Football is the king of sports in Europe.
Its current form and rules even originate from the continent, in the United Kingdom, during the 1860s. The sport then spread to continental Europe, in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark, mainly thanks to universities. By the 1930s, with the organization of the first World Cups, football had become an international and extremely popular sport.
Today, this sport continues to grow in importance, both economically and socially. Assisted by the liberalization of transfers and the exponential increase of television rights, football now holds a considerable financial weight. To the extent that some world-renowned clubs like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, or Manchester United are valued at more than 3 billion euros.
But the persistent success of football is also due to the fact that it is not the privilege of an elite or merely an audiovisual spectacle. Indeed, it is also, by far, the most played sport by Europeans. For example, 1.2 million Dutch and 4.3 million Italians are registered in clubs to play football, representing 7% of the total population in these two countries. With few exceptions, football is the most important sport among the 27 member states of the European Union.
Postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the next edition of the Euro is expected to take place in 2021 and will be organized for the first time across the entire continent in 13 different cities.
Tennis, a leading individual sport
Individual sports are also very often practiced by Europeans, like athletics or swimming, which are easily accessible and potentially inexpensive or even free.
Tennis is also frequently played on the continent and enjoys strong media exposure. Two of the most prestigious tournaments (Grand Slams) take place in Europe: Roland Garros in Paris and Wimbledon in London.
Often depicted as a “noble” sport or at least reserved for the upper classes, even more so than tennis, golf is also played by many Europeans. This is obviously the case in the United Kingdom, with Scottish greens being among the oldest and most renowned in the world. But it is also the case in Germany, Sweden, and Spain.
Road sports
Depending on their nationality, Europeans are also passionate about and participate in “road sports.” By far the most popular is cycling, appreciated across the continent. France, Italy, and Spain host the three main tours, but while there are many riders from these countries, there are also a significant number of Belgians, Dutch, Danes, Brits, and Luxembourgers. Privately, 31% of Belgians report cycling regularly.
Additionally, motor sports, which for financial and technical reasons are not often practiced by individuals, are also very popular in many European countries. This is notably the case in Italy and Germany, but also in Belgium and Finland regarding Formula 1. Rally racing has recently grown in popularity in a country like France.
