Football (Soccer) Thread

[Gups]

Is cricket the only international sport popular only among English speaking nations? I guess (American) football. Can't think of others.

Is American football an international sport?

It's a bit of a stretch to say that India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afgahanistan and Bangladesh are English speaking nations but outside the old empire, cricket is not very popular. The Netherlands are a pretty decent team but I doubt it is much watched there.

[Sheilbh]

Is cricket the only international sport popular only among English speaking nations? I guess (American) football. Can't think of others.

It's huge in India and Pakistan - that's one of the most intense (and I think watched) international sporting events when they play.

[Josquius]

Always funny when you get stuff like the Baltic Cup in cricket and the teams are basically all just Indian guys living in the various countries. Its like a throwback to the empire only with Indians instead of upper class Englishmen.

[HVC]

Is cricket the only international sport popular only among English speaking nations? I guess (American) football. Can't think of others.

Is American football an international sport?

It's a bit of a stretch to say that India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afgahanistan and Bangladesh are English speaking nations but outside the old empire, cricket is not very popular. The Netherlands are a pretty decent team but I doubt it is much watched there.

I always think of India and Pakistan as "English speaking", but that would be wrong.  Guess I should have said English colonies.

As for football I counted Canada, so that makes it intentional but looking it up football appears to be popular in Mexico, Brazil, and Japan of all places.

[Sheilbh]

Always funny when you get stuff like the Baltic Cup in cricket and the teams are basically all just Indian guys living in the various countries.

There's a group of Indian businessman trying to launch a franchise style cricket league in the US. Which I hope goes well I assume it'll be a bit like the IPL.

As not a fan, cricket is a really good sport to watch in person (been to the Oval as a friend is a member). Just chilling, drinking, watching bit of sport. It's very good.

Trying to think of an Anglo sport with no international element and can't off the top of my head - even, say, snooker is big in China.

[Josquius]

There's a group of Indian businessman trying to launch a franchise style cricket league in the US. Which I hope goes well I assume it'll be a bit like the IPL.

As not a fan, cricket is a really good sport to watch in person (been to the Oval as a friend is a member). Just chilling, drinking, watching bit of sport. It's very good.

Trying to think of an Anglo sport with no international element and can't off the top of my head - even, say, snooker is big in China.

Closest I can think of is bandy which is technically a British invention though basically just played in Sweden these days.

If we're counting snooker...bowls?

Is cricket the only international sport popular only among English speaking nations? I guess (American) football. Can't think of others.

Is American football an international sport?

It's a bit of a stretch to say that India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afgahanistan and Bangladesh are English speaking nations but outside the old empire, cricket is not very popular. The Netherlands are a pretty decent team but I doubt it is much watched there.

I always think of India and Pakistan as "English speaking", but that would be wrong.  Guess I should have said English colonies.

As for football I counted Canada, so that makes it intentional but looking it up football appears to be popular in Mexico, Brazil, and Japan of all places.

I've never heard of American Football having any popularity in Japan.
I'd say its probably more popular in the UK than there. NFL does have a reasonable niche fanbase here.

[Tamas]

Is cricket the only international sport popular only among English speaking nations? I guess (American) football. Can't think of others.

It's huge in India and Pakistan - that's one of the most intense (and I think watched) international sporting events when they play.

Lately with rioting in England as an aftermath. 

[Duque de Bragança]

I've never heard of American Football having any popularity in Japan.
I'd say its probably more popular in the UK than there. NFL does have a reasonable niche fanbase here.

For good reason. It' s baseball in Japan, then association football.

[Tamas]

The Balkan version of cricket is water polo.

[Gups]

Always funny when you get stuff like the Baltic Cup in cricket and the teams are basically all just Indian guys living in the various countries.

There's a group of Indian businessman trying to launch a franchise style cricket league in the US. Which I hope goes well I assume it'll be a bit like the IPL.

It's already launched and the first season has been completed. Far more successful than anticipated apparently. Some pretty impressive businesspeople behind it including the CEO of Microsoft and umm, Ross Perot jnr

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/mlc-2023-supercharged-season-one-prompts-organisers-to-dream-bigger-1390643

[Tamas]

[Sheilbh]

On snooker, weirdly very popular in China which is where the main snooker TV audience is plus lots of snooker tours in Asia (I think it's popular in Thailand too but that may just be extrapolating from James Wattana). He's fallen off a bit in recent years but Ding Junhui was a world championship finalist which, again, may help explain popularity in China.

Fair on bowls - also interesting on the US cricket league. Absolutely love to know how Ross Perot Jr got involved

FWIW I saw zero evidence of American football in Mexico - I thought its big overseas audience was Germany? Although increasingly popular here - the London dates always sell out and Super Bowl is popular.

[Duque de Bragança]

FWIW I saw zero evidence of American football in Mexico - I thought its big overseas audience was Germany? Although increasingly popular here - the London dates always sell out and Super Bowl is popular.

Yeah, don't know where that came from.
Mexico has Liga MX, the best association football league of North America, with 2 liguillas, a complex enough set-up to keep them busy. 

[HVC]

Mexico has its own football league with ties the the Canadian one.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liga_de_F%C3%BAtbol_Americano_Profesional

 "Mexico has the largest NFL fanbase outside of the United States, and American football has become the country's second most popular sport."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffedotin/2019/11/19/football-has-become-mexicos-second-most-popular-sport/?sh=ed4532e638ad

[HVC]

I've never heard of American Football having any popularity in Japan.
I'd say its probably more popular in the UK than there. NFL does have a reasonable niche fanbase here.

Japan has had collegiate football since the 30s. Obvious not as big as baseball, but still has a following.