No surprise that football, or what Americans call "soccer" is the world's most popular sport to play and watch. An estimated 3.5 million people either watch or play football. The World Cup is the championship of this sport and this tournament is played every four years. The World Cup itself is one of the most popular sports on television, with the tune in many countries in droves to see the team play in their country. Football is popular throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and South America. However, with so many other sports to be popular, States United States States is still behind his interest in football. "
Then we have the cricket. This sport which consists of a bat and ball has been around for hundreds of years and originated in England. The sport is very popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, some African countries, some Caribbean countries and is the most popular sport in the countries of India and Pakistan. An estimated 3 million people watch or play cricket each year.
The next most popular sport is a sure surprise, and is field hockey, with an estimated 2000 million players or spectators, especially in Asian countries, European countries, Australia and Africa. The sport tends to be played in secondary schools in the United States, usually girls only.
Coming up next is the tennis. Not so surprising, but it is estimated that there are billions of tennis players and observers from around the world. Tennis tends to be popular in richer countries, including the U.S., Asian countries, Australia and Europe. There are four major tennis tournaments, called "Grand Slam" in which players play many countries. The first is the Australia Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and then the U.S. Open in late August. Grand Slam tournaments tend to get the most attention during the tennis season.
Then we have volleyball. Yet another surprise, with an estimated 900 million viewers or players around the world. Volleyball is popular in the United States, where the sport originated, as well as in Brazil, Europe, Russia, China and Japan. Volleyball is a popular sport in high school in many countries because the team focused on the game and the lack of specialized equipment requirements.
Also popular is table tennis, also known as ping-pong. This is another surprisingly popular sport around the world, with an estimated 900 million viewers or players. Table tennis originated in the United Kingdom as an activity after dinner for Victoria in the 19th century. Table tennis as a competitive sport is very popular in many countries but is especially popular in China, Korea and Singapore.
After these sports, we have a triumvirate of American mainstream sports including baseball, golf, football and basketball, with each sport attracting between 400 and 500 million players or watchers around the world.
