Which sport is the most popular in the world?

Football is played and watched in almost every country, and estimates put its global fan base at around 3.5 billion people. Its governing body, FIFA, has 211 member associations, more than the United Nations has member states. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France reached an estimated 1.5 billion viewers. Part of its appeal is simplicity: all you need is a ball and some open space. Cricket is usually ranked second, with around 2.5 billion fans concentrated in South Asia, the UK, Australia and the Caribbean, followed by basketball, hockey and tennis.