In one form or another, sports have always been there. They have remained a key part of our society throughout the centuries. Regardless of the type of sport, players put their heart and soul into the game and become the reason of pride for the respective countries. At the same time, sportsmen provide great entertainment to the audience as well. In the modern world, a variety of games are being played across the globe. You may be able to look after your body by taking supplements from Australiansportsnutrition.com.au. But if you want to become a professional sportsman, you should also know the top trending sports of the current time.
Let’s find out which sports are at the helm of their popularity today:
Football
There is no other game that even comes close to soccer in terms of popularity. According to the claims of FIFA, around 265 million people play this game once a week at a minimum. It accounts for about 4 percent of the world’s total population.
Whether it is a world cup match or a champions’ league encounter, the audience always remains highly involved. The last world cup of football marked a staggering viewership of over 3 billion. With the growing exposure of women’s football, it is expected that the game will soon attract more eyeballs in the near future.
Cricket
While so many sports died as years slipped by, cricket just kept getting mature with the time. Despite being one of the oldest sports around, it is widely followed in every region of the world. The reason being, cricket kept itself relevant with slight modifications every now and then.
For example, initially, there was only test cricket but later the ODI (One Day International) format was introduced and then eventually we saw the boom of even shorter versions like t20 and t10. Undoubtedly, the growing number of t20 leagues has taken the public interest to a whole new level. However, the audience has the flexibility of choice and they can turn to whichever format they wish to. Talking about the number of followers, cricket has over 2.5 billion fans. According to the international body of cricket, ICC, cricket is played in 125 countries. Women’s cricket has also well-passed the development period.
Moreover, there are some historical rivalries in cricket between teams like Pakistan and India or Australia and England. They have contributed a great deal to lift this sport.
Field hockey
Hockey has a fan-base of nearly 2 billion people. Just like cricket, England pioneered this sport way back in the 1800s. Though Asia, Europe, and Australia are the hub of field hockey, there are more than 100 countries all around the world that enthusiastically indulge in the sport. It is not just limited to the field, ice hockey is also big especially in America, and with hockey trading cards available to everyone, people can really get into the background of the sport.
In the 1980s India and Pakistan used to be firm favorites whenever they took the field against any opponent. But today this dominance is enjoyed by teams like New Zealand, Germany, and Australia. On the international landscape, many leading brands are busy with the promotion of hockey. This is one reason why talented players are earning millions of dollars annually. Learn more about Hockey at gethockeyadvice.com
Basketball
No matter how much detached you are from basketball, you must have heard of the legendary basketball player Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is another player from this sport whose popularity goes neck to neck with Michael Jordan.
In accordance with the numbers gathered by the Federation of International Basketball Association (FIBA), around 450 million people are actively engaged in basketball. It also includes people who play basketball in an unstructured way.
The game is played on the soil of nearly 200 countries, however, China and the US are credited to globalise basketball. Particularly, basketball’s popularity in the US is unbeatable.
Tennis
Perhaps no other individual sport comes close to the popularity of tennis. In the recent past, tennis players like Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Aleksandra Wozniak have emerged as sports icons. Not only are these personalities idealised by tennis lovers but from all the other sports’ admirers as well. It speaks volumes about the reputation of the game.
You may see in some of the leading sports where women somehow lag behind men in terms of skills. But that’s not the case with tennis. If not more, women tennis players attract equal eyeballs. You can see women’s names in tennis sports headlines in various online source, news, and media.
It is estimated that about 60 million people from both genders are associated with tennis. Wimbledon, U.S Open, French Open, and Australian Open are the top-tier tournaments of tennis. The game catches more headlines from May to September every year because most of the matches are played during this period.
Volleyball
The international governing body of volleyball recognises 220 national federations from all around the world. The game does not require as many tools or infrastructure. This is precisely why, as numbers suggest, about 800 million people play volleyball once a week. The game is based on two versions; indoor and outdoor. The countries like Australia which are known for their hot climate mostly play the outdoor version, and hold local volleyball competitions while cold regions prefer indoor set-ups.
Golf
You may have come across the maxim “old is gold”. Well, golf lives up to the reputation of these words. Because the sport dates back to the 13th century and still makes it to the list of the most popular games in the 21st century. The equipment of this game is not within the reach of everyone who desires to play golf, yet, it enjoys the support of 450 million fans. From these figures, it is safe to assume that the growth of golf has never been hampered despite the extravagant costs.
Conclusion
If you are a sport-freak, you can consider these games for your career. As a sportsman, you would love to perform in packed stadiums. But, sadly, not all the sports of the world can offer you this opportunity. Talking about the above-mentioned sports, not only will they give you a chance to showcase your talent but you can also achieve financial perks and fame much more easily.
