226 countries can't be wrong

Joe Kidwell — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:11:01 -0500

Soccer is the world game, the No. 1 sport played in every corner of the planet. World Cup fever sweeps the globe, but Canada and the United States are two of the small handful of countries that haven't been entirely seduced by the charms of the beautiful game. Soccer is, by far, the most popular sport in the world.It is the No. 1 sport in 226 countries around the globe. In fact, there are only 35 countries where soccer isn't No. 1, including the U.S.A.

And the World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet, bar none. Period. Exclamation point! Case closed.The World Cup stops the planet, an event 10 times bigger than the Olympic games in popularity and viewership.

So I made a list of where soccer is not No. 1. USA your not alone:

Baseball is first in eight different countries which include Panama, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Nicaragua, Northern Marianas, and Taiwan.

Cricket is tops in eight countries: British Guyana, Antigua and Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

Rugby is leading in five countries, which include Fiji, Western Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand, and Wales.

Basketball is most popular in five countries: the Philippines, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, Marshall Islands, and the Bahamas.

Following behind is Ice Hockey, which is No. 1 in four countries including Canada, Finland, Latvia, and Estonia.

The other sports are all tied with being No. 1 in only one country.

Archery: Bhutan; Wrestling: Mongolia; AFL: Nauru; and Gaelic Football: Ireland Republic.

And, of course, American football is number one only in the United States.

The rest of the 226 countries in the world is where soccer is No. 1, which means the citizens go mostly to soccer games, watch mostly soccer, eat, drink, and live soccer most of their lives, and the majority play soccer.

Soccer is the second most popular sport in Venezuela, Japan, Nicaragua, Northern Marianas, Guyana, Antigua and Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Western Samoa,Tonga, Wales, Lithuania, Bhutan, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Mongolia, Nauru and Ireland Republic. Thats another 21 countries where soccer is second.

Soccer Should Be No. 1 in USA

Joe Kidwell — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:29:02 -0500

What makes you follow micro-sports such as basketball, baseball, or American football? Think about that for a second. The sport you follow, no matter what it is, is nothing more than a "micro" sport compared to soccer.

The game I and the rest of the world follow is the No. 1 sport in 226 countries around the globe. There are less than 40 countries where soccer isn't No. 1, which includes the U.S.A. Our World Cup stops the planet, a world cup 10 times bigger than the Olympic games in popularity and in viewership.

Here is a list of where soccer is not No. 1:

Baseball is No. 1 in nine different countries which include the United States, Panama, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Nicaragua, Northern Marianas, China, and Taipei.

Played in eight countries, Cricket is No. 1 in British Guyana, Antigua and Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

Rugby is played in six different countries, which include Fiji, Western Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand, Wales, and the Cook Islands.

Basketball is No. 1 in five countries: the Philippines, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, Marshall Islands, and the Bahamas.

Following behind is Ice Hockey, which is No. 1 in four countries including Canada, Finland, Latvia, and Estonia.

The other sports are all tied with being No. 1 in only one country. Archery: Bhutan; Wrestling: Mongolia; AFL: Nauru; and Gaelic Football: Ireland Republic.

The rest of the 226 countries in the world, is where soccer is No. 1, which means the citizens go mostly to soccer games, watch mostly soccer, eat, drink, and live soccer most of their lives.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Joe Kidwell

226 countries can't be wrong

Soccer Should Be No. 1 in USA