In the United States, American football is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the country. Americans call it football and agree that the sport is the best. Nevertheless, its popularity has mainly been limited to the United States and Canada for many years. Recently, it has taken off in Europe and elsewhere. There is a good chance that American football is going to continue growing in popularity. It has a long way to go before it reaches the level of soccer, but it could catch up quickly. Below, readers will learn more about American football’s popularity around the world.
American Football In America
As mentioned above, American football is easily the most popular sport in the United States. Baseball is considered the national pastime, but its popularity has waned in recent years. Instead, football is the country’s most popular sport. A 2014 poll by Harris Interactive confirmed that Americans say football is their favorite sport. Baseball ranked second and college football was third. 46% of individuals surveyed said that one form of football was their favorite sport. In addition to this, football has remained the most popular sport in the poll since 1985. During that year’s poll, it finally surpassed the popularity of baseball.
Strangely, American football is most popular among people residing in the eastern United States and rural regions. As for college football, it ranks higher among residents of the southern United States. The sport is popular among high school and college students as well. In 2012, it was found that more than 1.1 million high school students played football. Around 70,000 college students played the sport. Unfortunately, the popularity of football has dropped recently due to concussion scares, CTE risks, and politics. Nevertheless, most people love watching football like they enjoy playing at a live casino.
Canadian Football
As America’s little brother, it is natural for American football to be popular in Canada. It is. American football has developed a big following in Canada. In a 2013 Canadian poll, more than 20% of participants said they follow NFL games very closely or fairly closely. As a result, it was ranked as the third most popular sport in the country. The only leagues more popular than the NFL in Canada were the National Hockey League and the Canadian Football League.
Canadians can always enjoy games from the Canadian Football League. The league was founded on January 19, 1958, and held its inaugural season that year. The CFL remains one of the most popular sports leagues in Canada. It is estimated that nearly 20% of the adult population in Canada follows CFL games. 30% of Canadian adults follow NHL games. The league is quickly growing so the CFL may become more popular in Canada in the next few years.
Mexico
Another thing to note is that American football is incredibly popular in Mexico. The Mexican nation was introduced to football in 1896. Since then, it has continued to grow in popularity. In the 1950s, football was the second-most popular sport in the country. In addition to this, it is commonly played in colleges. Recently, the Los Angeles Times claimed that the National Football League has more than 16 million fans in Mexico. As a result, it has the third-largest group of football fans. Only Canada and the United States have more American football fans.
Mexico’s professional football league was founded in 2016. Today, the Liga de Futbol Americano Profesional is one of the top professional sports leagues in Mexico.
Japan
Believe it or not, American football is popular in Japan too. The sport was introduced to the Japanese in 1934. The sport really took off after World War II. In 2010, it was confirmed that Japan was home to more than 400 high school football teams. In addition to this, there are more than 15,000 football players in the country. More than 100 teams participate in the Kantoh Collegiate Football Association. Fans love playing at Energy Casino while watching the league’s games. The champion from the college tournament will play the X-League champion during the Rice Bowl. The winner will become the national champion of Japan. Either way, American football is growing in popularity among the Japanese people.