When the world stops for a moment, everything is shaken up. Sports have been among those things, particularly during the 2020 pandemic, which seems to be affecting 2021 and will most likely affect 2022, as well.
With a global pandemic, things have almost come to a halt, but sports are enduring, to an extent. Sports always endure, because coverage, business and advertisements do not stop. But athletes, fans and everyone involved, love sports as well, and for simpler reasons. Even with the pandemic, there were plenty of sports still played in the world. Here are the most popular of them.
Soccer/Football – The Most Popular One
Soccer or football, depending on which side of the pond you are, is the most popular sport on the planet. It remained the most popular one, during and after the pandemic, as well as before. It is one of those sports, simple and catchy, with amazing teams and players promoting it.
The European Championship 2020, still called that way, was rescheduled for 2021 (as were the Olympic Games), and fans will not be missing such an event.
Cricket – The Strange One?
Cricket is one of those sports that not everybody gets, with matches that can last for days. But cricket, while popular in the UK, is the most popular sport in India. India has a lot of people, which make up a large percentage of cricket’s popularity. Be that as it may, it is still the world’s second most popular sport.
Basketball – Another Simple Sport
Basketball and soccer were often considered the most popular sports and to an extent, that is correct, with cricket being somewhere in between. Basketball is popular in the United States and all over the world, actually.
Whether due to its simplicity or the NBA, it was one of the most viewed sports during the pandemic.
Ice Hockey – Cool During the Pandemic
Ice hockey is a contact sport, much more dangerous than soccer or basketball. It is very popular in the US and Canada, but is also played all over the world. Pandemic or no pandemic, ice hockey has been skating away, providing us with entertainment and others with salaries and business opportunities.
Tennis – An Individual Sport
Team sports have dominated the popularity list but tennis is there to put a dent, being the first individual sport, unless you count doubles, to make it.
Tennis had problems with its touring nature and many individuals but some tournaments, particularly grand slams, adapted as well as one could and made the sport watchable during the worst periods of the pandemic.
These have been the world’s most popular sports during the global pandemic that is still shaking our roots. They are also likely to remain the most popular after the pandemic, given that the list has not changed much compared to before the pandemic.