It’s an interesting question.
It came to my head when I was pondering a similar, not sport-related, question: what is the capital of the world?
This led me to the question I will give my view on in this article: what is the world’s sporting capital? My criteria were which city had the highest participation levels (if these were available), the most professional sports teams, and how many of those sides are successful.
There is less of a focus on the birthplace of sportsmen who play in non-team sports. So, now I will go through the major candidates, and eventually the city that I believe is the sporting capital of the world.
New York City
Two NFL teams, two MLB teams, two NBA franchises and three NHL clubs. New York is the city with the most sides from America’s ‘big four’ sports (American football, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey). Between them, they have 49 national titles.
Undoubtedly, that is a tick for one criteria. However, I can’t bring myself to give my title to an American city. This is because in those four sports, their only competition is other American teams.
Those sports do not have enough great professional teams, bringing up the joke that the USA are so good at baseball that they are the only country to have won the World Series. However, do not doubt that New York is high on the list of sporting capitals.
Melbourne
Melbourne is my Aussie pick and there are several reasons why. The first, and most obvious is that half of the AFL sides are based in Melbourne. As a result, a ridiculous amount (98, to be exact) of VFL/AFL titles have come from the area, but if I make this claim against American cities, I must make the same against Melbourne AFL teams.
The sport started in Victoria, after all.
Moving on, there are over 100,000 registered cricketers in Victoria (I am aware that this is different to Melbourne) and the city has two Big Bash franchises, with one win for the Renegades. The city boasts three ALM championships, and, of course, a Super Rugby team. It also earns bonus points for hosting the Australian Open and the Australian Grand Prix and comes very close to being my pick.
(Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)
Mumbai
It may not seem like an obvious choice, but as you look deeper, you realise that the whole of Mumbai is sport-mad. The Mumbai Indians have won 5 IPLs and two of the now-defunct Champions LeagueT20, making them the most successful Indian Premier League franchise.
The Mumbai cricket team represents the city in first-class games and are the most successful Indian provincial side. Five per cent of Indians play cricket and if you use the same multiplier for Mumbai, then just shy of 1 million people play cricket in Mumbai. One million!
It’s not just cricket either – a huge variety of sports are played in India’s second-biggest city.
London – the sporting capital of the world
The sporting capital of the world. It ticks all of the boxes. There will be 13 London teams in the English Football League next season, and there are another four professional clubs. London clubs have won 21 English top-tier titles, 42 FA Cups and two Champions Leagues.
Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur are all global sports brands. Half of the four teams that reached the playoffs in English rugby this season are based in London: Saracens, and Harlequins.
Cricket is also big in London, with Surrey and Middlesex plying their trade in the capital, Middlesex playing at the home of cricket, Lord’s.
If you use UK averages, 1.5 million Londoners play football and numbers are high with cricket and rugby and increasing all the time. It’s not just those three, however, with an even bigger variety of sports than Mumbai.
I’m sure many of you think Melbourne is the world’s sporting capital, so tell me why in the comments and also give me some cities that you think I missed.
Rob
Guest
That's simply not true, not even close. The premiere league has a revenue over five times that of the IPL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_professional_sports_leagues_by_revenue What's interesting is how much bigger the NFL is than everthing else
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
It's all null and void anyway, they're both good sports, plenty of Queenslanders watch the AFL, I was in Cairns a month ago in the casino and the big screens had plenty of fans for both codes in front of them
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Yep exactly, this whole 'afl is irrelevant' argument is ridiculous. It's completely relevant. Yes most of its fans come from the three best states in Australia, but it still produces big crowd numbers and big tv viewerships when compared to other sports globally. It is a domestic game, no one disputes that, but so are the American sports and yet no one would argue they aren't of global significance. The AFL (particularly in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide) puts up crowd numbers that are not that disimillar to European Football crowds. The NRL most certainly does not.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Think they are talking about field hockey which is large in India and a lot of continental Europe. Btw our men are ranked #1 in the world and barely rate a mention..
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
As a Swede myself, I can confirm you are most definitely right. If they know what rugby is that is.
Mat
Roar Rookie
Sweden. They may have heard the term 'Aussie Rules' but they're just as likely to think that means Rugby League.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Yeah things are lost. I can remember breaking into Norwood Oval to watch games. I went in through my primary school which bordered it. I think the Redlegs didn't fix it up because because they knew we would never have the money to go their ourselves. That was when Woodroofe's Lemonade was the Best. -------- We have the 3rd most flags in Australia. (Port, E Freo & Norwood. W Perth might be 4th)
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
Fair enough, where abroad? Because I think quite a few people in the UK have at least heard of the phrase 'Aussie rules'.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
The Fremantle district is a real cradle of Aussie Rules. With todays metro conurbation, it’s easy to forget what a small and isolated area Freo port town was right up to the 60s, yet had East Freo, South Freo and previously North Freo, dominating the game. Sadly East Freo Oval is currently undergoing gentrification. But he Freo Derby in June still attracts 10k+ It’s a wonderful history that is hanging by a thread in the face of corporatisation and “bigger is better”. I’m grateful to have grown up in an era where I could still experience true suburban footy fabric, where a road, a street, a park, literally defined your historical allegiances to a club and it’s culture and history.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I love sports with a GK. I've only played Water Polo a few times but GK in that sport is fun. ------- East Freo is 2nd on All-time flags won in Australia.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
That only locks in place your ignorance of what was happening elsewhere in the country.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I was born in and grew up early years in East Freo (High Street, a few houses down from the Monument). Then spent my formative years in Melville in the 70s/80s where the kids next door became some of the State’s best Water Polo players, via Bicton.
Mat
Roar Rookie
I'm an AFL fan and I grew up in a place overseas where no-one's heard of the AFL so I think I have decent perspective. Perhaps with YouTube and alike sports fans are a bit more aware of the sport than I think
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
They normally host one a year in London but regardless, London is still probably the sporting capital of the world. NFL doesn't really bolster the argument too much.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
You're right, but I think you're slightly (not by much) underestimating AFL's global standing.
Mat
Roar Rookie
hence my point why it's not relevant to the discussion of which city is the world sporting capital.
Micko
Roar Rookie
NFL games? :silly:
Sedz
Guest
Whats more shocking is IPL generates more revenue than English Premier League. As a kid I grew watching EPL in India (there was no IPL back then and not much coverage for Spanish La liga or Bundesliga) but to outgrow them is stupendous growth.
Sedz
Guest
I'd say Hockey(not ice hockey) , Kabaddi, Football (Soccer) and Volley ball are famous as well. But Delhi can claim to have hosted Formula one and Commonwealth games. Bangalore can claim to have proper Tennis stars for India. But Mumbai should not be in the list. In equal terms I would add Los Angeles not NY in the list. LA has most famous teams in US like LA Lakers in NBA, LA Rams and LA Raiders in NFL, LA Dodgers in MLB and there are several teams in NSAL, WNBA as well as NHL. They also have Rose Bowl which is one of the famous stadiums in US. Shitty winter in New York makes it impossible to host games all through out the year. But my final vote goes to London. Wimbledon, Football, Hockey and of course Cricket goes well with London. Just that they're not able to win any football WC. They may not come close to win any cricket WC as well now. :-)
Angela
Roar Rookie
I'm really, really upset that I don't live in the sporting capital of Australia, let alone the world - my place doesn't even rate a mention. Not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight just thinking about it. :crying: :crying: :crying: PS - What about Brissie and all those swimmers?