Football is the most popular sport on planet Earth, with an estimated 3.5 to 4 billion people claiming to be fans of the beautiful game. It is a sport that can be played by anyone, anywhere, in any way and at any time, making it the most popular sport in the world. Football has shown its No. 1 status by attracting the largest number of football fans on the planet, regardless of gender, color, nationality or religion.
In 2001, according to a FIFA survey, there were more than 250 million people playing football regularly in more than 200 countries. The growth of football in China was restricted for many years by rigorous state control that banned everything western in the country. However, with the current president Xi Jinping being a football fan and his ambitions to host the World Cup in the near future, greater investment and growth of football is expected in China. The odds of watching a full football match are higher than in other sports due to its shorter length and faster pace. This makes football a more popular sport because people don't have to spend too much time watching it, even though you can plan a nice dinner or have a barbecue around a football game if you want.
Football is also less dangerous than other sports, especially for young people. The next most popular sports in the world are cricket (2.5 billion fans), basketball (2.2 billion fans) and field hockey (2 billion). In the United States, football is the most popular sport. When a sports game is too long, the mind gets tired and bored of watching it. On websites like ESPN and BBC Sports, there are lists of top sports for each country based on estimated number of fans. We expect to see countries like France and Croatia on the list of places where football is most popular, but it's a surprise to see how far they are on the list. Football is way above all other sports with respect to its followers and shows no signs of slowing down as it begins to leave its mark on markets that have traditionally resisted its attractions.
With very little equipment needed beyond two baskets and a ball, it is an accessible sport regardless of class. Let Scott Fujita give you the answer: Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the world.
