1: Football: Call it soccer or football or what’s ever you like –it’s the emperor of sports with the largest army of fan following and playing. The beautiful game,is probably the most economical game to pursue requires only a ball or rounded object to kick around searching for the set goals . The game can be played by all level of community, rich as well as poor ,only the quality of the ball may differ but never the quality of the game. The rich from the rugs best suits football professionals. The game is followed passionately by nearly 100 countries and is the most popular sports in 93 countries amidst 4.1 billion population. Some notable names are China (1.3 billion),entire Europe ,South America ,Africa and Mexico. England is the financial hub of football and rightly so as the inventor of the modern game( Football has a Chinese origin) . The Football Worldcup is the largest sporting events in the world drawing as many as a billion viewers in the finals alone. Even if one considers that 40% of the 4.1 billion population follows football it makes the figure up to 1.64 billion, by far the most popular.
2: Cricket: The gentleman’s Game as referred by the English is invented by the British though some expert say that it have Indian origin (resembles Indian rural sport , Gilli Dandi). The game requires a bat and a ball to bowl, seems economical, but poor and the rich cannot play the same quality game . In rural areas people use wooden piece, sculpted with a design of bat and a ball made of plastics, leather or a tennis ball. The game is the most popular sports in as many as 25 countries, where in some it is just more than a game. The game is the undisputed emperor and hugely popular in India(1.1 billion),Pakistan ,Bangladesh, Nepal ,Srilanka, Australia, Afghanistan and the Caribbean countries making the total cricketing countries population to 1.63 billion . Now assuming that 40 % of this population follows the game, makes 0.65 billion which helps it to sit comfortably at no. 2 spot. India is the financial hub of cricket contributing almost 75 % of fund as well as viewers. Cricket is also popular in England ,South Africa, New Zealand and Kenya .
3: Tennis : The queen of sports ,tennis is invented by England . It may not be the most popular sport in any country but it is in second or third spot or amongst the top 5 in as many as 50 countries. Some notable countries where the game is popular are USA , Europe ,Australia, India ,and some parts of Asia and America making the population upward 2 billion . Tennis can be label as rich man sport, so considering 15 % following the game make the number to 0.33 billion and helps it secure 3 position . The Grand slam are amongst the most watched sporting events. It is probably the most sought after and prestigious sporting career for women.
4 : Field Hokey : National sports by name in India and Pakistan, modern field hockey is invented by England. South east Asia originally dominated the sport 50 years ago,it could had very well but later was dominated by India and pakistan. It is amongst the top 5 sports in India ,Pakistan ,Bangladesh ,Australia ,Argentina, Holland, south Korea, Germany, Malaysia and some parts of Europe and Africa making the population to 1.6 billion . Now considering 20 % the figure stops at 0.32 billion making the game 4 most popular sports in the world.
5: Base ball: Base ball is a ball game is the national pastime of the United States . It’s the most popular sports in as many as nine countries like in Japan ,Korea, Cuba, Taiwan etc and amongst the most popular in USA .Total base ball playing population is 600 million. As we consider 40 % the number comes at 240 million. USA is the financial hub of baseball and the players are amongst the richest sportsman in the world.
6: Basketball: It is hugely popular in countries like USA and Philippines along with 4 other countries and gaining momentum in China, thanks to NBA, and good many followers in the world. Basketball is a rich man sports and does not appeal to third world countries but enough to make it the sixth most popular with a followers of almost 230 to 240 million people. NBA is the most popular basketball show and probably the most popular professional league in the world.
7: Volleyball: It is very popular in USA and almost 100 countries play the game professionally. Conventional volleyball and beach volleyball is usually the volleyball that people watch.The game may not be most popular in any countries but certainly enjoys a popularity level in almost all nations. Considering the amount of people playing the game it must have been among the top 5 sports but as a spectator sports it ranked 7th ,considering a mass following of in excess of 200 million .
8: Table tennis: An English by invention table tennis is the second most popular sports in China alone makes it the amongst the top 5, but internationally it has limited audience with Korea, U.K, and some European nations.
9: Rugby Football: Another English invention , Rugby union and Rugby league are very popular in Australia, South Africa ,England ,Wales, New Zealand ,French ,Madagascar ,Fiji and to some extend in Argentina ,USA and some European nation . It is the most popular sports in as many as six countries and has 200 million observers helping it to be ranked at no.9
10: Golf: Golf has the stiffest competition from American football and Ice hokey .Both ice hokey and American football has fan following nearing the 200 million mark but considering the popularity of golf across the world especially in USA ,Europe,Asia, South Africa and Australia it has to be ranked. Golf is a games for poor people bevause it is probably the most expensive sports in the world.