In France, the practice of sport occupies a central place in the daily lives of millions of people, whether it is leisure activities or competitions.
From football, the king of sports on the playing field, to more recent activities such as fitness and running, the diversity of sports practiced reflects the evolution of lifestyles and available infrastructure. This article offers an overview of the most popular sports in France , based on recent figures and studies carried out by sports organizations.
Football, the most popular sport in France
Unsurprisingly, football occupies the top spot in this ranking with more than 2,000,000 licensed players in France! This figure continues to grow, with the latest results of the French team in 2018 and 2022? You only have to travel around the country to realize that football occupies a very important place in the country.
Indeed, if we were to define a municipality or village by three facilities, most of the time you would find a town hall, a church, and a football pitch. In 2020, it is estimated that more than 15,000 municipalities have a football pitch.
Top 10 sports with the most licensees in France
Besides football, tennis and horse riding complete the podium of sports with the most licensees ( source INSEE 2023 ). But other sports have seen very strong growth in recent years, such as basketball and judo.
In total, France issues more than 8.8 million licenses each year, and the largest number of licensees is in the west of France.
| Ranking | Sport | Licensees |
| 1 | Soccer | ≃ 2,130,000 |
| 2 | Tennis | ≃ 1,020,000 |
| 3 | Horse riding | ≃ 692,000 |
| 4 | Basketball | ≃ 678,000 |
| 5 | Judo | ≃ 462,000 |
| 6 | Handball | ≃ 456,000 |
| 7 | Golf | ≃ 441,000 |
| 8 | Swimming | ≃ 379,000 |
| 9 | Rugby | ≃ 310 00 |
| 10 | Athletics | ≃ 300,000 |
Beyond the number of members, it would be interesting to look at the number of regular participants who are not necessarily club members, as is often the case in running. Moreover, this ranking could quickly change with the 2024 Olympic Games , which will inevitably inspire vocations.
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