World’s ten most popular sports revealed with host of shock entries including hockey THIRD and volleyball in top five

THE world’s top ten most popular sports have been revealed.

And it includes a host of shock entries in the list.

GettyLewis Hamilton’s beloved Formula One is not among the most popular sports[/caption]

PAFind out if boxing makes the top ten amid a golden era including Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk[/caption]

A new piece of research has been completed to draw up the latest numbers of fans.

And it sees approximately half of the 7billion world population watching the No1 sport.

The figures – compiled by World Atlas – delve into the figures to work out which events get the most eyeballs on them.

So, which sports make the top ten?

10. Golf – 450m

Tiger Woods may no longer be at his prime but an estimated 450million tune in to watch golf – thanks in part to dominant American world No1s Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda.

This autumn’s team events – the Solheim Cup and the Presidents Cup – offer a different format for fans to support teams rather than individuals.

EPAScottie Scheffler enjoyed a stunning 2024 season and won the Masters[/caption]

9. Rugby – 475m

South Africa won the 2023 Rugby World Cup in thrilling fashion with one-point victories over France, England and New Zealand in the knockout stages.

The sport is immensely popular across the world – from Fiji to Wales to Argentina to Japan although England, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia are the only World Cup winners.

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GettySouth Africa beat New Zealand in last year’s Rugby World Cup final[/caption]

8. Baseball – 500m

Unlike rugby, baseball has a high concentration of its fans in one country, the US.

So much so that the so-called World Series is made up of the MLB teams – 29 from America and one from Canada – although matches have been played outside of North America including at the London Stadium.

ReutersMajor League Baseball has been on tour including to London[/caption]

7. Basketball – 800m

Basketball also has big appeal for its American league – the NBA – but the sport is also incredibly popular in Europe.

The scale of its appeal at the 2024 Olympics was clear to see as the all-star American side featuring LeBron James and Steph Curry pipped Serbia and then won gold against hosts France.

APLeBron James and Steph Curry teamed up to win Olympic gold in Paris[/caption]

6. Table Tennis – 850m

The first surprising sport to make the top ten is table tennis in sixth.

Massive in China, the game has spread throughout Asia and beyond – and is helped by its simple rules and accessibility to play.

GettyTable tennis is incredibly popular in China and throughout Asia[/caption]

5. Volleyball – 900m

To think volleyball has 900m fans and is the fifth-biggest sport in the world is extraordinary.

But it is such a dynamic sport to watch and is particularly enjoyed on the European continent, Central and South America – with Brazil winning three men’s world championships in a row. Philippines host next year’s event.

APVolleyball makes the top five in a shock twist[/caption]

4. Tennis – 1bn

Another sport with truly worldwide appeal – helped by the fact the sport follows the sun throughout the year and is played in some of the biggest cities plus anyone can give it a go at their local courts.

Tennis world No1s have been from Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, America, Romania, Australia, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Chile, Brazil, Russia, Italy, Belgium, France, Denmark, Japan, Belarus, Poland and more.

APCarlos Alcaraz won Wimbledon and is among the next generation of superstars in tennis[/caption]

3. Hockey – 2bn

Again, this could be one to raise a few eyebrows but hockey is adored in India, where there is a population of nearly 1.5bn.

The game originated in England in the 18th Century but it is now the Netherlands who are the dominant nation across men’s and women’s hockey.

GettyNetherlands are now the dominant force in men’s and women’s hockey[/caption]

2. Cricket – 2.5bn

For similar reasons, cricket takes second spot thanks to its outrageous popularity in India with Virat Kohli boasting 270m Instagram followers.

World Cup winners have also come from Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and England – with the next men’s event hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

GettyVirat Kohli and the Indian cricket team’s popularity is off the charts[/caption]

1. Football – 3.5bn

And unsurprisingly, top of the pile is football.

The global game truly is exactly that with huge viewing figures across the world.

So much so that approximately half of the entire population is estimated to watch football – with tournaments such as the World Cup, Euros, Champions League and Premier League providing box-office viewing.

No fewer than 48 teams from six confederations will compete at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

And that top ten means there is no space for boxing, MMA, Formula One or horseracing.

GettyFootball tops the list of the world’s most popular sports[/caption]