Football is the most popular sport on the planet, without a doubt. It is watched and followed by more people than any other sport. In Europe and South America, it is beyond popular, but, if you look at it closely, or even from afar, Europe and South America do not account for that big of a number of people. The most populated countries in the world are India and China. With each having over 1 billion people, they are well above any other country in the world when it comes to population. Both countries love football but haven’t had a showing since forever. There are indications that they will be the next powerhouse of football.
Why Football? – Why is it Becoming More Popular?
Football is generally very popular, but why has it become even more popular in Asia, where traditionally, other sports have had prominence. In India, cricket is much, much bigger than football. Football is still the third most popular sport in India, even though they have made progress. Sports betting is definitely a part of that growth. Betting on football is really simple and it seems to be one of the easiest sports to bet on. Like the rest of the world, India loves technology. With that in mind, sports betting online is much easier than walking to your local bookmaker. With the use of promo codes, like these best bonus codes India, you can get more out of your betting experience. So, bookmakers also have a hand in popularizing football, mostly because it is profitable. It is only normal that businesses will start looking to football in India and China, two of the most populated countries in the world.
Football in India and China – The Current Status
Football is improving in these countries. Compared to a couple of years ago, India has more academies, but experts say that they are still lacking. They need more academies, for they are certainly not missing potential players, but rather wasting their potential without sufficient stadiums and ways of developing talent.
China, on the other hand, has plans to build and develop around 50000 new academies by 2025. This will accommodate a lot of new players. With the World Cup expanding to take 48 teams now, Asia will get 8 slots, compared to the previous 4.5. This means that the India and China national teams will have better odds of making it to the World Cup, not to mention better motivation. They will certainly not be the only ones looking at the World Cup and its new slots.
Due to their sheer population and recent interest in football, both India and China are looking like they might be the next big things in football.