Sports much like humans have evolved with times but never has been a time when sports was absent from the foray. Spectacular global events like Olympics are a reminder of what sports can do to bring people together and the sense of pride that seeps in when you see your country's flag hoisted.
People like sports because it's aesthetically pleasing. People like sports because, like the theater, it is a venue for emotional expression. People like sports because it provides a sense of belonging, a connection to a wider world. Be it a club or the country participating, the emotions are always high.
Sports also tend to bring in the people together since we all have been part of the sports fraternity at some point in our life. The relatability factor seeps in as we grow up and besides the way sporting events are marketed it is bound to give the viewers maximum entertainment.
This brings the inquisitive trait to wonder what is the most popular sports in the world today. And who in the sport currently has the most following (in today's times Instagram has to be taken into account for the followers). So here is the top 10 sports in the world and their respective athletes who have the most following .
#10 Golf - Estimated global following: 450 million
The modern game of gold originated in Scotland in the 15th century, first played by King of Scotland. Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping with the varied terrains encountered on different courses is a key part of the game.
Open championship or the British open is the world's oldest tournament in existence. There are four major tournaments British Open, The Masters, the U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship. Golf is most popular in Ireland, Scotland, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa and Japan. Golf is an Olympic sport.
(image source: Instagram)
Paige Renee Spiranac
Country: United States of America
Instagram followers: 3.6 million
Net Worth(est.): 3 million USD
#9 Rugby - Estimated global following: 475 million
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated William Webb Ellis who picked up the ball and ran with it in his arms during a football game at Rugby School in England. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends.
The first rugby international took place in 1871 in Scotland where the hosts took on England. Rugby is most popular in England and New Zealand. Rugby is an Olympic sport, being reintroduced in 2016 Rio Olympics in 7 a side format.
Dan Carter
Country: New Zealand
Instagram followers: 1 million
Net Worth(est.): $1.8 million
Achievements
- World Cup Winner(2011, 2015)
- NZ Player of the Year(2004, 2005)
- BBC Overseas Sports Personality of Year(2015)
- All Time Super Rugby Leading Points Score
- All Time Int'l Rugby Leading Point Scorer
#8 Baseball - Estimated global following: 500 million
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The umpire pauses and brings the game to play. The player who throws the ball is called "pitcher" and the batting team tries to hit with the bat. The objective of the batting team is to hit the ball in between fielding side to score bases. The fielding team plays to stop the other team from scoring runs (running bases in counter clockwise)
Baseball evolved from older bat-and-ball games already being played in England by the mid-18th century. This game was brought by immigrants to North America, where the modern version developed. Baseball is most popular in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Baseball is an Olympic sport.
Mike Trout
Country: United States of America
Instagram followers: 1.9 million
Net Worth (est.): $140 million
Achievements
- American League Rookie of the Year (2012)
- Baseball Digest Player of the Year(2014, 2019)
- Best Major League Baseball Player (2015)
- Players Choice Award for Player of the Year(2019)
- Sporting News Player of the Year Award (2019)
#7 Basketball - Estimated global following: 825 million
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, mostly five players a side, opposing one another on a rectangular court, with the primary objective of shooting a basketball through the defender's hoop at each end of the court. The teams prevents opposition from shooting through their own hoop. Players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running aka dribbling or by passing it to a teammate.
Basketball was invented by Springfield College instructor and graduate student James Naismith in 1891, with the first ever game played in 1892 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Basketball is most popular in USA, Philippines, Australia and Canada. Basketball is an Olympic sport.
(image source: Instagram)
LeBron James
Country: United States of America
Instagram followers: 135 million
Net Worth (est.): $600 million
Achievements:
- Olympic Gold Medal winner (2008, 2012)
- Olympic Bronze Medal winner (2004)
- USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012)
- NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)
- NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)
- NBA Most Valuable Player: (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)
#6 Table Tennis - Estimated global following: 875 million
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net.
The game was invented in England in the early days of the 20th century and was originally called Ping-Pong. Table tennis is widely popular in East Asia and Europe. Table tennis is an Olympic sport.
Ma Long
Country: China
Instagram followers: Not active (highest followers on unofficial fan account -76.5 thousand)
Net Worth (est.): $20 million
Achievements:
- Olympic Gold Medal winner (2012, 2016, 2020)
- Olympic Bronze Medal winner (2004)
- ITTF Star Player of the Year award
- Most major titles (13) of any male player.
#5 Volleyball - Estimated global following: 900 million
Volleyball is a team sport comprising of two teams having 6 players each side. There are two courts divided by a net for each team. The objective is to score points by grounding the ball in the opposition's court within the stipulated area marked by white line boundaries.
The game of volleyball owes its origin to William G. Morgan who was the physical director of Young Men's Cristian Association in 1895.The first game was played in 1895, Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA. Volleyball is most popular in countries of Brazil, Asia and Europe. Volleyball is an Olympic sport.
(image source: Instagram)
Sabina Altynbekova
Country: Kazakhstan
Instagram followers: 1.1 million
Net Worth (est.): $1.5 million
#4 Tennis - Estimated global following: 1 billion
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent or between two teams of two players each. Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court.
Tennis was originated in 12th–13th-century as a French handball game called jeu de paume (“game of the palm”).The first tennis match was played between USA and Great Britain in 1900.There are four Grand Slam tournaments - the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon , and the US Open. The game of tennis widely popular in Bulgaria, Austria, France, United Kingdom and United States of America. Tennis is an Olympic sport.
(image source: Instagram)
Rafael Nadal
Country: Spain
Instagram followers: 16.9 million
Net Worth (est.): $220 million
Achievements:
- Olympic Gold (2008, 2016)
- ITF World Champion (2008, 2010, 2017, 2019)
- ATP Player of the Year (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019)
- 22 Grand Slam singles titles
#3 Hockey - Estimated global following: 1 billion
Hockey is a term used to denote various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor. There are many types of hockey. Some games make the use of skates, either wheeled, or bladed while others do not. Two teams play against each other by trying to score goals in each others corner using a hockey stick. The object in play is a type of ball or a disk (such as a puck).
Hockey originated in England in the mid 1800's and the first match of ice hockey was played in 1875 Montreal, Canada. Hockey is widely popular in Canada, central and eastern Europe, the Nordic countries, Russia and the United States
Alexander Ovechkin
Country: Russia
Instagram followers: 1.6 million
Net Worth (est.): $80 million
Achievements:
- Winter Olympics All-Star team (2006)
- World Championships All-Star team (2006, 2008)
- World Championships gold medal (2008, 2012, 2014)
- Russian Superleague champion (2005)
Cricket is a played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the center of which is a 22-yard pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striking the ball bowled at one of the wickets with the bat and then running between the wickets, while the fielding side tries to prevent this. There are various methods of dismissing a batsman.
Cricket is played in three formats - a five day Test, a 50 overs (1 over has 6 legal deliveries) and the now introduced and widely popular T20 (20 overs per side). Cricket has been originated in England during Norman times and the first ever match was played in 1877 between England and Australia. Cricket is largely popular in Australia, Asia, Caribbean and parts of Africa. Cricket is not an Olympic sport.
image source: Instagram)
Virat Kohli
Country: India
Instagram followers: 218 million
Net Worth (est.): $115 million
Achievements:
- Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World (2016, 2017,2018)
- ICC Test Player of the Year (2018)
- ICC ODI Player of the Year (2012, 2017, 2018)
- ICC Men's Cricketer of the Decade (2011–2020)
- National Sports Award (2013, 2017, 2018)
#1 Soccer - Estimated global following: 4 billion
Soccer is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players. The players keep the ball in play using their feet to move the ball towards opponents corner across the field. The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposition within the stipulated time. Soccer is played over 90 minutes with two half times of 45 minutes each. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries, it is considered the world's most popular sport.
Soccer originated in China as per some records while there is also claim of origination in Greece, Rome and parts of Central Asia. However England is credited for introducing the modern version of what we know today as "Football". The first international match was played between England and Scotland in 1870. Soccer is popular worldwide. Soccer is an Olympic sport.
image source: Instagram)
Cristiano Ronaldo
Country: Portugal
Instagram followers: 489 million
Net Worth (est.): $500 million
Achievements:
- FIFA Ballon d'Or/Ballon d'Or (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)
- FIFA World Player of the Year (2008)
- The Best FIFA Men's Player (2016, 2017)
- La Liga Best Player (2013, 2014)
- Serie A Footballer of the Year (2019, 2020)
- Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (Portuguese Royal Family)
And that was the list people, hope you had an interesting read, do let me know if you liked the article and do suggest any topic you would like me to cover.
Peace !
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