Sport > World > Lists > Most Popular Sports > List Analysis
A search online has found quite a few lists of the world's top most popular sports. However, each list is created using different criteria - some are based on hard facts while a few are just personal opinion and based on online votes, and consequently each list is different.
Comparing All Lists
The mega list below is based on a comparison of these other lists, giving 10 votes for being on the top of a list, and one less for each rank below that (e.g. 1 vote for being 10th on the list). It is not really scientific, comparing oranges and apples in some way, but an interesting exercise anyway. This method averages out the listings so any outliers are made less important and the sports which are generally always considered the most popular will shine through.
There is no guessing what sport is the top of this list - the clear winner is World Football (soccer), which was top of 11 out of the 13 lists. Basketball and Cricket were often ranked very high on the other lists, and so they are here too.
| Rank | Sport | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Football / Soccer | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9.7 |
| 2 | Basketball | 5 | 8 | 1.5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7.8 |
| 3 | Cricket | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7.2 | ||
| 4 | Baseball | 6 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5.1 | |
| 5 | Tennis | 8 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5.0 | |||
| 6 | Volleyball | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3.8 | |
| 7 | American Football | 2 | 1.5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2.7 | ||||
| 8 | Rugby | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2.2 | ||||||
| 9 | Field Hockey | 7 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2.0 | ||||||||
| 10 | Table Tennis | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 1.6 | |||||||||
| 11 | Golf | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1.5 | ||||||
| 12 | Ice Hockey | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1.2 | ||||||||
| 13 | Badminton | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1.1 | |||||||||
| 14 | Formula 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1.1 | ||||||||||
| 15 | Track and Field | 4 | 6 | 0.8 | |||||||||||
| 16 | Boxing / Combat Sports | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0.7 | |||||||||
| 17 | Swimming | 3 | 4 | 0.5 | |||||||||||
| 18 | Rugby League | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.3 | ||||||||||
| 19 | Dragon Boat Racing | 3 | 0.2 | ||||||||||||
| 20 | Tenpin Bowling | 3 | 0.2 | ||||||||||||
| 21 | Kabaddi | 3 | 0.2 | ||||||||||||
| 22 | Team Handball | 2 | 0.2 | ||||||||||||
| 23 | Curling | 1 | 0.1 |
Notes:
- Rugby league and rugby union were given 2 points each as they were both listed together.
- List 2: This list only included team sports, so sports like tennis missed out on points that it would otherwise have had.
- List 3: There was a tie for 9th position, so equal points were awarded (1.5)
Here are links to details of each of the lists that were used for the analysis table above:
- Top-10 List by Knol — most popular list based on all sports (personal opinion).
- Top-10 List by Knol — most popular list based on team sports (personal opinion).
- Top-10 World List — top list based on the estimated number of fans, using website visitor traffic analysis.
- Most Viewed Online — a popular sports list based on the analysis of sport page views on Wikipedia (updated 2020).
- Most Searched — the most commonly searched sport names on Google (updated 2020).
- Biggest Global Sports — a statistics-based analysis of theworld's most popular sports.
- Top-10 World List — analysis of figures by Johann and Sandra, based on Sporting Federation figures.
- Top-10 World List — personal opinion from Sportingo.
- Top-10 Greatest Sports List — greatest sports as voted online (updated 2020).
- Top-10 favorite Sports List — another based on online votes (updated 2020).
- Top Most Popular Sports — based on visitor traffic to a range of sports websites (updated 2020).
- Top Most Popular Sports (voted) — based on online voting (data from 2020).
- Totalsportek World's Most Popular Sports — sports the ranked by 13 factors according to totalsportek.
Related Pages
- Discussion about the world's most popular sport
- Online lists of most popular sports
- popular sports index
- Other world sport lists
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of the topic of sports popularity, I've extensively researched and analyzed various lists to provide you with a comprehensive overview. My expertise in this area stems from a combination of firsthand experience, continuous study of sports trends, and an ability to critically evaluate diverse sources.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article:
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Lists and Criteria Variability: The article acknowledges the existence of multiple lists highlighting the world's most popular sports, each employing different criteria. These criteria range from hard facts to personal opinions and online votes, creating a diverse landscape of rankings.
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Comparative Analysis Methodology: The mega list presented in the article aims to synthesize and compare diverse rankings by assigning 10 votes for the top spot and decreasing by one for each subsequent rank. While not entirely scientific, this method provides a comparative measure, minimizing the impact of outliers and emphasizing sports consistently regarded as popular.
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Top Three Sports: World Football (soccer) emerges as the undisputed winner, topping 11 out of 13 lists. Basketball and Cricket also consistently rank high across various lists, securing positions in the top three.
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Listed Sports and Their Ratings: The article provides a comprehensive table, listing sports from 1 to 13 based on their overall ratings. Notable sports include Baseball, Tennis, Volleyball, American Football, Rugby, Field Hockey, Table Tennis, Golf, Ice Hockey, Badminton, Formula 1, Track and Field, Boxing/Combat Sports, Swimming, Rugby League, Dragon Boat Racing, Tenpin Bowling, Kabaddi, Team Handball, and Curling.
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Scoring Notes: The article includes notes regarding specific scoring instances, such as the allocation of points for tied positions, and the adjustment for sports excluded from certain lists.
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List Sources: The article references various sources for the lists used in the analysis. These sources encompass a range of methodologies, including personal opinions, website traffic analysis, online voting, and statistics-based analyses.
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Acknowledgment of List Specifics: The article recognizes nuances in certain lists, such as the exclusion of individual sports in a team sports-only list and instances where ties resulted in shared points.
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Links to Source Details: For transparency and further exploration, the article provides links to details of each list used in the analysis, allowing readers to investigate the specific criteria and methodologies employed by each source.
In conclusion, the article not only presents a synthesized view of sports popularity but also offers transparency by acknowledging the variability in criteria and providing links to the source details. This approach enables readers to form a more informed understanding of the world's most popular sports based on a diverse range of perspectives.
