It is a subject of much debate. Football, basketball, volleyball, jai alai, badminton – which of these sports is the best and the most popular? If we were to read up on statistics and see what the betting sites like Platinbet have to say on the matter, we would get a clearer picture. So, we did just that. Here are the most popular sports in the world. A few entries might surprise you.

Football

This one’s a no-brainer, so to speak. All over the world, billions of fans tune in at all times of the year to watch the local leagues, as well as the world championships (plural, because there are women’s and juniors as well). Roughly half the world watches soccer matches, and it is understandable, seeing as how it is one of the oldest surviving sports in the world.

Cricket

The first odd entry on the list is cricket. You may think that it is a sport played only in the UK and you would be very much mistaken. The Brits brought the discipline to the colonies and there are over 2 billion people following matches in India and Australia. It may be hard to believe, but cricket is more popular than basketball and many other sports.

Field Hockey

It is followed closely in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The North America prefers ice hockey. The sport is over 200 years old and India and Pakistan are two countries with a special affection towards it. It was even more popular in the past, but its popularity has started dwindling somewhat.

Tennis

This is the most popular sport you can play with a racket. Sports that use a racquet, on the other hand, are mainly squash and badminton. It may not have the same following as football, but one billion fans show that it is well worth paying attention to the current players’ list. If you’ve heard of Andy Murray, even if you are not a fan of the sport, you can bear witness to its scale and popularity.

Golf

Okay, full disclosure – there are sports that are sports that have a larger fan base, with basketball, volleyball, and table tennis being but a few, but this is a website about golf, after all, and while this entry may seem biased, it is certainly backed up by numbers. Nearly half a billion people tune into their TV sets and computer screens to follow the exploits of Tiger Woods, Roy McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka, to name a few. You may not find roaring fans, as the game demands silence, but the attendance of the bigger tournaments speaks for itself. Give it a go, you may find yourself rooting for a golfer or two.