In this post, we will check out the top 10 most popular sports in the world in 2021.

Sport is a part of everyone’s life. For some, it’s a hobby, for some it’s passion. While some have taken it to the next level and taken sports very seriously. Today in every part of the world people follow different sports for their enjoyment.

Fans have an emotional connection with their favorite team and players. Many of the fans have taken the players as their role models in their life. So we can say that sports are not only a game but also an emotion for millions of fans worldwide.

The popularity of sports can be measured in terms of fan following. The more popular the sports the greater the following across the globe.

The sport definitely unites people irrespective of different colors, races, and religions. According to the World Sports Encyclopedia (2003), there are 8,000 indigenous sports and sporting games.

We will be judging the different parameters to list the top 10 most popular sports in the world in 2021. So without a further delay let’s go ahead and check out the article.

Top 10 Most Popular Sports In The World 2021

1 Football

Football Commonly known as soccer is one of the most popular sports around the world. The game is played in over 200 countries making it the world’s most popular sport.

Now if we talk about fans, football has around 3.5 billion fans across the world. The sport has no boundaries and is played in almost all of the countries around the world.

The regions where the game is more prevalent are Europe, Africa, Central, and South America. Football is also considered one of the most-watched and rich sport around the globe.

Football also some of the most renowned leagues in the world. FIFA world cup 2018, has brought 7.7 million fans to Russia to watch the game. The stats are just insane for any world cup event ever in the history of the sport.

Ease of play, leagues, history, passion, and the fans made this game a “Beautiful Game” on the planet. Football is number 1 in our list top 10 most popular sports in the world in 2021.

2 Cricket

Cricket is the 2nd most popular sport in the world with over 2.5 billion fans around the world. The major places where Cricket is most prevalent are Asia, England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, and New Zealand.

The fan base of cricket in Asian countries is immense. A large number of people follow and watch the game. Though soccer is played in almost all countries, however, the craze of cricket in Asia is just insane.

Since the last decade, the game evolved a lot and there is some major popular league around the world. IPL is the biggest league of all of them. The league is gaining popularity and the short format(T20) of the game is a new trend in Cricket.

Cricket is known as the gentleman game. There are reports which claimed that they will be adding the shorter format(T20) of the game in the Olympics as well. The game is expanding and more countries started to participate in the game.

The most followed league in cricket is the Indian Premier League, rated as the first in the top 10 Cricket Leagues in the World.

It’s safe to say that cricket will gonna rule in the future but it would be exciting to see that could it break the popularity of Soccer around the world.

3 Basketball

Basketball does not need any introduction in this list. The game is one of the most popular sports in America. It has also been one of the top sports in countries like Australia, Canada, the Philippines.

The estimated fan base of the game is somewhat around 2 to 3 billion. The league is constituted of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

The game is operated under the National Basketball Association. NBA players are the world’s best-paid athletes comparing the average annual salary with other athletes from different sports.

Basketball is facing stiff competition with cricket for a couple of years in terms of popularity, however, this year Basketball is number 3 in the ranking of popular sports. The game has more than 100 leagues in the world.

Basketball never gonna fade away in the minds of sports fanatics and the game will continue to dominate in the future in terms of popularity.

4 Hockey

Hockey is one of the sports which is widely popular but still underrated. The game has a good reputation in Asian countries which include Pakistan, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Malaysia, and the Netherlands.

Another form of Hockey is ice hockey which is popular in Canada and the USA. The total number of fans including both forms of hockey is around 2.2 billion.

Field hockey is played on a field while ice hockey is played on an icy field. Comparing the participation of the country in the game, Field hockey is widely popular comparing to Ice Hockey.

Both forms of hockey are major events in the Olympics. Hockey is number 4 in our list of top 10 most popular sports in the world in 2021.

5 Tennis

Tennis is the fifth most popular sport in the world with more than 1.5 billion fans. The game has seen some of the global stars like Federer and Nadal.

There are more than 8 Major Tennis Tournaments across the world. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played in different nations and followed by billions of fans. This is more kind of an individual, however, you can also play the game with a member which is formally called doubles.

The game requires grit, hard work, and stamina to propel it to the next level. The game has seen some elegant, classy, power hitter, stylish kind of players in recent years.

The new players keep on emerging and showing the world what they are capable of. Thus it increases the thrill and the competition in the game.

Tennis has been played by both males and females. Tennis is number 5 in our list of top 10 most popular sports in the world in 2021.

6 Volleyball

Volleyball is an adrenaline sport that requires power, class, and technique to execute properly. The game has been a part of the Summer Olympic Games since 1964.

It has 900 million fans around the world and one of the classiest games of all time. The sport has vast popularity in different countries which includes Brazil, Russia, Japan, China, Italy, and Cuba.

It’spouparlity increasing year after year and we will notice a huge increase in its followers in near future. A number of techniques required in volleyball include spiking, blocking, passing, and setting.

Volleyball is also one of the most-watched events in the Olympic games. Volleyball is number 6 in our list of top 10 most popular sports in the world in 2021.

7 Table Tennis

Table Tennis is known as Ping Pong in many countries. The game is identical to Lawn tennis, the difference is that table tennis is played on a table while lawn tennis is played on a tennis court.

It can be played by single players or a team consisting of two players. Play is fast and needs quick reactions. Spinning the ball alters its trajectory and limits an opponent’s options, giving the hitter a great advantage.

The game is getting very popular as an indoor game and is played in a lot of countries. It is played in over 50 countries, dominated by nations in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. It is particularly more notable in China and Korea.

The table tennis fan base has increased to a global following of 875 million. Table Tennis is number 7 in our list of top 10 most popular sports in the world in 2021.

8 Baseball

Baseball is a primetime sport in America, but it is also most prevalent in the Dominican Republic, Canada, and Cuba. Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two competitive teams who take turns batting and fielding.

The game progresses when a player on the fielding team, described as the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team tries to hit with a bat.

Major League Baseball is the crest of baseball leagues globally. The game has more than 500 million fans around the world. Baseball is popular in North America and parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and East Asia as well.

The Baseball game also has great sponsorship deals and one of the most-watched sport in the United States. Baseball is number 8 in our list of top 10 most popular sports in the world in 2021.

9 Rugby

Rugby is the 9th most popular sport in the world in 2021. The sport has 500 million fans around the world. Rugby is also been a part of the Olympics which ultimately increase its fan base and popularity across the globe.

Rugby as a world cup event and the participation in Olympic games surely made this sport one of the most popular sports in the world.

The sport is much popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand. South Africa is without a doubt the most competitive rugby nation. Africa is home to almost 650,000 registered rugby players

The big tournament in rugby brings top brands and significant funds for sponsorship. The game requires energy and power with pace to excel at the highest level.

10 Golf

The last spot goes to Golf. The game has around 300 million fans across the world. The game is more prevalent in the US, Canada, and Europe. Golf has a global fan base and most popular among the riches.

The fact is that rich people are attracted to golf because they can afford to overcome its many expensive hurdles to entry like Equipment and Lessons.

Golf is a single-player game and requires precision and technique to be the best. The game of golf was created in Scotland during the 15th century.

Some of the well-known golf tournaments include PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, European Tour, and PGA tour champion. The most popular player to ever grace the game of Golf is Tiger Woods.

In this article, we will talk about the top 10 richest cricketers in the world 2021.

Cricket is one of the most well-known sports in the world. The global popularity of the games brings plenty of money with advertisements, promotions, and different T20 leagues carried around the world. Tournaments such as the Big Bash League (BBL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) generate enormous revenues for the sponsors.

cricketers have a huge fan base around the world. Due to their immense popularity, they made a large sum of money with their profession. Today we will talk about the top 10 richest cricketers in the world in 2021.

In this article, we will check out in a detailed manner which cricketers in the world are making the most money in 2021.

Let’s check out the top 10 richest cricketers in the world 2021.

Top 10 Richest Cricketers In The World 2021

10 Shane Watson (35 Million)

Shane Watson is a former Australian all-rounder known for his explosive batting. He was the world No. 1 T20I all-rounder for 150 weeks. He is also named as one of the finest all-rounders the world has ever seen.

Watson holds numerous records in all formats of the game. Forbes claimed Watson as one of the highest-paid non-Indian cricketers in the world for five consecutive years between 2011 and 2015.

He is regarded as one of the most prominent white-ball players in the modern era. He also won the Player of the Series in a number of important tournaments. At the later stages of his IPL career in 2018, he was signed by Chennai Super Kings.

Watson has bought many luxury cars and homes in Australia. The total net worth of Shane Watson estimated around 35 million in 2021.

9 Yuvraj Singh (35 Million)

Yuvraj Singh is a former Indian cricketer and one of the best all-rounder in the cricketing world. Yuvraj was known for his stroke play and his fielding abilities.

At the 2014 and 2015 IPL auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils bought Yuvraj for a very high price tag of 14 crores and 16 crores respectively, making him the most valuable player in the history f IPL. However this year Chris Morris broke the record when Rajasthan Royals bought him for 16.25 crore in February 2021.

He has signed by big brands like Pepsi, Reebok, Birla Sun Life, Royal Mega Stag, Laureus & Benz, Whirlpool, Cadbury, Revital, Puma, LG, and a lot more.

Yuvraj has a wide selection of cars which includes Audi Q5, BMW 3 Series, and Bentley Continental. The total net worth of Yuvraj Singh is estimated around 35 million in 2021.

8 Jacques Kallis (35 Million)

Kallis is widely known as one of the greatest players and best all-rounder in the history of the game. He is one of the greatest players South Africa has ever produced. Kallis was designated as the Leading Cricketer in the World in 2008.

He is also the only cricketer in the history of the game to score more than 10,000 runs and take over 250 wickets in both ODI and Test match cricket. He gained most of his money from his professional cricket career.

After his retirement, most of his earning came from coaching roles for different teams around the world. The net worth of Jacques Kallis is estimated at around 35 million in 2021.

7 Virender Sehwag (40 Million)

Virender Sehwag is the most explosive batsman in cricket history. There is no better opener in the game other than Sehwag. He is regarded as one of the most destructive batsmen of all time.

Sehwag became the first Indian batsman to be acknowledged as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for his outstanding performance in 2008. He is one of the four batsmen around the world to surpassed 300 twice in Test cricket.

Sehwag currently endorses major brands like Adidas, Boost, Samsung Mobiles, Reebok, Hero Honda, and many more. The total net worth of Virender Sehwag estimated at around 40 million in 2021.

6 Shane Warne (50 Million)

Shane Warne is a former Australian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history. Warne’s 708 Test wickets was a world record that was later broken by the Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan on 3 December 2007.

He was also named as a bowler in Australia’s “greatest ever ODI team”. In 2013, Warne was drafted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. 

He has endorsed some big brands like Pepsi, and McDonald’s. The net worth of Shane Warne is estimated at around 50 million in 2021.

5 Brian Lara (60 Million)

Brian Lara is widely recognized as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He holds several cricket records and topped the test batting rankings numerous times.

Lara had the highest individual score in test innings(400) which he achieved against England at Antigua in 2004.

He had a long association with the Tyre company MRF. He also endorsed some brands and has a net worth of $60 million in 2021.

4 Ricky Ponting (65 Million)

Ricky Ponting is rated one of the most successful captains in international cricket history, and one of the most astonishing batsmen the world has ever seen.

He was named “Cricketer of the Decade 2000”. He is known as the best batsman of the modern era, alongside some of the great players like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.

In July 2018, he was enlisted into the ICC Hall of Fame. The interesting fact is that Ponting is the only captain after Clive Lloyd to lead his team to win two consecutive ICC World Cups in 2003 and 2007.

He has been a part of many brands like Valvoline, Adidas, Rexona, and a lot more. The net worth of Ricky Ponting is estimated at around 65 million in 2021.

3 Virat Kohli (92 Million)

Virat Kohli is currently the most complete batsman of the modern era. There is no one who has achieved as much as Virat Kohli in the last 10 years.

He holds the world record for being the fastest batsman to 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, and 12,000 runs in ODI cricket.

Kohli is listed as one of the world’s most popular athletes by ESPN and one of the most marketable athletes by Forbes.  Kohli receives a huge amount of money from his brands like Puma, Audi, MRF, Colgate-Palmolive, Tissot. He also has his own fashion brand named WROGN.

Virat total net worth is estimated around 92 million in 2021.

2 MS Dhoni (111 Million)

MS Dhoni is widely admired as one of the greatest wicket-keeper batsmen and captains in the history of the game. The cricket world has never seen a better finisher than him in history. He was also the first wicket-keeper to achieve 100 stumpings in ODI cricket.

Dhoni became the first captain in history to win all three ICC tournaments which include World Cup, Champions Trophy, and Twenty20 world cup. Time magazine added Dhoni to the top 100 lists as one of the “Most Influential People in the World.”

SportsPro also ranked Dhoni as the sixteenth most commercial athlete in the world. Dhoni has endorsed a lot of big brands like Reebok, TVS Motors, Red Bus, Sony Bravia, Lays, Snickers, GoDaddy, Orient, Gulf Oil, and a lot more.

The net worth of MS Dhoni is estimated at around 111 million in 2021.

1 Sachin Tendulkar (150 Million)

Sachin Tendulkar is considered the greatest player of all time in the history of cricket. He is also the highest run-scorer in international cricket. He is the only cricket player to achieve more than 30,000 runs in international cricket.

In 2019, Tendulkar was drafted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He endorses global brands like Phillips, Britannia, VISA, BMW, Pepsi, Luminous, Adidas, Canon, Castrol, etc. 

He had also a long association with the tyre company MRF. The total net worth of Sachin Tendulkar is estimated around 150 million in 2021.

Footballers earn a lot of money with their profession. In this article, we will check out the top 10 richest footballers in the world in 2021.

Soccer is the most renowned and the followed game around the world. Football is a global sport that is played in over 200 countries worldwide. The game has more than 3.5 billion fans across the planet. The craze of this game is on the next level.

Football is also one of the most-watched sports nowadays. being the most popular games, there are footballers who make a lot of wealth from their profession.

You might have heard about some footballers who are making millions and billions with their profession. Let’s come straight to the point and check out the top 10 richest footballers in the world in 2021.

First, we will talk about the other top 5 richest footballers who unable to make it in the top 10 list.

Other Top 5 Richest Footballers In The World 2021

5 Mohamed Salah (90 Million)

Salah is one of the top players for Liverpool over the years. He joined Liverpool in 2017 for a fee of £36.5 million. Salah was getting a salary of £90,000 per week and the deal to be closed is for 3 years. His master class performance for the club and his contract extension in 2018 helped him to increase his earnings to £220,000 per week.

The contract extension also made Salah one of the highest-paid footballers in the premier league beating the likes of Raheem Sterling, Anthony Martial, Sergio Aguero, Kevin Debruyne, and David De Gea.

The total net worth of Mo Salah estimated around $90 million in 2021.

4 Pele (100 Million)

He may be a retired player but at the peak of his time, he makes a lot of wealth with football. Pele was a national hero and a club legend for Santos. Pele is regarded as one of the best football players of all time.

Pele’s net worth is estimated around $100 million in 2021.

3 Francesco Totti (101.6 Million)

Francesco Totti is one of the most popular names in Italian football history. He is known as the king of Rome. His contribution to his club AS Roma is unmatchable. Totti is an offensive playmaker mostly known for his vision, technique, and goalscoring ability. Totti is considered one of the greatest Italian players and a living legend in Roma.

Francesco Totti’s net worth is estimated at around $101.6 million, making him on the number 13 in our list of richest footballers in the world in 2021.

2 Kylian Mbappe (110 Million)

Mbappe is the best young talent in football. His rise started in Monaco and after that, he never looked back. Kylian joined PSG from Monaco in 2017 on loan however later the Ligue 1 side got impressed with his performance and signed him on a permanent deal of whopping £174 million for his services.

Mbappe is the second most expensive football player just behind his teammate Neymar. He made his debut for France in 2017, at age 18. His performance in the 2018 FIFA World Cup shown that he had a great future ahead. Mbappe became the youngest French player ever to score at a World Cup, and just the second teenager, after the great Pele, to score in a World Cup Final.

Due to many reliable sources, Mbappe’s net worth estimated at around $110 million in 2021.

1 Eden Hazard (120 Million)

Eden Hazard is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga top club Real Madrid. He is known for his world-class dribbling and passing. He was rated as one of the best wingers of his generation.

After winning the Europa League with Chelsea in June 2019, he moved to Real Madrid with a transfer fee of €150 million.

Eden Hazard’s net worth is estimated at around $120 million, making him the top player who unable to make it in the list of top 10 richest footballers in the world in 2021.

Now let’s check out the top 10 richest footballers in the world 2021:-

Top 10 Richest Footballers In The World 2021

10 Mesut Ozil (120 Million)

Mesut Ozil is a German professional footballer who holds the position of an attacking midfielder. Ozil is known for creativity, passing, and vision. The German international is known as one of the best midfielders the world has ever seen. Ozil now moved to Fenerbahçe from Arsenal in 2021.

Ozil also holds the world record for the most German Player of the Year awards(5). Mesut Ozil’s net worth is estimated at around $120 million in 2021.

9 Andres Iniesta (120 Million)

FC Barcelona legendary midfielder and Spain’s most important player in history does not need any introduction in this list. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders ever grace the footballing pitch. Iniesta was an integral part of Barcelona for so many years, where he served as the captain for three seasons.

He moved to the club Japanese side Vissel Kobe from Barcelona in 2018. Andres Iniesta has an estimated net worth of $120 million in 2021, where most of his earnings came due to a long spell at Camp Nou.

8 Gareth Bale (145 Million)

Gareth Bale is a Welsh professional footballer who plays in the winger position. He was playing for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, on loan from Real Madrid. This speedster is number eight in our list of richest footballers in the world in 2021.

He has been identified as the Welsh Footballer of the Year a record six times. In 2016, ESPN listed him in twelfth position among the most famous athletes around the world.

Bale’s transfer to Real Madrid from Tottenham broke the previous world record set by Cristiano Ronaldo and became the most expensive signing in the history of club football at that time. Gareth Bale has an estimated net worth of $145 million in 2021.

7 Alexandre Pato (145 Million)

Alexandre Pato is a Brazilian professional footballer who is an active footballer and plays as a forward for Orlando City in Major League Soccer.

Alexandre Pato’s estimated net worth is around $145 Million, making him the 7th richest footballer in the world in 2021.

6 Wayne Rooney (170 Million)

Wayne Rooney is an English legend who played most of his career for the club Manchester United. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his era. He scored 253 goals for Manchester United which makes him the player with the most goals in Manchester United history.

Rooney’s scored a total of 208 Premier League goals making him the number 2 in the list of top scorers of all time in the history of Premier League. He has also won the England Player of the Year award four times in his career i.e 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015.

Wayne Rooney’s total net worth is estimated at around $170 million that made him the sixth richest footballer in the world in 2021.

5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (190 Million)

Zlatan is a Swedish international who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan. Ibrahimovic is widely known as the best striker the world has ever seen. Despite his age, he is still delivering for his club in the league and European competitions. He is one of the most decorated footballers, winning a total of 31 trophies during his career.

Reliable source claim that Zlatan had an estimated net worth of $190 Million. He has sponsorship deals with big brands like sports drinks, Microsoft Xbox, Nivea, and Volvo.

4 Neymar Jr (200 Million)

Neymar Jr. is currently one of the best Brazilian footballers. He plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. He is widely known for his skill moves and his outstanding dribbling ability.

Neymar moves to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona with a record-shattering transfer fee of €222 million, making him the most valuable player ever in the history of football. SportsPro labeled him as one of the most marketable athletes in the world in 2012 and 2013.

Forbes listed him as the world’s third highest-paid athlete in 2020. Neymar’s net worth is estimated at around $200 million in 2021 making him the 4th richest footballer in the world in 2021.

3 Lionel Messi (400 Million)

Lionel Messi himself is a brand, there is no introduction needed for this man in the world of football. He has sponsorship deals with big brands like Adidas, Gatorade, Pepsi, Gillette, and Turkish Airlines. 

Messi is currently the third richest footballer in the world in 2021. He has several valuable sponsorship deals with some of the highest-paying brands.

According to Forbes, Lionel Messi is the second billionaire footballer after Cristiano Ronaldo. His estimated net worth in 2021 is $400 million.

2 David Beckham (450 Million)

David Beckham is an English retired professional player. He is rated as one of the greatest footballers ever in the history of football. He is known for his passing ability, crossing, and classic free-kicks. Beckham has been recognized as the greatest midfielders of his generation.

Beckham has always been ranked among the highest earners in football. In 2013 he was ranked as the highest-paid player in the world. David Beckham’s net worth is estimated at around $450 million. This made him the second richest footballer in the world after Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021.

1 Cristiano Ronaldo (500 Million)

Ronaldo means a business that’s how we can describe this man. He is one of the greatest players in the history of football. Ronaldo makes more than €30 Million annually at Juventus. 

He also has sponsorship deals with brands like Nike, Herbalife, Dazn, and MTG. Ronaldo also has its own brand which includes 7egend, CR7 Fitness, CR7 Footwear, and CR7 Denim.

Ronaldo was ranked as the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016 and 2017. He is number 1 in the list of richest football players. His total net worth is estimated at around $500 million in 2021.