Sports has become a crucial part of everyone’s life. We all play sports in our life for some or other means maybe for entertainment, for passion, for fitness or for pursuing a career. Even the younger kids play it with great enthusiasm. Aren’t you a fan of at least one of the games or following it ardently? You will be surely doing that.

In this article you will be introduced to the most popular sports in the world and the following or the fans they are having. By popular we mean the most followed and the most adored game passionately.

Let’s move on to the ranking part and we will list you all the games that have gained popularity.

Most of these games are played in the Olympics wherein different countries compete with each another.

Nowadays sports has become a mean of generating revenue with the new sports league coming up throughout the year and this is also a reason for its popularity.

1. Soccer- 4 billion fans.

Soccer also known as Association football is the most popular sport in the world. It has influenced almost the whole world. It is said that 50% of the world’s population consider themselves as a soccer fan. Soccer has the estimation of about 4 billion fan that is the highest of any other sport played. The sport was first officially started in England and hence it has its highest influence on the countries of Europe and America. The sports consist of two teams each having eleven players and two goals. The main objective of the game is to dive the ball into the goal. 

2. Cricket- 2.5 billion fans.

Cricket is the second most popular sports in the world with about 2.5 billion from all over the world. There is surely no explanation required for this game as everyone must have surely played it once in their childhood. In India most people even do it every weekend. This game also consist of eleven players and has become very famous among countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Australia. 

3. Field Hockey- 2 billion fans.

Field Hockey has an estimated following of about 2 billion throughout the world and we all know that it is the national game of India. It was first started and played in England in the 1800s. It is widely played in India, Australia and Pakistan.

4. Tennis- 1 billion fans.

Tennis has an estimated global following of 1 billion fans. Though it was played by different countries initially, but the modern game was first introduced by France and then spread into Europe and later to the other parts. This game is played among two group each consisting of one or two player that each one of them has to pass a ball over the net by tennis racket. They earn points when an opponent misses to pass a ball to the other.

5. Volleyball- 900 Million fans.

Initially influence of this game was in Western Europe and North America the most and also has a global following of about 900 million fans. The sport was invented in the US by William G.Morgan in 1895. The sport has moreover changed to become the modern sport played today. It consist of 6 players each who throw a ball over the net. 

6. Table Tennis- 875 Million fans.

This sports was started by England and was referred to as Ping Pong. It has a global influence of about 875 million fans. The game requires the player in two teams to pass the ball by hitting on a hard table with net in the between.

7. Basketball- 825 Million fans.

Basketball has around 825 million fans globally. The sport was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 in the United States. He invented it with the view of making it alternative to Football as it could be played indoor and would cause less accident. The sport is played between two team consisting of five players wherein they compete for putting the higher number of ball in the basket 10ms above the ground. 

8. Baseball- 500 Million fans.

Baseball is highly popular in the United States, the Caribbean and Japan. The sport requires a bat and a ball and is played between two teams each consisting of 9 players. It has changed by time from what it was invented as to become the modern sport played today.

9. Rugby- 475 Million fans.

Rugby is primarily famous in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth and has gained around 475 million fans. The sport is played among two teams each consisting of 15 players who has to pass, kill or carry the ball to the end line to score a point.

10. Golf- 450 Million fans.

Golf has an estimated following of 450 million people and has an influence in Western Europe, East Asia and North America. The sport was first played in Scotland then to UK and later to the rest of the world. It is played in India by many elite group as a hobby and hence has a very niche audience in India.

These were the most popular sport in the whole world and you would be definitely following one of them. Also, yes you are a part of our following counts. To all the others this article would give you a brief about the whole sport scenario throughout the world.

Association football also is known as Football or soccer is one of the oldest and most popular games in the whole world. It has a very huge fan following all over the world and I am sure you are one of them heading forward to get into the team of football lovers and players throughout the world.

There are many football tournaments played in various countries.

The game with a history of more than 100 years was first started in 1863 by England and that’s the time when the first football association was formed.

Objectives of the Game.

The main objective of football is to score more goals than your opponent in a 90 minutes time span. The game is divided into two parts each of 45 minutes. The player gets a break to rest in between. The players have to strive hard to try to make goals at their turn and try hard to stop your opponents from making goals while they are trying to do so and all this should be done keeping in mind all the rules and regulation of the games which will be later mentioned in the article.

Players and other equipment required.

The football team is made up of 11 players. These players consist of 10 on-field players and 1 goalkeeper. The game is played on a pitch of the standard measurement.  A football as we all know is the most important as the game is all dependent on that.

Some other essential equipments required are studded football boots, shin pads, and also the goalkeeper requires some additional guards like padded gloves.

There is a captain on each team.

Football Scores.

To score points in football it is all about winning goals. One can score goals by using any body parts except their hand and arms up to the shoulder.  For winning you have to score more goals than your opponent team in the given 90 minute time frame.

The players are not allowed to use their hands, only the goalkeeper can use anybody’s parts to save the ball from hitting the goal.

Rules of Football.

• A match consists of two 45 minutes match with a 15 minutes break in between.
• Each team should have 11 players out of which one is the goalkeeper.
• Each team is allowed to have up to 7 substitute players.
• The game should also include one referee and two assistant referees.
• It’s in the hand of the referee to look upon the game, keep a time track, and also look for any foul that is conducted.
• The ball must cross the goal line to be counted as a Goal.

These were some of the rules that were must-known for any football player. As we all know the popularity of this game that will be something that will make us more enthusiastic about the game.

The instruction mentioned above were the standard rules required to be followed by the professional football player. One can be less stringent while playing with friends or practicing football on a personal level.

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