What sports are more popular than football

[Pingudo]

We all know that football is #1 in most of Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. But what sports are more popular than football in those countries where football is not #1?

I'll list some here. Feel free to correct me/add to this list.

Australia: rugby, cricket, football
Bangladesh: cricket, football
Canada: hockey, Canadian football, baseball, basketball, football
China: table tennis, basketball/football
Cuba: baseball, football
India: cricket, field hockey, football
Jamaica: cricket/football
Japan: baseball, sumo wrestling, football
Korea: taekwondo/football
New Zealand: rugby, cricket, football
Pakistan: cricket, football
Sri Lanka: cricket, football
USA: American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, football
Venezuela: baseball, football

[wufc]

Add Starcraft to Korea. I'm not joking. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_sport)

[JacksonJazz#9]

We all know that football is #1 in most of Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. But what sports are more popular than football in those countries where football is not #1?

I'll list some here. Feel free to correct me/add to this list.

Australia: rugby, cricket, football
Bangladesh: cricket, football
Canada: hockey, Canadian football, baseball, basketball, football
China: table tennis, basketball/football
Cuba: baseball, football
India: cricket, field hockey, football
Jamaica: cricket/football
Japan: baseball, sumo wrestling, football
Korea: taekwondo/football
New Zealand: rugby, cricket, football
Pakistan: cricket, football
Sri Lanka: cricket, football
USA: American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, football,
Tonsil hockey, knuckle shuffling
Venezuela: baseball, football

i added a couple to the USA

[Juve_passion redded]

Bull Fighting in Spain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all know that football is #1 in most of Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. But what sports are more popular than football in those countries where football is not #1?

I'll list some here. Feel free to correct me/add to this list.

Australia: rugby, cricket, football
Bangladesh: cricket, football
Canada: hockey, Canadian football, baseball, basketball, football
China: table tennis, basketball/football
Cuba: baseball, football
India: cricket, field hockey, football
Jamaica: cricket/football
Japan: baseball, sumo wrestling, football
Korea: taekwondo/football
New Zealand: rugby, cricket, football
Pakistan: cricket, football
Sri Lanka: cricket, football
USA: American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, football
Venezuela: baseball, football

[Aussie_Bandwagoner]

Australia most popular sport is AFL (australian rules) also known as football or footy 18 players on the pitch played on grounds the size of cricket ovals , often confused with Rugby Union and Rugby League outside of OZ

[Jay00]

In Argentina basketball and rugby are popular.

[Walter3000]

USA: American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, football

More like:
The NFL, College Football, Major League Baseball, College basketball, The NBA(pro basketball), stock car racing, hockey, and soccer.

[El viejo Matias]

The best sport of them all SEX !!

[The Potter]

The best sport of them all SEX !!



It's not a race.

[El viejo Matias]

Huh?? Neither is a "country", anyways tell me the fine art of "courting" and the end product of man and women enganging in the 'act" does not resemble a sport... and every country participates!!

[Thiefo]

Finland: Hockey, football.

[climax]

We all know that football is #1 in most of Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. But what sports are more popular than football in those countries where football is not #1?

I'll list some here. Feel free to correct me/add to this list.

Australia: rugby, cricket, football
Bangladesh: cricket, football
Canada: hockey, Canadian football, baseball, basketball, football
China: table tennis, basketball/football
Cuba: baseball, football
India: cricket, field hockey, football
Jamaica: cricket/football
Japan: baseball, sumo wrestling, football
Korea: taekwondo/football
New Zealand: rugby, cricket, football
Pakistan: cricket, football
Sri Lanka: cricket, football
USA: American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, football
Venezuela: baseball, football
Pakis like hockey more than football.

Nearly all West Indian countries would probably have cricket ahead of football.

South Africa might be equally enthusiastic about rugby and cricket as football. Kenya for cricket as well. Cricket is popular in the Middle East as well, but not more than football I think.

For India, you could put down tennis ahead of football as well...such is the sorry state of the world game :(

[tomwilhelm]

Panama: Baseball, football

[Pingudo]

Bull Fighting in Spain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Spain, football is more popular than bull fighting.

More like:
The NFL, College Football, Major League Baseball, College basketball, The NBA(pro basketball), stock car racing, hockey, and soccer.
The NFL and college football are the same sport. Same for the NBA and college basketball. But I agree with you on stock car racing in terms of viewership. However, football (soccer) is now the second most played sport among youngsters after basketball.

[Pingudo]

South Africa might be equally enthusiastic about rugby and cricket as football.

Football is #1 among the black population of South Africa (70%) while rugby and cricket are dominant among the white population (30%) Thus, football is #1 in the country.


For India, you could put down tennis ahead of football as well...
Link?

The Calcutta derby between East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan is watched by 120.000 at the Saltlake Stadium, one of the biggest stadia in Asia!
http://www.indianfootball.de/faq.html

[Pingudo]

Updated:

Australia: Australian football(evolved from rugby), cricket, football
Bangladesh: cricket, football
Canada: ice hockey, Canadian football(evolved from rugby), baseball, basketball, football
China: table tennis, football/basketball
Cuba: baseball, football
Dominican Republic: Baseball, football
Finland: ice hockey, football
India: cricket, field hockey, football
Indonesia: Badminton/football
Japan: baseball, sumo wrestling, football
Kenya: cricket, football
Korea: taekwondo/football/baseball
New Zealand: rugby, cricket, football
Nicaragua: Baseball, football
Pakistan: cricket, field hockey, football
Panama: Baseball, football
Philippines: Basketball, Tennis, Baseball, football
Singapore: football/swimming/badminton
South Africa: football (black majority); rugby, cricket (white minority)
Sri Lanka: cricket, football
Taiwan: baseball, football
Thailand: Muay Thai/football
USA: American football(evolved from rugby), baseball, basketball, stock car racing, ice hockey, football
Venezuela: baseball/football
West Indian countries*: cricket/football

*Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and others.

[climax]

Link?

The Calcutta derby between East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan is watched by 120.000 at the Saltlake Stadium, one of the biggest stadia in Asia!
http://www.indianfootball.de/faq.html
Calcutta (Kolkata now) is only one city which is kind of football mad. You will not see such passion for football in any other metropolis in India. The football crazy states are West Bengal, Kerala and Goa. In other states interest in tennis might just be higher than football because of mainly Sania Mirza, and also to some extent Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. However, even in that case, interest in tennis is sporadic at best. Its a tough call as to which sport is more popular on a country-wide basis.

BTW, I was at a Mohun Bagan vs. East Bengal match where there were 148000 people in the Salt Lake Stadium. It was something I haven't seen ever before and don't think I will see such a football crowd in any other place again. Salt Lake Stadium is in fact, the second largest football stadium in the world after the one in Pyongyang.

[napolisoccer]

Maybe now the fotball is the number one sport in Japan and the second in the Philippine.

[climax]

http://www.indianfootball.de/faq.htmlIn that link you find this statement which is very true: "Actually football was until the 70s the most popular sport in India but the success of the cricket team in the 80s has changed that."

[PsychedelicCeltic]

Rugby is more popular in Wales, although it's a push pull battle. Football is king in North Wales, but rugby is more popular in most parts of the more heavily populated South Wales. Club football in Wales is very popular, but the national rugby team is by some distance the most high profile sporting team in Wales.

Gaelic sports are more popular in Eire. Rugby is also very popular and the national team attracts support comparable to rugby. There are definitely big pockets of Eire where rugby is more popular than football.

Maybe now the fotball is the number one sport in Japan and the second in the Philippine.

Don't know about the Philippines, but absolutely not in Japan. Baseball and sumo are still miles ahead of the rest.