are most popular. If you go to other countries the will have no idea how to score a touchdown or even skate! Ie got good and bad points to all sports. Cricket is intresting to watch on TV but not on ground. Football vice versa. They both take very long. For me Rudgy is a mixture of both! Plus it's not like American Football where people have to wear all sorts of pads ( girly girls ). Seriously. Tennis is also very entertaining on ground and tv. I think both rugby and cricket would be more popular if they start more leagues including more countries like Super Rugby and the 20 20 series in Australia (from None, Jan 2013)
  • Football is very good game this sports played by 200+ countries. But in recent time cricket is become more popular than football, they have more fans now. so in present time cricket is have slight edge on football. (from Dheeraj, Jan 2013)
  • El cricket vale callampa, aqui en Chile ni se conose, solo hablamos idioma Futbol. El futbol (soccer) es el deporte predominante en el planeta, no solo porque los yankees y los indios ql jueguen al cricket significa que es el mejor. El futbol es más que una pasion, es un sentimiento. El que dice lo contrario, es porque nunca a hecho un gol, o levantado una copa. (from Zitro MC, Jan 2013)
  • This is honestly worse than youtube comments. (from A Literate American, Jan 2013)
  • Actually each and every sport is boring unless or until there is a team you support.yet t20 and odi are exciting to watch because you get a result and get to see the fast or slow balls go for a six or a four.football is also interesting but its like test cricket that sometimes you waste your time for seeing a draw match and sometimes a single goal in ninety minutes.sachin is the god of cricket and messi is for football. (from maiem,bd, Jan 2013)
  • like hell cricket.. its just a biased game. the mostt beautiful game was..is.. will be football (from su, Jan 2013)
  • why the hell is TEAM HANDBALL not on the list?! It's an awesome sport!! Wtf?! (from De, Jan 2013)
  • Dear foolish football fans, football is not saving your time afterall it is cheating to you and wasting your money by joining with you for only few hours/95mins only.They are only making you fool and sometime they score 1,2,3or4 goals for that people would join that sports again and to get popularity.so leave that foolish and selfish football sport and join the jentle sport 'cricket' which is the best sport in the world and the king of all sport.so you football fans come to right and play/see the right sport which is cricket. Think for cricket and for your life. (from Mohd.Taushif, Jan 2013)
  • Soccer is the most beautiful game ever invented and it will always be.
  • I think Nordic skiing and ice hockey are the most demanding sports. Nordic because Not only do you go 6 miles skiing with 200 other skiers it uses every muscle in your body. In ice hockey your on the ice for 1 minute starting stoping blocking a solid 50 mile an hour puck all on a blade less than an inch
  • SOCCER IS THE BEST SPORT IN THE WORLD. SCREW SPORTS LIKE BASEBALL AND CRICKET AND CURLING. SOCCER IS BOSS AND WILL NEVER BE BEATEN! I LOVE SOCCER!!!! (from somebody, Dec 2012)
  • every one here is talking rubbish things. Tennis should have been the best game but since its a game of only rich people its not played in most of the places. what u need to play the soccer is just a ball and an open field. and for cricket a ball and a bat and an open place. but tennis isn't like that. Its a descent and amazing game. (from Sunil, Dec 2012)
  • FOOTBALL of course is the number 1! and why the hell we call it soccer in here? its FOOTBALL forever.but other sports have their own fun part except baseball, and American football. (from koorosh from Texas , USA, Dec 2012)
  • Most of you guys are just excellent examples of how the majority of people these days can't see a thing beyond their own opinions. Sad sad world man. (from Anonymous, Dec 2012)
  • cricket is a glorious game.but football is a global game. it has become so global that it has bored all. in cricket U can see the beauty of runs.but in football u may not be able to enjoy a goal (from sovren, Dec 2012)
  • Cricket is best best game in the entire planet because it is the most interestig game by its t20 flavour and it is watched by billions of people all around the world. (from farhan, Dec 2012)
  • cricket is by far the best. if u disagree u do not know the meanin of sport (from anonymous, Dec 2012)
  • i love baseball ... its the BEST sport EEVVEERR !!! (from anna, Dec 2012)
  • Cricket is best, coz u can see  sixes,catches,fours,wickets, fasters, spinners, fielders, mind games, cricket is not a game of luck like soccer. i dnt want to spend 2 and 3 hrs to watch 1 and goal which goes luckily and blindly in d net widout any skill. (from Roll, Dec 2012)
  • Cricket realy realy beast sport of the world. yes or no?
  • HEY PEOPLE!!!! SOCCER IS THE BEST SPORT EVER!!! SO SHUT UP IF U DISAGREE!!! IT IS A PROVEN FACT SO TALK TO THE HAND BECAUSE THE FACE IS JUST NOT INTERESTED!!! CRICKET IS THE STUPIDEST SPORT EVER!!! IT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL!! BASEBALL IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN CRICKET!!! BUT REMEMBER, SOCCER IS THE BEST!!! (from Anonymous, Nov 2012)
  • NASCAR is the worlds #1 largest spectator sport on average over 145,000 people attend every race on average that blows all other sports out of the water. Also NASCAR is America's 2nd most watched sport on television. (from Will Johnson, Nov 2012)
  • CRICKET SUCKS! First learn to play soccer, you "perebas", then you may get something to say!!! BRASIL, the only FIVE TIMES FIFA WORLD SOCCER CHAMPION!!! (from Emilson Werner, Nov 2012)
  • Cricket is 2nd famous sport in the world.but one thing is funny that 200 countries make the football no.1 but only 10 countries make the cricket no 2.so if only china play cricket then the fans of 11 cricket countries are more than 200 football countries fans. (from khyizer swati, Nov 2012)
  • I like football. But i love cricket.Cricket is the best sport in the world. In near future T20 will rule all other sports by its massive popularity ... I love cricket. (from Shahed, Nov 2012)
  • I believe that baseball and basketball is the best sport in the world. Cricket is the worst sport in the world. (from nun ya, Nov 2012)
  • It's Called FOOTBALL, Not SOCCER! (from Anonymous, Nov 2012)
  • Soccer?  Pfft ... the only thing I like about soccer, is when a team loses and the fans get angry enough to start a riot. Usually happens with low income countries and low income people whom don't know what civility is. (from Wilfritz, Nov 2012)
  • cricket is the best game in the world no other sports us before cricket athough football playyed mostly but cricket is the best of all (from kartik hooda, Nov 2012)
  • Soccer is the best and clearly the most poupular sport in the world and always will be so all you ppl saying t20 will overtake you are sadly mistaken (from StevieG, Nov 2012)
  • Guys for your info, Basketball is the 2nd most popular game in the World. It is very eagerly followed in both USA and China which are the 4th and 1st Largest populated countries respectively.
  • The best comment on here is that American football would be up there. A sport controlled TV stations is ridiculous. Poor version of rugby (from Peekay, Oct 2012)
  • I think cricket is so much boring ... Bcoz it played only in limited countries . If someone like china,usa ,germany etc. Will play , then it will become more interesting. (from Vgs, Oct 2012)
  • Gymnastics is clearly the best sport ever. It requires much more strength and skill than any other sport there is. Many people might try to argue that it's not a sport, but I can throw a ball around. Try to do it and then see how much of an amazing sport gymnastics really is. (from Jared, Oct 2012)
  • Only retards on here really. Cricket? loool 100% of starving India and Pakistan must have voted. No-one else gives a damn about these countries and sport. Also people comparing anything to European Football, get a grip.Football is by far the best sport. (from Paulo Bernardo, Oct 2012)
  • ICE HOCKEY is by far the best.. It's played in North America, Europe, and even some parts of aisia. It's fast pace and it doesn't stop every two seconds like American football.. Every one on the ice is moving at full speed For 45 seconds to a minute, so while they arent in the game as much as players in Lets say soccor, the game is always at a fast pace. Soccer is a close second and the reason for this is because the field is bigger so while maybe 2 or 3 players are running at full speed, most on the field are walking.. Also there is a lot more contact and physicality an agressivness In hockey as opposed to soccer l (from Blake wood, Oct 2012)
  • I don't even want to talk about which is the most popular sport. I read some guys talking about cricket having big fans. Even in India, cricket was the 2nd or 3rd most popular sport for most of the last century. Large parts of the country, Kerala, Goa, Bengal, North Eastern States, Jharkhand, Punjab and large swaths of affluent population in the big cities like Bombay/Bangalore are football fans. Cricket, once an elitist game, subsequently became popular with the middle class, primarily the baniya's on western India and is loosing fans big time now. The rich kids of Malabar hill (Possibly the most upmarket neighbour hood in the country) watch Premier LEague and not cricket. Like Meryl Streep said in Devils wears prada about the masses wearing what fashionista's wear today, the masses will follow what the elite follows today. As the economy grows and the country become wealthier & aspiration levels change, Football will be tower over everything else. (from Yousuf, Oct 2012)
  • FOOTBALL MAY BE FAMOUS YET ... BUT T20 WILL TAKE THAT PLACE SOOOOOOON ... SO SHOUT UP U FOOTBALL FANS.. (from vishan, Oct 2012)
  • I dont know how many indians wud prefer watching a test match in which team india is not playinv we love cricket but only and only those matches in which team india is playing so only indian cricket is best else cricket we r dont care (from suhail, Oct 2012)
  • cricket is best in the world, lol i'm not steal punk or y2j's catchphrase.  t20 cricket is better than football (from subbarayan, Oct 2012)
  • football is the king of all games bcoz cricket playing member r only 10 and football is been playing by above 200 countries cricket passion is only in asia leaving other 5 continents who play football and cricket drawback is also that it a time waster game about 8 hrs and football take only 1:30hr that the way football is king !! (from danish, Oct 2012)
  • The most POPULAR SPORT IN THE WORLD is KITE FLYING! talk done. (from nick, Sept 2012)
  • 'm from Southern Africa and here is my top 10.`
    =1. Cricket
    =1. Rugby
    3. Tennis
    4. Golf
    5. Field hockey
    6. Soccer
    Then all u Americans can debate for 7,8,9, and 10 (from Bobbi, Sept 2012)
  • Cricket is the best game in the world.cricket can not be compared to football,because cricket stands top of the world. (from Sprasad, Sept 2012)
  • Cricket is the second most popular game in the world. its most popular in the indian subcontinent and in some other countries, CRICKET SRI LANKA (from Dhammika, Sept 2012)
  • BASEBALL IS THE BEST SPORT IN THW WORLD!!! IN ITALY PEAPLE FOLLOW JUST SOCCER BUT I SAY SOCCER SUCKS I PREFER AMERICAN SPORTS LIKE BASEBALL (FOR FIRST) BASKET AND FOOTBALL. P.S GO DETROIT TIGERS!!! <3 (from Cristiano Falanga, Sept 2012)
  • What about motorsports? (from Fanie, Sept 2012)
  • SOCCER is the best game in the world. it is most viewed, played, loved game. Some years ago i was a cricket fan but i understood it is very much boring. Indian's are  less stamina because cricket is here (from Hafeez ea, Sept 2012)
  • Football is the popular sports in the world, but my opinion cricket will be being the most popular sports, if 20 20 begin early 100 years ... (from football n cricket fan, Sept 2012)
  • you all fools stop arguing cuase sports are sports it dont need to be the best SO FROM MY ESTIMATION EVERY SPORT IS THE BEST ! (from bushra, Aug 2012)
  • Cricket, soccer , tennis are popular because they are played around the world, unlike baseball and american football. India has a population of a billion provides the most number of fans for cricket.. (from vigi, Aug 2012)
  • Field Hockey all the way, it's fast, intense, and is way more dangerous then a game of soccer (from Brianna King, Aug 2012)
  • I love my INDIA and i love my cricket. In my point of view cricket is greater than football. Because cricket needs good practise and tatics to play thats why INDIA is very good in it. But football can be played anyone. So CRICKET is the best game in this planet. (from Pavan Holla, 28 Aug 2012)
  • The CRICKET is most popular game in the universe and SACHIN TENDULKAR is god of cricket ... (from Atul patle, Aug 2012)
  • Soccer #1 in the world. Here in US, It goes like NFL, NBA, MLB. Then NHL, Tennis &Golf and then MLS. Others few cared - Zero commercial value; national champion got paid a couple of thousand tops. These days soccer and lacrosse doing well while football shrinking. (from Zeeman, Aug 2012)
  • I'm surprised mixed martial arts isn't in here.  The UFC has millions of fans/followers and has events on Fuel, FX, and FOX tv.  BTW, in my opinion, and I think I speak on behalf of nearly everyone else in this country when I say Soccer is NOT king!!! (from tyler, 13 Aug 2012)
  • Which sports in 2012 olympics had most countries entered? (from peter, 13 Aug 2012)
  • Cricket and football Both are good because a real sportsman like all sports. (from Deepak, 11 Aug 2012)
  • Professional Wrestling. (from nick, Aug 2012)
  • 250 million Badminton players worldwide (source Badminton England) 265 million Football/Soccer players worldwide (source Fifa.com) Do ANY other sports compare in terms of players? (from flatcon, Aug 2012)
  • Football is a great game. Cricket is more sophisticated. But one cannot compare cricket and foot ball. Tennis is not a team game. Cricket needs more endurance than any other game in the list. It is true that it is time consuming. But great things needs time dear ... One thing is that cricket needs high technique and that the standard of cricket internationally is very high and that is  only played by a few countries. But the thing in foot ball is if Brazil plays China, they can at least make a no-goal draw, but in cricket, if Australia plays Zimbabwe, it will be devastating and the game will be utter bore ... Cricket is only watchable if the teams are good competitors, but football is enjoyable otherwise. Field Hokey is too complex and fast for a normal person and Rugby is a good aggressive game, but not for normal people. (from arunvivek, July 2012)
  • Cricket is the best and it needs best. Football as its name shows it is place is in foot but Cricket is best football is easy to play even ladies an babies can play it.but Cricket needs special skill that does don't have it can't play it. L U CRICKET. (from Fazal hakim, July 2012)
  • Badminton and table tennis are two of the most watched and played sports in the world. Badminton is the fastest racquet sport. The fastest smash hit in a tournament was 206 miles per hour. The fastest smash hit in a practise was 254 miles perhour. (from B Rogers, July 2012)
  • : u stupid football fans ... stop criticising about cricket, it is the best game to play and watch ... so all u football fans be quiet ... (from anand, July 2012)
  • Basketball is the second most popular in the world snd it´s very poupular in America, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asia (from Michael, July 2012)
  • in cricket various skills require in soccer not so much (from ajay, July 2012)
  • I think hockey and table tennis should get first preference in all ... (from mona thakur(india), July 2012)
  • Cricket d great game.made 4 gentlemen nd played by gentlemen.highly respected 4 gud manners (from Arjun, July 2012)
  • football is my life (from sxs, July 2012)
  • Cricket is simply best (from Ranjan Rout, July 2012)
  • CRICKET..CRICKET ... CRICKET ... CRICKET is the most beautiful sport in the world (from kasun)
  • Well for me its football/soccer cos it knows no bounds no matter the culture or race, the game demands so much from a player not to talk of the whole team, yeah other games like criket tennis, olympic games are also fun but not to the extent football has gone, a lot of great competitions d cup of nations,uefa,leagues in different continents, and d mother of all d world cup, surely games like american football,baseball, basketball are interesting if u undastnd d rules, and there's so many of them, but what makes soccer the best is that other sports involves using the hands but soccer makes use of just legs and any other part except the hands and it demands a lot of technique, dats y players like messi, maradona, ziddane, ronaldo delima, c.ronaldo, beckham, etoo, drogba, kanu, johan cruff, maldini, figo, recoba, rivaldo, zico, pele, okocha, ronaldinho, giggs, owen, iniesta, raul, rui-costa, God there are so many of them, the game has recorded great transfers 4rm people of different races, where as in other sports its a bit biased. Thats my bit guys (from David okalanwa, July 2012)
  • Table tennis is the most participation in the world because you can play this sport in any field, from various ages and can play by disable person. (from royan, July 2012)
  • CRICKET IS THE BEST  SPORT IN THE WORLD  CRICKET PLAY PAKISTAN INDIA SRI LANKA ENGLEND AUSTRLIA SAUT AFRICA AFGANISTAN TAY ARE THE BEST IN WORLLD (from FAREED, July 2012)
  • football/soccer will be the best sport in every person's mind if they watch lionel messi play (from NOBODY, June 2012)
  • Lazy people lzy games ... I meant cricket ... it is such a time wasting sport.n.m ... how can people waste their entire day watching this game (from real indian, June 2012)
  • Karate is a tremendous sports in the world. no other sports can take its place. (from Dhriti, June 2012)
  • Hope u forgot badminton ...  Coz its a religion in countries like china, Malasiya, korea, denmark ,Singapore, japan, thailand etc ... Wat say ??
  • Worst game is football. eeeeeeeeeuuu. i hate this game. i think cricket is the best and football/soccor is the worst and vry vry vry vry boring. in coming years cricket will be in the top. (from sampada, June 2012)
  • Cricket is very gentleman game. But soccer and other sports like not cricket. cricket is glorious game (from Al-amin, June 2012)
  • Know why so many people love soccer? It's a simple game that requires alot of skill to play, so anyone even with an IQ of 2 understands the game and can follow it. Cricket on the other hand requires an IQ of at least 100, very intricate sport, definately not simple. Rugby on the other hand requires real men to play. not sissy's who roll around on the field crying and clutching shins after a clearly missed takkle not to mention the arrogance and ill dicipline of sissy err soccer players. RUGBY IS 4 REAL MEN! Thats why rugby isn't big in the states or played in the middle east or india (from Dave, June 2012)
  • Cricket is the father of football, cricket is played in 115 countries and football is plyaed in 204 countrs till the cricket is most popular sports of the world. (from john harrison, June 2012)
  • Honestly, track & field is the number one. because most sports are centered around running. so, yeah xP (from clean, June 2012)
  • Stop all these foolish arguments you cricket maniacs ... Soccer is the best sport played on this planet by far. (from Sid, June 2012)
  • karate is the best game and also interesting i have ever seen and experienced (from rahul, June 2012)
  • Life>Sports>Football>Manchester United>Wayne Rooney. (from Man Utd Fan, May 2012)
  • football is number one by far followed by cricket which is growing fast american sports just never caught on any where else (from james, May 2012)
  • No doubt it is football. It is the most interesting and popular game. The excitement given by this year's primer league was amazing. I don't consider cricket as a game. It is not giving both the team same opportunity. The result in cricket is depending on the toss, climate, wind, moisture on the field and so many factors. So cricket is rather played by 80 percent by ground and condition and 20% by player. So how can you call it a sport. (from Ganapraveen, May 2012)
  • Why hasn't anyone been saying anything good about RUGBY. It is by far the best game ever. You need strength, speed and endurance to play well but anyone from any age can play. It is suited for almost any weather conditions and it's simply fun to play. (from Max, May 2012)
  • Soccer is the best. Most creative and unique sport in the world. Go away all the ignorant haters calling it boring and dumb. (from Zidane, May 2012)
  • god father of all sport is cricket. Only 11 major countries plays the game and still it is second on list so think wat happens if only china will join with India. Think (from dev ojha, May 2012)
  • Football is such a borin and worst game to watch and oly people with goat brains watch it . 22 people chasing a single ball and scoring oly 3-5 goals after hours together wat a time waste and boOoring game (from mithun, May 2012)
  • you guys forgot about wrestling or speed games. football is playing in 204 countries. so it is the best game. in america so many fouls have playing so many games idiots. peoples like sports according to their countries (from Godwin Jacob, May 2012)
  • Volleyball is the most enjoyable sport to play because of the diversity. (from bob, April 2012)
  • Most interesting to play - Badminton, Table Tennis
    Most interesting to watch on Ground - Football
    Most interesting to watch on TV - Cricket
    Most interesting statistics - Cricket
    Most interesting Tactics - Field Hockey
    Most brainy - Chess
    (from pradeep, April 2012)
  • Volleyball is the best sport! your never get bored.
  • Cricket is an all round sport. We play cricket we doesn't always run mad like in football or rugby. There are times we run, we stand, we slide, we fly or it goes on. That's why its a gentlemen game. Watch T20, our latest format of the game.But cricket will become best sport if players so more athleticism. Is anyone agree. (from vinoth, April 2012)
  • Field hockey and football are the best. field hockey is one of the fastest games. football requires power. not like cricket. i don't understand y people call it a sport (from Abhishek Manidhar, April 2012)
  • What about track and field? (from Thrower, April 2012)
  • Softball is the best sport ever, most watched, talked about and played. :) (from hshbdhghdfbfb, April 2012)
  • SOCCER BETTER THEN ANYTHING! (from kevin, April 2012)
  • Football/soccer is undoubtedly the number one sport in the world ... far ahead of any other sport. Cricket is only played in the Indian subcontinent, while in countries like Australia and New Zealand, rugby is actually the top sport. Football on the other hand is the top sport in Mexico, South America, Europe, Africa, and South East Asia ... (from Archit, April 2012)
  • You won't get that thrill in cricket in football! Best game. even make your heart beat faster than usual (from Arjun, March 2012)
  • You fools its Futbol not football.  And yes soccer is the best sport in the world.  Cricket is a no-lifer, non-physical and retarded activity: not even worth playing.  It doesn't deserve the number two spot ... more like track and field. (from Chris P. Bacon, April 2012)
  • cricket is d best in world soccer is giving not thirll like that in few days cricket will be best sport in world (from amol india, April 2012)
  • Dear football fans,now cricket is played by gentlemen and who have mind and technique, you foolish football fans, you dont know about cricket and cricket fans, now we are growing in high speed and will rule all over the world, then you know the power of cricket and its fans for then you find your way to walk out from the world otherwise the result will be very bad to you all (from Mohd Taushif, March 2012)
  • Cricket in Indian sub-continent. Rugby in New-zealand and Aus. Baseball in USA. Ice hockey in Canada ... and everywhere else Football. (from Sachinism, March 2012)
  • tackle football is the best (from clay, March 2012)
  • Cricket is nothing in comparison of soccer and field hockey. There are mainly about 14 countries play cricket but 203 countries play football and 147 countries play field hockey (from Abhishek Manidhar, March 2012)
  • Basketball is the second or third popular sport in the world. It is very popular in North America and Europe. Some European countries basketball is more popular than soccer. Euroleague and Liga acb are totally supported. (from Ahmedi, March 2012)
  • East or west cricket is the best.i like very much cricket .cricket is playing 105 country moreover barazil and argentina is playing cricket so cricket is the best (from danyden, March 2012).
  • Cricket is the best in the world. my life is cricket. i like football but only world cup but everyday i like cricket. (from zahir khan, March 2012)
  • Football is king! It is most watched, most played in the world. Millions of fans every weekend attend football stadiums around the world!!!! No other sport comes near it!!!! (from Harry Australia, Jan 2012)
  • Cricket is the most boring sport moreover it is known for match fixing in India, Pakistan, SL and Australia (from Syed, Jan 2012)
  • U idiots have forgot handball, in Norway only, there is over 200 teams in series of girls borned in 1996, so how many teams are in whole Norway? Think about that! (from Samii, Jan 2012)
  • I am sorry but I have to agree that Baseball is one of the ugliest sport to watch.  And there are plenty of Americans who love to play the true game of football (FIFA) (from a Yankee, sorry guys, Sept 2011)
  • I think soccer is the best game and played by most country (from harsh, Aug 2011)
  • Cricket the most interesting game in the world. (Mujahid ali saqib, Aug 2011)
  • first thing first: it's sacrilegious to call football as soccer. Football (international body FIFA) is indeed the king and will always remain that. It is played on every continent (except by the penguins on Antarctica and the yankees in the USA). Loved by Latinos, Caucasians, Arabs, Africans, Asians. This truly is a sport that all of humanity is enchanted with. After football, the most beautiful sport in my opinion is Tennis. Undoubtedly the most beautiful individuals sport. Field Hockey, Cricket, Table Tennis, Basketball, and Volleyball are decent sports as well. The most disgusting game to watch and play: Baseball (Congrats Yankees). The second most disgusting game to watch: Golf. (Though must be delightful to play) (from aqib, July 2011)
  • Isn't basketball like the 2nd or 3rd most popular sports (from like a somebaaaaaady, June 2011)
  • Only 20 countries, even not in the Olympics, not in Commonwealth games, the game of CRICKET is top in Asia!! Some people are saying test cricket is taken long time, but over 80000 thousand watches the ASHES in every day (in ground) what about that? My dear football friends after another few years football will come CRICKET (the honest game) will take lead (from faiq, June 2011).

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