Top 10 Sports in World

Sports are a common thread that binds people together from all around the globe. This doesn't mean everyone loves the same sport; rather, because there are so many different sports to play and enjoy, everyone has a preference.

Sports are physical activities that set opponents against each other for the goal of the competition and involve feats of strength, agility, dexterity, and other abilities.

The competition can occasionally involve two people, two teams, or multiple people, and it can range from fun (Badminton) to hazardous (Karate & Professional Boxing). Professional players are still among the world's wealthiest individuals, earning hundreds of millions of dollars in sponsorships and commercial agreements. Sports have been an age-old institution in most civilizations and carry immense status. Let's have a look at the top 10 sports in the world, how they are different and what uniqueness they hold.

1. Football

Associate Football, often known as soccer or football, is a sport in which two teams of eleven players compete with a spherical ball. It is the most popular sport in the world, with 250 million players in over 200 countries. A rectangular field with a goal at each end is used to play the game. The purpose of the game is to get the football into the opposition goal using any part of the body other than the arms and hands.

Only goalkeepers are permitted to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play, and only within their own penalty area. It now ranks among the richest sports in the world in terms of revenue. Soccer has the most fans in every country in the world. The number of individuals who watch the sport's global and regional championships on a regular basis is unrivaled. The World Cup, which takes place every four years, is the most important competition in football. The FIFA World Cup 2018 was watched by over 3.2 billion people, according to reports. It is without a doubt the most-watched sporting event on the planet.

2. Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport in which two teams of 11 players compete on a field with a rectangular 22-yard pitch in the middle. Batting alternates between the two contending sides in an attempt to score runs. The opposite team fields while one team bats. An innings is the unit of measurement for each turn. Tests, One-Day Internationals, and Twenty-20 Internationals are the three different formats of cricket. The popularity of cricket has risen dramatically since the introduction of the T20 format. In India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the West Indies, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe, cricket is extremely popular. Because cricket is a popular sport in only roughly 15 nations, the number of professional leagues in the world is also limited. Cricket's league structure is very young, but it is gaining popularity. The Indian Premier League, or IPL, is one of the most prestigious sports leagues in the world, having only been established a few years ago. Another significant competition of cricket is the Big Bash League in Australia. More countries are gradually constructing cricket leagues, and the number of professional leagues is expected to rise in the near future.

3. Basketball

Basketball is a sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of five players. The goal is to shoot a ball through a hoop with a diameter of 18 inches (46 cm) and a height of 10 feet (3.0 m) mounted on a backboard at each end. During ordinary play, a team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket. If a player is touching or closer to the hoop than the three-point line on a field goal, the shooting team receives two points, and three points if the player is below the three-point line. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins. Basketball is the world's third most popular sport, both in terms of participation and viewership. Basketball lovers number between 2 to 3 billion people. The majority of supporters are based in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, and the Philippines. Basketball is played professionally in many nations across the world. The NBA, on the other hand, is by far the most popular.

4. Hockey

With 2-2.2 billion supporters across Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and other parts of the world, hockey [field + ice] is the world's third most popular sport. It is a group of sports in which two teams compete by attempting to maneuver a ball or puck into the opponent's goal with the use of a hockey stick. One sport, either field hockey or ice hockey, is commonly referred to as hockey in numerous areas. Hockey is popular all throughout the world in both forms.

Field hockey is the national sport of Pakistan. Ice hockey, on the other hand, is quite popular throughout Europe, particularly in Canada, the United States, Latvia, and Sweden. There are various professional ice hockey and field hockey leagues throughout the world. The sport's professional leagues are concentrated in North America and Europe. The National Hockey League (NHL) in the United States is the world's most popular hockey league. The World Cup of Hockey is the most important competition in field hockey. In the Olympics, both ice hockey and field hockey are popular sports.

5. Tennis

Tennis is a sport in which participants compete against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player hits a hollow rubber ball covered in felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court with a racket attached with a cord. The goal of the game is to play the ball in a way that prevents the opponent from making a successful return.

Tennis has a large following throughout the world. Although, in affluent countries, it is more popular than in poor countries. Tennis players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are well-known all over the world and have a global fan base of hundreds of millions. Tennis is a sport in which you compete against yourself. National tennis federations exist in practically every country. Every year, competitions are held at both the international and national levels. The four major slams, Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open, are the most prestigious tennis tournaments. Millions of people throughout the world watch and follow them.

6. Volleyball

Volleyball is the 6th most popular sport in the world, with 900 million supporters spread over Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Australia. Volleyball is a team sport in which a net separates two teams of six players. Under regulated regulations, each team aims to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court. Since 1964, it has been a part of the official Summer Olympic Games program. All sports have national federations, but volleyball has the most. These federations frequently organize professional and semi-professional leagues. The FIVB Volleyball Championship is the world's largest volleyball competition. The event is held every four years and involves 24 countries.

7. Table Tennis

Table Tennis, often known as ping pong, is a sport in which two or four players use table tennis rackets to strike a lightweight ball back and forth. The game is played on a hard table with a net separating the players. Except for the initial serve, players must let only one bounce on their side of the table for a ball hit towards them before returning it to the opposite side.

There are millions of enthusiasts for this game. Table tennis lovers can be found all over the world. Table tennis has a significant fan base of about 900 million people worldwide, made up of millions of amateurs, amateur players, and professional players. Table tennis is popular in every country in the globe when it comes to professional leagues. National table tennis federations exist in almost every country, and competitions are organized on a regular basis throughout the year. The World Table Tennis Championship is the world's largest table tennis tournament. It is conducted every two years and attracts the best players in the game. Aside from that, the Olympic table tennis competition is an important event in the sport.

8. Baseball

Baseball is the 8th most popular sport in the world, with almost 500 million fans in the United States, Japan, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport in which two teams of nine players alternate batting and fielding duties. By striking a pitch thrown by the pitcher with a bat and advancing counter-clockwise around a set of four bases: first, second, third, and home plate and the offense tries to score more runs than its opponent. When a runner moves around the bases and returns to home plate, a run is scored. Baseball has a large following in the United States, Canada, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. There are only a few countries that have professional baseball leagues. The United States, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Australia are among them. Baseball is played professionally in a few other nations, albeit only on a modest scale. Baseball's most important competitions are the World Cup and the World Baseball Classic. All of the main baseball-playing countries compete in these international tournaments.

9. Rugby

Rugby is extensively played in France, with a rich tradition among the people of the Basque, Occitan, and Catalan regions near the Spanish-French border. The game, which was introduced by English-speaking settlers in the 19th century, is extremely popular in South Africa. The game was also carried to Australia and New Zealand by British colonists, where it is still popular. It has now expanded throughout much of Polynesia, with strongholds in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. In Australia, England, France, and New Zealand, rugby has a large following. In these countries, there are more than 390 million sports fans. Rugby has a small following in other countries as well. Professional Rugby Leagues can be found in almost every developed country. The popularity of these leagues varies considerably. Rugby's most important competition is the Rugby World Cup, which takes place every four years. The event is attended by 20 countries.

10. American football

American football (also known as football in the US and gridiron in other countries) is a sport in which two teams of eleven players compete on a rectangular field measuring 120 yards long by 53.3 yards wide with goalposts at both ends. With roughly 390-410 million fans, it is one of the most popular sports. The offense uses either running or passing to move an oval ball (the football) down the field. To receive a new set of four downs and continue the drive, they must progress it at least 10 yards in four downs; otherwise, the ball is turned over to the other team. Because American Football is mostly played in the United States, it has a large fan base in the United States. In the United States, it is extremely popular. In the majority of countries, professional American football leagues do not exist. The sport's sole well-known league is based in the United States. The Super Bowl is the most important sporting event in the United States. It is the annual National Football League Championship Game, which pits the winners of the National and American Football Conferences against one another.