20 Countries Where Soccer (Football) Is Extremely Popular! (2023)

FAQs

How many countries is soccer the most popular sport? ›

Soccer is the world's most popular sport, played by over 250 million people in more than 200 countries.

American (NFL) Football

In the United States, the most popular sport is American football. Football is one of the most-watched sports in the U.S. and has about 390 million to 410 million fans worldwide, the majority of which are in the United States.

England. England is home to the richest, most popular football league in the world. It attracts talents from all across the world, though it is rare for English players to move abroad generally.

In the big five European markets (Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and England), there are over 130 million soccer fans. Additionally, just over half of Russia is invested in soccer. While modern soccer started in England, the U.K. alone has over 70 different clubs.

And, of course, American football is number one only in the United States. The rest of the 226 countries in the world is where soccer is No.

Football/Soccer

250 million people play the sport in 200 different countries, and there are around 3.5 billion fans worldwide. The next three most popular sports are field hockey, which has 2.2 billion fans globally, basketball, and cricket, which has 2.5 billion fans (2 billion).

There are all sorts of reasons people will cite for soccer's failure to fully take off in the US: the lack-lustre performance of men's national team, TV rights limitations, the superiority of the women's national team, Major League Soccer (MLS) or even Jurgen Klinsmann.

Football is the world's most popular sport because it has the most fans (3.5 billion) and players in almost every country in the world. It is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, physical fitness and economic situation. Football gained popularity in the early 20th century, especially after the 1930 World Cup.

Ranking second among countries with the highest number of NFL supporters (19.7 million people), Brazil is one country whose love for football is unmatched.

American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football, with the other major levels being high-school and youth football.

Which country is the first to play football in the world? ›

The early years

Modern football originated in Britain in the 19th century. Since before medieval times, “folk football” games had been played in towns and villages according to local customs and with a minimum of rules.

11 percent of Americans between ages 18-29 named soccer their favorite sport, only trailing football and basketball. Steve Gans, an attorney who ran for U.S. soccer president in 2018, believes there are multiple reasons for this recent change.

Football in Germany became more popular because it opened up for normies with easy-to-find broadcasts and easy-to-understand commentary.

The sport brings people together and promote a collective identity. In a society that is still extremely segregated by race and class, these moments of collective union are essential to the formation and maintenance of a national identity. Nowadays, it is indisputable the major effect football has on Brazilian culture.

One of the best-known differences between British and American English is the fact that the sport known as football in Great Britain is usually called soccer in the United States. Because the sport originated in England, it is often assumed that soccer is an Americanism.

What many people don't know is that the term “soccer” actually comes from Britain. The term “soccer” actually came from Britain and Americans use it to differentiate from American “football.”

Although the official English name of the Japan Football Association uses the term "football", the term sakkā (サッカー), derived from "soccer", is much more commonly used than futtobōru (フットボール).

Football - America's Favorite Sport to Watch and Follow

According to Gallup.com, 37% of U.S. adults picked football as their favorite sport to watch. Football has been the favorite since 1972.

The most popular team sports in the United States are American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer.

According to Sports Virsa, the top 10 hardest sports in the world to play in 2022 are as follows: Boxing (hardest), American football, mixed martial arts, ice hockey, gymnastics, basketball, soccer, wrestling, rugby, and water polo.

Is America more popular soccer or football? ›

While these two sports have kind of shared a name forever, 'football' has found most of its popularity merely in the U.S., and soccer has found it, well, in every other country in the world.

High school soccer participation grew 32% from 2002 to 2019, surpassing baseball, hockey, basketball and American football (which has actually fallen), according to a new report by Telemundo. Soccer is also the fastest growing mainstream sport for fans in the U.S., where the number rose 52% between 2012 and 2019.

The United States won the 2002 Gold Cup to set up the team's best performance since 1930 in the 2002 World Cup, when the U.S. team reached the quarter-finals.

Top 5 Most Popular Sports in America in 2022- Viewership and TV Ratings. According to ExpressVPN's report on sports streaming, football is the nation's favorite, closely followed by basketball, soccer, and baseball. Hockey takes fifth place. Let's dive into the stats and streaming data about these sports.

Pickleball is America's fastest-growing sport.

Basketball is the highest paid sport in the world, with the average annual salary in the NBA in 2023 being nearly $10.5 million.

American football takes the crown when it comes to popularity, and this is the most-watched sport in the US.

On the flipside, recognised UN countries such as Nauru, The Vatican City State, Monaco and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta don't actually have international football teams that can qualify for the World Cup.

Which countries like American football the most? ›

According to the Global Web Index, Mexico is the country with the most NFL followers outside the United States. The North American neighbors of the United States have over 23 million people following the league. They are closely followed by Brazil with approximately 20 million fans.

The National Championship runs through the SEC - and the popularity spike between Georgia and Alabama in 2021 was no surprise to several viewers. States that love NCAA Football include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

American football certainly stands out among other sports for its sheer physicality. The combination of strategy, speed, agility, and contact makes it a thrilling spectator sport. Players must outmaneuver their opponents while being prepared to take hits from all angles.

Unlike basketball, which only needs a ball and two hoops, American football requires a very specific infrastructure, along with expensive sports equipment, which makes it so difficult to popularize the sport in other countries.

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has grown to a global community of 120 member nations spanning North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania, making the game a global phenomenon.

The chief governing body is FIFA - Fédération Internationale de Football Association, though you don't hear people calling it Association football, usually it's soccer or football, and in non-English speaking countries, it is often some form of the word football, written phonetically (e.g. "futbol") or a translation of ...

Indeed, the earliest form of football is understood to be 'cuju' which was played in China during the Han dynasty from 206 BC to 220 AD. 'Cuju' translates literally as 'kick ball' and the aim of the game was to kick the ball into a net. Like later forms of the game in England, cuju outlawed the use of the hands.

Technically, the words football and soccer are both correct. They describe the same sport which was codified by the Football Association in 1863 and the words can be considered synonyms. The word 'soccer' is actually a British export, which was used for many years before the globalisation of football.

There are 4.2 million players (2.5 million male and 1.7 million female) registered with U.S. Soccer. As of 2012, thirty percent of American households contain someone playing soccer, a figure second only to baseball. Increasing numbers of Americans, having played the game in their youth, are now avid spectators.

According to Statista, soccer ranks fourth on America's most popular sports list. The top three sports are American football, baseball, and basketball.

What word is more popular football or soccer? ›

And while American football is the most popular sport in America, football (aka soccer) is the world's most popular sport. The FIFA World Cup, held every 4 years, is the world's most popular sporting event with viewership numbers that exceed those of the Olympics.

As we've seen, in terms of the numbers that go and watch, football, followed by handball and ice hockey, are the most favorite sports in Germany. Boxing also gathers huge crowds.

The sport known as soccer in the U.S. is called football (fussball) in German-speaking countries and in most of the world.

Football started to gain popularity in Portugal in the late 19th century, brought by Portuguese students who returned from England. The first organized game in the country took place in 1875 in Camacha, Madeira, organized by Madeira-born Harry Hinton, who brought a football from England where he was studying.

Football is considered one of the greatest sports in South America. Football was first introduced to the continent during the nineteenth century, as part of the worldwide diffusion of British culture initiated by the British diaspora and subsequent acceptance of the sport by the region's Anglophile elite.

One of the main reasons why soccer is so important to Mexicans is its deep historical roots. Soccer was first introduced to Mexico in the late 19th century, and since then, it has become an integral part of the country's identity.

Brazil is famous for its stunning beaches, rainforests, and diverse cities. It is known as the country of football with world-renowned footballers such as Pelé and Neymar born there.

Even though soccer is not the most popular sport in the United States there is no double it is the most popular sport in the world. The top leagues are in Europe and, arguably, the biggest sporting event the world over is the World Cup, which takes place every four years.

Although it would be challenging to provide a precise number for how many fans soccer has, the World Atlas reports that there are more than 3.5 billion fans around the globe. This makes soccer the most watched sport in the world!

Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world.

There are numerous reasons why this sport has gained popularity across the globe, particularly in South Asia. First, people of all ages play and watch this sport, Pakistan is a great example.

What is America's biggest sport? ›

Football has the most participants of any sport at both high school and college levels, the vast majority of its participants being male. The NFL is the preeminent professional football league in the United States. The NFL has 32 franchises divided into two conferences.

Baseball

Known as “America's pastime,” baseball is the second most popular sport in the United States and is the 7th most popular sport in the world. Professional baseball in the United States is played by the teams that make up the Major League Baseball (MLB).

Cricket is an immensely complex game, but it is also the world's second-most popular sport.

While football and basketball continue to dominate the American sports market, soccer has slowly risen to popularity despite long-standing barriers.

According to research recently published by Statista the most popular sport in the United States is football. Football according to respondents is followed by 74.5 percent of Americans.

The word 'soccer' actually comes from Britain

“Rugger” (rugby football) was the name for rugby football and “Assoccer” (association football) was later shortened to “soccer,” according to History.