Football rules the sporting world. Most of us know that intuitively simply because the game is so ubiquitous. For example, you could be in Australia and easily access the latest Ligue 1 results, the scoop on the up-and-coming star in La Liga and find out which Premier League manager is at risk of losing their job. Put simply, you can tune into any sport-focused TV channel or go online, and football dominates the headlines.
Even without empirical evidence, we know football is the world’s most popular sport. However, in the interest of being interesting, we’ve picked out some facts that prove our point. The first and most obvious way to demonstrate the dominance of football is by looking at viewing figures. Ligue 1 viewership spiked in 2021 thanks, in part, to Lionel Messi making his debut for PSG.
Football Attracts Audiences and More
The Argentinian’s first appearance for PSG attracted 10.5 million viewers in France alone. The Premier League, as most people know, attracts the most viewers with an average international viewership of more than 3 billion per season. However, even growth areas of the sport attract millions of fans. Over 9 million Brits tuned into the watch England ladies beat Sweden in the Euro 2022 semi-final, proving once again that football regardless of whether men or women are playing.
Moving beyond viewing figures, the influence of football can be seen in its impact on areas of society you might not expect. Charity is a great example of this. Almost all high-profile professional clubs in Ligue 1 (and other leagues) have charitable partners, but they are part of a much larger iceberg. Football has the power to bring out people’s benevolent sides in a variety of ways.
The Sidemen charity match proved this is true. The 2022 game organised by social media star KSI attracted more than 17 million views on YouTube and, importantly, generated over £1 million (€ 1.15 million) for charity. For two teams of non-professionals, that’s an impressive achievement and yet another example of why football is the world’s most-loved sport.
Football is Entertaining in Every Way
Going deeper still, we can look at the impact football has in other areas of the entertainment industry (assuming we class football as a form of entertainment as well as competition). Gaming stands out as one area where football is omnipresent. FIFA, by EA Sports, is the top title within the video gaming sector, but it’s flanked by hundreds of equally entertaining offerings, including Pro Evo and Football Manager. Crossing over into the casino sector, there’s a similar level of interest in casino gaming.
Visit a top-rated UK online casino and, among its collection of slots, you’ll find titles like Football Star Deluxe by Microgaming and World Cup Gold from SkyWind. Alongside slots are football-themed scratchcards, roulette tables, and live games such as Football Studio. If you want to shoot for prizes, both literally and metaphorically, there are football casino games out there.
If prizes aren’t your focus, you can immerse yourself in a variety of virtual scenarios. Virtual reality is opening the door to new experiences, including games and training scenarios. Therefore, if you’re an aspiring player, you can use gaming technology to improve your skills. All of these innovations are more examples of football’s popularity. Moreover, they’re examples of how football is a major influence on society at almost every level. That’s why football rules the sporting world.
