Most Popular Sport in the World

by tom on March 20, 2006

Athletics usually attract those with a competitive nature, and sports are the domain where competitive people can excel to become the modern day celebrity-icons known as professional sports players. Young children across the world practice playing their sport with friends in their neighborhood. What sport are most of these would-be athletes playing, what is the most popular sport in the world?football soccer ball

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport played today. The term soccer first appeared in the 19th century as for Association Football, and is used in the United States commonly, but the term football is used by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport’s world governing body and by most of English speakers throughout the world.

A survey in 2001 by FIFA 2001 showed more than 240 million people play the sport of football in over 200 countries across almost every part of the globe. Because of this some have named football the world’s favorite pastime, but instead we are naming football the world’s most popular sport!

It was recently reported that Google and Nike have partnered to launch Joga, a social networking website for football (soccer) enthusiasts. This is no wonder since football is the most popular and most played sport in the world!

Similar Posts:

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us

This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.

{ 72 comments }

austenwaite June 15, 2006 at 12:06 pm

i think basketball is the best and will become very popular

ALBERTO July 11, 2010 at 1:19 pm

yeahh… SOCCER IS THE MOST POPULAR SPORT BECAUSE.. YOU JUST NEED A SOOCER BALL THATS IT..!!!!! POOR CONTRIES CAN'T AFFORD SOMETHING ELSE.. I LOVE SOCCER…!!!!!!!

peacelovejoy July 26, 2010 at 3:41 pm

um yeah well in football all u need is a ball and in volleyball. so yeah ur wrong.

simeon September 24, 2006 at 3:27 pm

fooooootball is not soccer

guest April 18, 2010 at 4:10 pm

um, hate to break it to you, but i'm pretty sure that footbali s the more common name "soccer." Only americans call it soccer.

Guest June 9, 2010 at 3:06 pm

the word "soccer" derives from a, as quite rightly noted, 19th century, insult by the Rugby boy's school on Eton's version of football wherein they created leagues and association…take 5 letters from the middle you have "socia" hence the rugby boys shouting "ohh are we playing socca??"….so I hope that cleared it up.

Carlos April 23, 2010 at 11:25 pm

Football is soccer. Only people from the United States call soccer soccer. The term "soccer" evolved from Football aSOCCiation. It arrived from association. Soccer in the Europe is Football. Soccer is spanish speaking countries is Futbol. You barely use your foot in American Football. Anyways, Futbol is the world's most popular, watched and played sport in the world.

twef July 1, 2010 at 5:37 am

Football is soccer for like 4 billion people out of the 6.5 billion in the world. You are refering to American Football (where ironically you do not use your feet anywhere near as much as you do in football/soccer).

Lisa October 9, 2006 at 4:14 pm

i think this is the absolute truth if you think about it and i agree 100% and i also think that the reason i agree is because i play the sport my space,I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE SOCCER

Steven October 19, 2006 at 12:23 pm

Soccer is definately the most popular sport in the world because almost every country participates in it. NO one likes volleyball!

Anthony brams October 24, 2006 at 10:10 am

I dis agree because hockey is definetly better then soccer. Soccor requires no skill whats so ever. Hockey is better then soccor end of story.

Brams

George Candado April 25, 2010 at 5:28 pm

Sorry to disappoint you but the only ones that take advantage of hockey are the dentists and traumatologists… hockey is not even on the list of the 10 most popular sports in the world

lily May 18, 2010 at 3:05 pm

what skill does hockey take……………

Jane Dawn June 21, 2010 at 4:08 pm

In your world, statistics dont lie, deal with it… end of story

Obinna August 15, 2010 at 6:12 am

Watch some of Zidane's old games or Henry or Ronaldinho or Fabregas.. and say football doesn't take skill.

Jaime November 9, 2006 at 6:39 pm

Soccer is the most played sport and is the best sport.I have been playing for about 5 years now and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Not everybody knows how much fun soccer can really be.

~~JAIME~~

Jake November 16, 2006 at 7:44 am

I also agree 100% because I play soccer and always will!!!

paul February 28, 2007 at 5:05 pm

the game is know as football because you play it with your feet, and if you have played football before or basketball you will understand the term ball control so the likes of braoms who dont understand what its all about should know that it will take light years for any sport to eclipse foolball.

breanne March 2, 2007 at 2:58 pm

i think football is the best sport in the world and i like rugby and running but football take some beating

ben ross March 12, 2007 at 5:43 pm

just look at the world cup and you will see that football is far and away the most popular. Example, 1000s of english went to germany to be in germany for the last world cup knowing they couldnt get in the ground. You dont get that for any other tournament.

aaaaaaa March 13, 2007 at 11:34 am

cricket is the second most played sport in the world. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri lanka make up almost 2 billion people on their own.

Luke March 16, 2007 at 5:54 am

FOOTBALL!!!!!FOOTBALL!!!! Cleary the best sport in the world

J Porter March 21, 2007 at 11:07 am

Soccer is awesome! Maroa Forsyth/Warrensburg Latham Highschool boys got 8th in state in soccer this year!!!!

Roger Federer April 5, 2007 at 6:55 pm

TENNIS IS THE BEST SPORT WEATHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT

Paulina February 24, 2010 at 10:14 pm

Tennis is for boring people that dont have nothing to do!!!Soccor is the #1 sport in the world so end of story!!!!!

1234567890 August 24, 2010 at 1:03 am

you have a point :) .

Jim April 11, 2007 at 9:43 am

Yo0o0 soccer is def one of the best sports ever!!!!! yeah!!!

MIMI WEKS April 16, 2007 at 1:08 pm

BASKETBALL IS THE BEST SPORT EVER…I LOVE BASKETBALL

Guy Major May 1, 2007 at 6:17 am

This isn’t a debate. It also isn’t personal opinion of which sport “you” like best. It is fact Football “Soccer for us lamers in the states” is the most popular sport in the world. Followed closely, and it is close, by Cricket. The next sports on the list do not even come any where near the amount of people who play/watch the two mentioned above. Just simple fact. Don’t bother going by the lame repsonses on wiki and such. Look it up in the world almanacs and current encyclopedias.

Laya May 3, 2007 at 9:11 am

I LOVE BASKETBALL WITH ALL MY HEART!!
I GET IN TO THE GAME SO MUCH .. I HAVENT
REALLY PLAYED ON A TEAM SINCE 6TH GRADE
BUT I REALLY WANT TO GET BACK ON A TEAM CAUSE
IT KINDA SEEMS LIKE I HAVE TO..I DONT KNOW,, I JUSS LOVE IT..
AT THIS POINT AND TIME IN MY LIFE I CANT LET IT GET IN THE WAY
CAUSE THERE’S SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO DO IN LIFE.. IM AT THE POINT RIGHT NOW TO WHERE IM TAKING CLASSES TO GET MY PERMIT, I TRY TO KEEP UP WITH MY FRIENDS, THERE’S SO MUCH TO DO AROUND THE HOUSE.. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO TIME FOR ME TO PLAY ON A BASKETBALL TEAM.. IT REALLY BREAKS MY HEART THOUGHT THAT I CAN’T PLAY ON ONE.. :(
I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO ONCE AGAIN SOME DAY,..!!

jose May 31, 2007 at 2:52 pm

soccer is the most beutiful game in the world. No other sport even gets close to it.

Rodo July 20, 2007 at 7:54 am

Football plane and simple is the best sport in the world. For those lame u.s people call it soccer. Long live the sport….!

nelson August 12, 2007 at 5:27 pm

stop saying basketbal, volleyball, criket, american football, baseball, is the first sport played in the worl. we all know that football (soccer) as some call it, is the most sport played in the world.. #1 forever..and always will..

ashhhh September 7, 2007 at 3:37 pm

Basketball is the sport Lithuanians are alive for.

abdullah April 23, 2008 at 7:25 pm

wat
wat
cricket is the best! right after soccer!

ajay May 3, 2008 at 1:46 am

Cricket is second most popular sport clearly,
as it is played all british colonies.
India alone has over 1 billion fans.
Cricket is a religion in India.Many people dont know anything about football here.

TAHER March 28, 2010 at 10:22 pm

Disagree With You I live in India Indian People also Love Football ,

OSmith April 16, 2010 at 5:49 am

Countries with high population play a big difference in adding numbers to cricket popularity. But there are majority of countries/people around the world that don't have any idea what cricket is. Remember that cricket fully associates only 10 countries which concentrate all the funs that cricket has around the world.

Sarah June 8, 2008 at 1:56 pm

I♥Soccer!!!!!!!!!

michael March 20, 2010 at 2:37 pm

Me too!!!!!!!!!

Faisal Mughal June 20, 2008 at 5:03 am

Cricket is the worlds most popular sports game, I love cricket..

ANIRUDH July 6, 2008 at 10:03 pm

CRRRRRRRIIIIIIICCCCKKKKET IS THE BEST THAN OTHER SPORTS IT IS FUN AND BAT AND BALL SPORT

mojica July 10, 2008 at 3:15 pm

Futbol is the BEST sport don’t call it soccer Futbol is the best its played all over the AMERICAS and EUROPE also AFRICA ASIA ASTRUALIA!!!!! maybe the polar bears play futbol on ANTACTICA HAHA. FUTBOL FORLIFE!!

Isaac August 18, 2008 at 12:00 am

if the WORLD says Football(soccer) is #1 then it is.

END~

Joseph September 11, 2008 at 11:07 pm

I think the soccer is the best sport in the world!! ITS THE MOST POPULAR!!! I LOVE THE SOCCER!

Valerie October 9, 2008 at 9:46 pm

I think that hockey takes a lot of skill and is an awesome sport. The problem is when people say that a similar sport:soccer requires no skill. All sports take skill; to think otherwise is ignorant.

Micheal Jackson March 11, 2010 at 4:46 am

BASEBALL IS THE BEST SPORT EVER !!!!… IF U DESAGREE DEAL WITH IT!!!!

michael March 20, 2010 at 2:35 pm

I think baseball is the best sport ever too!!!

DANETTE March 18, 2010 at 1:02 am

I DISAGREE BECAUSE CHEERLEADING IS BETTER THAN SOCCER AND YOU GET MORE MUCELS.

amir March 18, 2010 at 7:28 pm

I♥Soccer!!!!!!!!! more then any thing

Zulfiqar Ali Khan March 21, 2010 at 7:35 pm

cricket is no doubt the most played game on the planet………….Football is only popular in Europe and South America , these two continents together can't even match the population of india alone , only in sub-continent where cricket is the only game to be played and watched and people don't even know about football , makes about 1/3 of the world population….. There is no doubt cricket the best sport in the world….

maple killa March 24, 2010 at 1:45 pm

i love soccer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aussie Boy March 26, 2010 at 5:00 am

1) Football (SOCCER)
2) Basketball
3) Tennis (SQUASH)

mr fantastic May 23, 2010 at 10:12 pm

dude, you realise tennis and squash are 2 different sports? football is definitely the best sport though

TAHER March 28, 2010 at 10:21 pm

Surely Football is the best in the world….. after Football there is Basketball….

youdonotneedtoknow March 30, 2010 at 3:43 pm

you are not right football

rohan April 2, 2010 at 9:00 am

football is the most popular sport… but i think t20 cricket might over take it in the future.

fgfgf April 4, 2010 at 12:37 am

soccer worlds best sport.

neojohnvishal April 6, 2010 at 11:01 am

No words , xactky football rocks,than Cricket hahahah…..!!!!! Stricker Cr7 2009's topper, Messi 2010's topper…..!!!! Soooo who will be 2011's Topper…..???? Guess……

Mitchell Benn April 11, 2010 at 1:00 am

Hockey is better… by a long shot

vlad.shp April 20, 2010 at 11:49 pm

soccer is awesome hockey socks volleyball is better then hockey and basketball and baseball and racing and boxing and all the spots in the world except soccer soccer awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rambo May 25, 2010 at 7:10 pm

Cricket is world's most popular sport!!!!

1. Cricket
2. Football
3. Motor Sport

russle June 2, 2010 at 11:45 am

Cricket, most exciting game in the world

prince June 9, 2010 at 8:26 am

i love soccer , soccer is a passion…………..

Armstrong June 26, 2010 at 10:03 pm

First is soccer and second is cricket.
I love cricket. India has d highest number of cricket fan follower. it is a religion and sachin is d god of cricket.

mike June 26, 2010 at 10:04 pm

cricket rocks after soccer. India keep rocking in cricket.

Varinder July 16, 2010 at 2:48 am

I LOVE SOCCER! AND EVERYBODY I KNOW LOVES IT! EASILY THE BEST SPORT IN THE WORLD RII NOW!:)

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: