Sports are popular for a number of reasons. Keeping healthy, for example, is often cited as a reason for participating in sports. Others will tell you that they do sports for recreational purposes. Sports are even more popular with people who do not necessarily participate in them, but love being spectators.

Since time immemorial, people have been awed and inspired by extraordinary human beings who are able to perform tremendous athletic feats. Here is a brief discussion of the most popular sports in the world.

1. Football (Soccer) - 4 Billion Fans

Few things can rival football as a spectator sport and this is also matched by the number of people who participate in the sport, be it at grassroots level, 5-a-side leagues or simply playing for fun with friends. In the last global census undertaken by the sports governing body FIFA, it was estimated that there are 265 million people who play the sport along with more than 5 million referees, which equates to 4% of the world’s population.

2. Cricket - 2.5 Billion Fans

Over 2.5 billion people throughout the world follow cricket. England, India, Pakistan, and Australia are some of the countries where the game is most popular. There are two teams, a bat, a huge circular field, and scoring runs much as in baseball. The bowler takes a run-up to bowl to the batsman. The batsman then has to hit the ball. The process is almost similar to the sport of Baseball. The first-ever cricket match was reportedly played in 1646.

3. Hockey - 2 Billion Fans

Hockey, both on ice and in a field, boasts a following of two billion people. Field hockey is mainly played in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, whereas ice hockey is particularly popular in Canada, the US, and Northern Europe. The game involves two teams trying to put a ball into the opposing team’s net with a hockey stick. Unlike ice hockey, field hockey usually does not involve body contact in the form of checking.

4. Tennis - 1 Billion

Widely recognised as the most popular individual sport in the world, tennis is played by an estimated number of 60 million men and women around the world, according to a ranking by Topend Sports. The doubles version of the sport is also extremely popular around the world, which is why it ranks on this 6 most participated sports list.

5. Volleyball - 900 Million

Volleyball may not be as popular as some of the other sports on our list, but it’s still a distinct and interesting sport. Popularity-wise, volleyball is one of the most evenly distributed sports. That means, it is watched in usually every country in the world. While it’s true that volleyball isn’t one of the most popular sports in the world, it’s one of the most-watched Olympic sports during the Summer Games, and its popularity is largely due to its Olympic status.

6. Table Tennis - 875 Million

Think of it like tennis, except with what amounts to a table with a net at the center and players on each side trying to get a ball past their opponents. Also known as Ping Pong, table tennis originated in England in the early 20th century. The game is now popular worldwide, with an estimated following of 875 million. It is especially popular in Asia, but is also followed in Europe, Africa, and the Americas.