What’s there not to love about professional sports? You have thrilling actions from left to right, different forms of expressing love and passion, the chance to see humans perform in almost superhero fashions, all there for your entertainment purposes alone. It doesn’t matter if you’re an avid sports betting picks pundit or just a regular day-to-day fan who is all about having a good time watching some premier sports events. When a major sporting experience is happening, everyone around is usually glued to their TVs, computers, or other devices, if not at the actual venues where everything is going down, trying to be a part of the action.

Now of course, in the global sports calendar, there’s always something going on. The action never stops. But yet, certain events have the power to bring everything and everyone to a halt. With this said, we bring you our ranking for the most popular sporting events in the world.

FIFA World Cup Tournament

While there are as many sports leagues, tournaments, and competitions around the world as there are athletes, nothing can topple how popular the sport of soccer is. Considered by many as the “King of Sports” because of its global popularity, fandom, reach and revenue grossing percentages, there’s no competing against it. Given that also, it’s a sport that’s played in every single country in the world, it would only make sense that its premier competition, the FIFA World Cup Tournament would take the top spot in our ranking for the most popular sporting events in the world.

Ever since its first edition back in 1930, the FIFA World Cup has always been touted as the most important team sports tournament in the world of sports, with audiences viewing the action accounting for hundreds of millions if not even billions of people at a time. Given that it’s hosted every four years, the expectations and build-up around it make this event such a sought-after experience for not only soccer fans but sports fans in general around the world. Plus, at the end of the day, there is nothing more thrilling than seeing the national team of the country you’re from take the pitch at the World Cup and come out as a winner.

The Olympic Games

Just like soccer players have the FIFA World Cup as the pinnacle tournament of their careers, all the world’s greatest athletes, soccer players included for the summer edition, every two years have the pinnacle of sporting events in the world, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. For a professional athlete, there is no bigger stage and bigger prize than being able to participate in the Olympic Games and being able to be awarded one of the three medals, bronze, silver, and gold for their performances.

It has been said time and time again that there is no bigger triumph in an athlete’s life than winning Olympic gold, which is why this event is massively followed by spectators from all over the world, all rooting for their country’s athletes to do their best performances. The level of energy, passion, pride, and all-around good feelings that surround the Olympic Games are unmatched by any other sporting event around. Just look at moments like the “Miracle on Ice”, Usain Bolt’s races, Michael Phelps’ medal records and you’ll see why it’s such a magical event.

The Super Bowl

Easily considered as the most important Sunday in the world of sports year in and year out, and the most important day tv advertising purposes, the NFL’s championship game, also known as the Super Bowl, can easily take the cake as the most important professional sporting event in the United States. While millions of people do tune for it because of the sporting value, given that it’s football, one of the best sports to watch in the world, the majority of spectators tune in for the whole experience, which has the game being only another of the components that make it so amazing.

From the kickoff show, the singing of the National Anthem, the usually epic halftime shows, and of course, the commercials, this event has anything and everything for sports entertainment fans to enjoy around the world.

The Kentucky Derby

When you have an event that’s considered “The most exciting 2 minutes in sports”, then of course you have a sporting event that will be a massive hit amongst fans all over. That’s exactly the case with the Kentucky Derby, the most important thoroughbred horse race in the world. Ever since its first edition back in 1875, this has become the biggest honor for horse breeders and racers to win, especially if they can manage to pull together two more wins in the other two races of the epic “Triple Crown of Horse Racing”.

This event is the perfect mix of action, southern comfort, elegance, and extravagant hat fashion, all while also being one of the most sought-after sporting events in the world for betting purposes. It’s an experience to watch it on TV, but if given the chance, just like with any of the previously mentioned events, it’s something that should not be missed live by any sporting fan around at least once in their lifetime.