CNBNews

Sports significantly impact our culture, from when we are young and take sports very seriously to when we are older and view it as a hobby, a fitness routine, and even a possible career. Sports are now followed with great enthusiasm in every corner of the globe. Due to its popularity, sports are even brought out on online casinos like CasinoTopLists as one of the games people can bet on. 

The fans of a particular sport or team tend to idolize that player or squad, viewing them as role models. Favorite sports vary by region, as do the people who follow them. This is why assigning rankings in sports is so challenging. For this reason, it is difficult to determine the validity and authenticity of the various sports lists that may be found online.

Defining "most popular sports" is crucial here. The term "popular" can refer to a variety of different things, including the sports that draw the most viewers, the most participants, or the most money. However, ranking the most popular sports would be unjust if we relied on only a few factors. Therefore, we have chosen to apply 15 distinct criteria to rank the most popular sports globally.

Although providing accurate estimates for the number of people participating in sports worldwide is challenging, we can give a rough sense of some of the most participating sports based on the current information.

Here, we'll examine the ten sports that garner the most spectators around the globe.

1. Soccer/Football

Football's popularity as a spectator sport is matched by its widespread participation at all levels, from recreational pickup games to organized leagues and tournaments. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) conducted a global census in 2012 and found that 4% of the world's population, or 265 million people, play soccer and that there are more than 5 million referees.

2. Badminton

Badminton's inclusion in the top 10 most played sports list may come as a surprise to some. But badminton is a hugely popular indoor sport, with an estimated 220 million players around the globe. As a result of the sport's widespread popularity in Asia, many of its finest players have originated there.

3. Field Hockey

Athletes of both sexes from over a hundred countries across five continents participate in this high-speed sport. Field hockey, a fan favorite in the Olympics, is a technical game played by 11 players (10 outfielders and a goalkeeper) who follow a slightly different set of rules than those used in ice hockey.

4. Volleyball

Volleyball, created in the United States, has a staggering projected global participation total of 998 million individuals. With over 220 associated national federations registered to volleyball's worldwide regulatory organization, the 'FIVB,' the sport is practiced in every corner of the globe, inside and out.

5. Basketball

Over 450 million people participate in basketball on some level each year, whether it is for fun or in organized leagues, according to the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA). Basketball's rise to international prominence from its native America has been helped by basketball legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

6. Tennis

An estimated 60 million men and women play tennis regularly around the world, according to a ranking by Topend Sports. This means that tennis has surpassed all other individual sports as the most played around the globe. Tennis is so popular that even its doubles format makes the top 10 list of sports played by people all over the world.

7. Cricket

Though most cricket players are concentrated in the countries of Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the sport is gaining ground in many other parts of the world. According to the International Cricket Council, a whopping 125 nations have official cricket teams (ICC).

8. Table Tennis

This indoor sport's popularity has skyrocketed over the years, and it is now taught and played in classrooms, social groups, and recreation centers all across the globe. Regularly, Topend Sports estimates that 300 million people play table tennis.

9. Baseball

While the United States has always been baseball's most enormous fan base, other countries, including Japan, are beginning to catch on to the sport's exploding popularity. Sixty-five million people from more than 140 countries are said to play baseball or softball by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the female baseball equivalent.

10. Golf

According to Golf Today, 60 million people worldwide play golf regularly, making it one of the most popular sports in the world. If you play golf once a year or more frequently use a golf facility like a driving range, you are considered a "regular golfer," according to these statistics.