Where is football most popular in the world

Their games were played in front of crowds that were as large as 10, fans, and the entire league continues to draw well. Fun fact: American football was first introduced to Japan in by the legendary missionary Paul Rusch. Who is playing: The highest levels of football in Japan are organized through corporations that sponsor the teams and "staff" them with their own employees.

A handful have developed into semi-pro-level teams, and the Japan Bowl will be played in December in the Tokyo Dome. Japanese teams have grown increasingly aggressive in recruiting American-born players. John's of Minnesota. Key stat: Brazilians have played tackle football in an organized way for only eight years, but there are already teams and approximately 8, members of its federation. Fun fact: Team names in Brazil are fantastic, as long as you are not prone to phobias.

Who is playing: Although the level of play is not high relative to other countries, fan support is wild for teams in the CBFA Superliga -- a structure devised this year to pit the top 31 teams in the country for a regular rotation. As many as 15, fans show up for games, rivaling soccer events in some cases.

The Corinthian Steamrollers have 1. As a result, Brazil is viewed as perhaps the most fertile ground for grassroots expansion in the world. Key stat: The game was introduced about five years ago on a significant scale, and as of last summer, about 5, men and women were playing in some form. Fun fact: Former Arizona State defensive lineman Zach Brown , living in China for work, started a semi-pro league by handing out business cards to people he met on the street.

The cards said, "I play American football. You look like a dude who could play. Contact us here. Enough said. The level of play here "is no comparison to the NFL at all," Li said. That gives you the best-case scenario of what we're seeing here. Key stat: France has a huge if moderately competitive federation, counting registered clubs and 22, members.

Who is playing: Soccer and rugby dominate the French sports terrain, so support is mixed even while participation and skill level is high. Most football teams have American imports playing quarterback, including many with experience at Division I schools. There have also been occasional instances of French-born players piquing interest of NFL teams. Fun fact: The first season of American football in Australia was Players used boxing head gear instead of helmets and played on what Gridiron Australia's official history called a "disused rubbish tip.

These players do not always earn the most. The best of the best have made it to our 7 Sporting Wonders Lists. Cricket 2. Tennis 1 Billion Europe, Asia, America. Baseball Million America, Japan. Any comments, suggestions or corrections? Please let us know. The people of Croatia love soccer. Thousands of Croatians participate at the professional level, and millions follow their every move on television and social media.

Unlike many of the countries on this list, soccer is not the most popular sport in the United States. That title is held by American Football, and the runner-up sports in the American popularity contest include baseball and basketball.

Despite this, soccer is still very popular in the United States. There is also a strong base of high school and collegiate teams to support both the MLS and the popularity of soccer as a whole. When many people think about sports in Russia, they immediately think about ice hockey. While ice hockey is certainly popular in Russia, it is nowhere near as popular as soccer is.

A large portion of the population prefers watching soccer over any other sport. Although South Africa is geographically pretty far removed from the other countries on this list, soccer is nevertheless the most popular sport here as well. Soccer is also extremely popular in Israel. The popularity of soccer here is due to England, whose control of Mandatory Palestine brought the sport to the region in the early s.

Since then, Mexico has produced a number of highly successful players, and has also seen decent success on the international stage. Japan joins the United States as one of the few countries where soccer is not the most popular sport. While baseball may be the most popular sport in Japan, their professional soccer leagues are still followed by millions of people around the country. Rounding out this list is Australia, which surprisingly enough is also a country in which soccer is not the most popular sport.