Most Popular Sports Around the World in 2025
In 2025, the sports world is bigger and more diverse than ever before, with football ruling the world stage and cricket dominating Asia. Based on their major teams or events, participation trends, Olympic participation, global fan base and very much more each sport is grouped in this list. Discover which sports are most popular worldwide!!
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
4 Billion
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
FIFA World Cup/UEFA Champions League/English Premier League
MAJOR REGIONS
Europe/South America/Africa/Asia
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Football (Soccer)
SUMMARY
Football remains the world's most popular sport in 2025 with unmatched global reach, simple rules, and massive events drawing billions of viewers.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Lionel Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo/Erling Haaland
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
2.5 Billion
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
ICC Cricket World Cup/Indian Premier League/Ashes
MAJOR REGIONS
Asia/Australia/UK
OLYMPIC STATUS
Partial Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Cricket
SUMMARY
Cricket is a cultural phenomenon in South Asia and Commonwealth countries, with huge TV audiences and financial power, especially via the IPL.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Virat Kohli/Sachin Tendulkar/Babar Azam
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
2.4 Billion
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
NBA/FIBA World Cup/Olympics
MAJOR REGIONS
USA/China/Europe/Africa
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Basketball
SUMMARY
Basketball's youth appeal, NBA stardom, and Olympic presence drive its surging popularity, especially in the USA and China.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
LeBron James/Stephen Curry/Giannis Antetokounmpo
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
2 Billion
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
NHL/IIHF World Championship/FIH Hockey World Cup
MAJOR REGIONS
Europe/Asia/Africa/Australia
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Steady
SPORT NAME
Hockey (Field + Ice)
SUMMARY
Combined field and ice hockey have huge followings in Europe, Asia, and North America, with both Olympic and pro league prestige.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Wayne Gretzky/Sidney Crosby/Manpreet Singh
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
1 Billion
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
Wimbledon/US Open/French Open/Australian Open
MAJOR REGIONS
Europe/Asia/America
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Tennis
SUMMARY
Tennis maintains a massive global audience through Grand Slams, star rivalries, and accessibility for all ages.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Novak Djokovic/Iga Swiatek/Carlos Alcaraz
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
900 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
FIVB World Championships/Olympics
MAJOR REGIONS
Europe/Asia/America/Australia
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Volleyball
SUMMARY
Volleyball's team spirit and Olympic exposure sustain its popularity, with both indoor and beach formats thriving.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Karch Kiraly/Giba/Zhu Ting
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
850 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
World Table Tennis Championships/Olympics
MAJOR REGIONS
Asia/Europe/America
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Table Tennis
SUMMARY
Table tennis is a staple in Asia and Europe, with a huge recreational base and Olympic tradition.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Ma Long/Ding Ning/Timo Boll
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
500 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
MLB/Nippon Professional Baseball/World Baseball Classic
MAJOR REGIONS
USA/Japan/South Korea
OLYMPIC STATUS
Partial Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Steady
SPORT NAME
Baseball
SUMMARY
Baseball is deeply rooted in American and Japanese culture, with strong pro leagues and international tournaments.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Shohei Ohtani/Aaron Judge/Ichiro Suzuki
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
475 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
Rugby World Cup/Super Rugby/Olympics (Sevens)
MAJOR REGIONS
Oceania/South Africa/England/Europe
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic (Sevens)
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Rugby (Union/League/Sevens)
SUMMARY
Rugby's physicality and international tournaments, especially Rugby Sevens in the Olympics, drive its global appeal.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Jonah Lomu/Richie McCaw/Antoine Dupont
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
450 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
The Masters/Ryder Cup/The Open Championship
MAJOR REGIONS
USA/Europe/Oceania
OLYMPIC STATUS
Non-Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Steady
SPORT NAME
Golf
SUMMARY
Golf's prestige tournaments and global elite participation keep it among the world's most followed sports.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Tiger Woods/Rory McIlroy/Scottie Scheffler
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
400 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
NFL/Super Bowl/College Football Playoff
MAJOR REGIONS
USA/Canada/Mexico/Europe
OLYMPIC STATUS
Non-Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Steady
SPORT NAME
American Football
SUMMARY
American football dominates in the US, with the Super Bowl as a global event, but limited international reach.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Patrick Mahomes/Tom Brady/Josh Allen
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
400 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
F1 World Championship/Monaco Grand Prix
MAJOR REGIONS
Europe/Asia/Americas
OLYMPIC STATUS
Non-Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Formula 1
SUMMARY
Formula 1's global races and star drivers attract a massive international fanbase, with strong growth in Asia.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Lewis Hamilton/Max Verstappen/Fernando Alonso
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
60 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
APP Tour/MLP/US Open Pickleball
MAJOR REGIONS
USA/Canada/Europe
OLYMPIC STATUS
Non-Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Explosive Growth
SPORT NAME
Pickleball
SUMMARY
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in North America, with participation up 311% in three years.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
500 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
League of Legends Worlds/Dota 2 The International/Fortnite World Cup
MAJOR REGIONS
Asia/Europe/Americas
OLYMPIC STATUS
Non-Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Esports
SUMMARY
Esports' digital competitions attract huge youth audiences and sponsorships, especially in Asia and North America.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Faker/S1mple/Bugha
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
NULL
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
Olympics/FINA World Championships
MAJOR REGIONS
Global
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Swimming
SUMMARY
Swimming remains a core Olympic sport with high global participation for fitness and competition.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Katie Ledecky/Caeleb Dressel/Ariarne Titmus
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
NULL
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
Olympics/World Athletics Championships
MAJOR REGIONS
Global
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Track and Field
SUMMARY
Track and field events are Olympic staples, inspiring mass participation and viewership every four years.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Usain Bolt/Sydney McLaughlin/Armand Duplantis
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
NULL
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
Olympics/World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
MAJOR REGIONS
Global
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Gymnastics
SUMMARY
Gymnastics saw a post-Olympic participation boost, especially among youth.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Simone Biles/Max Whitlock/Sunisa Lee
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
NULL
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
Olympics/World Championships
MAJOR REGIONS
Asia/Europe/Americas
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Martial Arts (Judo/Karate/Taekwondo)
SUMMARY
Martial arts remain popular for both sport and self-defense, with strong Olympic representation.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Teddy Riner/Ryo Kiyuna/Jade Jones
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
300 Million
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
BWF World Championships/Olympics/All England Open
MAJOR REGIONS
Asia/Europe
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Steady
SPORT NAME
Badminton
SUMMARY
Badminton is hugely popular in Asia and Europe, with Olympic and pro circuit appeal.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Viktor Axelsen/Chen Yufei/PV Sindhu
ESTIMATED GLOBAL FANS
NULL
KEY EVENTS/LEAGUES
Tour de France/Giro d'Italia/Olympics
MAJOR REGIONS
Europe/Global
OLYMPIC STATUS
Olympic
PARTICIPATION TREND 2025
Growing
SPORT NAME
Cycling
SUMMARY
Cycling's grand tours and Olympic events drive its global following and recreational growth.
TOP ATHLETES/ICONS
Tadej Pogacar/Primoz Roglic/Annemiek van Vleuten