from Felix Richter, Statista.com
by Niall McCarthy
Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, played by over 250 million players in 200 different countries across the globe.
However, its popularity fluctuates wildly from country to country. According to a survey carried out by YouGov among 19 teams participating in this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Columbians have the highest level of interest in the sport. Exactly half of them are very interested in soccer while 44 percent of them are somewhat or slightly interested.
The United States is at the opposite end of the scale with 60 percent of people holding zero interest. 29 percent of them are somewhat or slightly interested while 11 percent are very interested. This should come as little surprise as the United States presents major competition to soccer in the form of baseball and American football.
This chart shows the level of interest in soccer in selected countries in 2014.
You will find more statistics at Statista
