Soccer is two times more popular than the second most popular sport, tennis. Cycling is also a very well followed sport, with many people in France cycling as a hobby. The French Football Federation (FFF, Fédération Française de Football) is the national governing body and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of association football in the country, both professional and amateur. Some 39% of the population preferred rugby to football’s 29%. Rugby had historically always been popular in the south of France because it was similar to traditional (and violent) inter-village competitions. According to a 2017 survey, there are over two million club members in France. In the football frenzied nation of France, any questions regarding his French identity ended with the completion of the 1998 World Cup. and with France winning the trophy the countries love for football was clearer than ever, ensuring the sports would retain the title of the most popular sport in France. Soccer is the most popular sport in France. But what other sports in France are popular? Football (soccer) is the most popular sports in France, with 1,993,270 licensed players in the leagues. Association football is the most popular sport in France, followed by rugby union. Why is that relevant to this post? The sport was imported from England at the end of the 19th century, under the name of association football. A nationwide poll at the start of this month reported that rugby is now the most popular team sport in France. In France, especially in the south of France, Rugby Union is very popular. Because the 1998 World Cup was hosted in France. Their national team has been in every World Cup since its inception in 1987, finishing runners-up three times. Make sure to read our famous article Top 10 French soccer players to find out the names of the best French soccer players and to understand why soccer is the most popular sport in France. So it will also be very popular in France. Football is the one of the most famous played and watched sport in the world. Football is the most popular sport in France having 18,000 registered clubs that has a total of well over 1,800,000 players in their rosters. The Vichy regime temporarily banning League is completely irrelevant, especially as the 'golden age' of French Rugby League was … Horse racing is very popular especially trotting. European countries such as France, Austria, and Germany are all considered “third-tier” American Football countries, as they do have professional leagues, but are not very popular. The World Cup final in 2011 between New Zealand and France gathered 15.4 million TV viewers. France like many countries has a taste for popular sports such as Rugby, Football and basketball. Mbappé celebrating on the field – by Кирилл Венедиктов – Wikimedia Commons International Success. Due to their 2018 World Cup win, the France soccer team is the reigning champion of the world. 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