Sports have long been a way for people to get together and enjoy themselves, to compete, to get fit, and in some instances, to make a lot of money. With hundreds of sports played worldwide, and many more variations of them participated in globally, however, it’s not always easy to pick out those that are the most popular, or the most widely participated in.

But one thing is clear, when it comes to the top 50 sports in the world, gauging participation is much easier when you can count players registered to clubs or leagues, as opposed to those who play informally. So when creating this list of the world’s 10 most widely participated in sports, that’s exactly what was done:

  1. Soccer or football

In terms of participation, nothing can beat soccer, with an estimated 4% of the world’s population playing the sport formally, and millions more kicking a ball around in their back yards or local parks for fun.

  1. Badminton

Surprised by this result? You’re not alone. But with more than 200 million people estimated to play badminton on a regular basis globally, it remains a widely participated in sport, even outside of Asia.

  1. Field hockey

Played by all genders on 5 different continents, this sport differs in its rules from Ice Hockey, and is fast-paced and highly technical. Having long been a favorite of the Olympic Games, it remains an actively participated in sport, around the world.

  1. Volleyball

Having originated in the States, the sport has since become popular with people in all 4 corners of the globe, and is participated in on a regular basis by millions. With both indoor and outdoor versions proving popular, the sport’s global governing body has more than 200 affiliated national federations registered to it.

  1. Basketball

With an estimated 450 million players of the sport globally, basketball is highly marketable, and is as popular now as it was in the glory days of superstar players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.

  1. Tennis

As an individual sport, it’s hard to beat tennis in terms of popularity, with people loving to play it as much as they love watching it. Also increasing in popularity throughout Asia, the latest figures have it as being around 60 million people participating in the sport every year.

  1. Cricket

With most of the sport’s participants coming from India, Australia, the UK, Pakistan and South Africa, cricket is also growing in popularity in other countries, making it worthy of its number 7 ranking in this list.

  1. Table tennis

Since being integrated into schools, sport centers and social clubs the world over, this simple, fast-paced sport has taken the world by storm, and it’s estimated that as many as 300 million people play it worldwide.

  1. Baseball

Thanks to its rising popularity in countries like Japan, baseball is no longer a sport only enjoyed in America, hence its ranking in this list.

  1. Golf

Although this sport remains a popular one throughout the world, active participation rates are lower than some other sports, with some people playing a few round of golf only once or twice a year.

Which of these world’s 10 best sports are you to actively participate in yet? With benefits ranging far beyond physical fitness, taking part in sport can also help us overcome emotional barriers, making it easy to see why people have taken part in sports for centuries, and why they’re likely to continue doing so for many more.