American Football

American Football

The national obsession of millions of Americans has propelled this sport onto the list - outside of North America, its impact is negligible. Many estimates indicate that, of the 400 million fans, nearly half come from the United States and Canada. Evolving from rugby in the late 19th century, the sport was seen mainly as a club or collegiate sport until the establishment of the NFL in 1920. The sport includes variants such as Canadian Football and Arena League Football, with players moving between these leagues at times. Top historic teams include the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers. There are no teams outside of North America, although the NFL previously had NFL Europe, and plays games in England every year.