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