Cricket and football, two of the world’s most famous sports. We all watched the FIFA World Cup 2026; Spain won the Tournament by defeating Argentina 1-0. The FIFA World Cup had been discussed globally, whereas the Cricket World Cup had been limited to Asia. The Men’s ICC World Cup 2023 was watched by 518 million unique viewers on Star Sports, with a total of 422 billion viewing minutes. On the other hand, the FIFA World Cup 2026 drew a massive global viewership of 6 billion.
We can see a huge difference between the viewership of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the ICC World Cup 2023. Cricket has been widely popular in Asian countries (especially India , Pakistan, and Australia); on the other hand, football has been popular in every part of the world. ICC has promised to make cricket a global hit like Football. But let’s investigate the reasons why cricket lags behind football globally.
Global Footprint
I personally feel Cricket has expanded in Asia but hasn’t gained a foothold in Europe like Football. FIFA (the governing body of football) currently has 211 member associations from every part of the world, including Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa and Latin America. FIFA has invested heavily in its member associations.
Cricket- We all know the ICC still has 108 Associate members (2026). But here is an interesting part: out of 108 Associate members, only 12 Full-time members can play Test cricket, while other nations are neglected. Cricket viewership came mainly from South Asian countries like India , Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Countries like Australia have a good number of cricket fans. While the United Kingdom holds a strong viewership.
Too many ICC tournaments
To maximize revenue, the ICC has given Broadcasts too many ICC events. ICC Cycle from 2024-2031 will host major ICC tournaments annually, including the ICC Champions Trophy. I personally feel that this many ICC events will bore fans, as there are too many. Cricket fans are getting unwanted ICC tournaments, making them feel rigid .
On the other hand, FIFA organizes the FIFA World Cup every 4 years. In football, many are always curious to watch international matches after many years, but in cricket, thet, the ICC gives a big tournament every year, killing the curiosity of Cricket fans. Like the ICC, FIFA too wanna shift the World Cup from every 4 years to every 2 years, but UEFA pressures FIFA and resists the FIFA move.
Football has many; cricket lacks Global stars
We all know that when it comes to global sports stars, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi always rank among the top 2. But when it comes to cricket, Virat Kohli is the only name that comes to mind . When the ICC pitched cricket to the IOC in 2023, the ICC used Virat Kohli’s massive popularity to secure cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics.
On the other hand, Football has many Global icons, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Messi to Neymar to now Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe. But Cricket lacks global icons like Virat Kohli. He (Kohli) has already retired from the longest format of cricket, Test cricket, and T20. Kohli has only played the ODI format; according to various reports, the ICC World Cup 2027 can be Kohli’s last major ICC tournament. Without Virat Kohli, cricket viewership will fall, as Kohli is not only a cricket celebrity but also a well-known global icon.
Forced Rivalries in Cricket
India vs Pakistan rivalry is considered one of the Greatest rivalries in Cricket. I, as a cricket fan, love to watch India vs Pakistan clashes in ICC tournaments as it has everything: thrilling matches, aggression, and high-voltage matches . But now, thanks to the ICC, India vs Pakistan matches are being played in shorter times, which favors the rivalry more than high-voltage matches.
In Football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two goats of the game. But in the history of the FIFA World Cup, Argentina and Portugal have never clashed with each other. FIFA always puts fair competition over forced rivalries between their two football legend-filled teams.
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Last Updated on August 7, 2026 by Aditiya Sharma