The most popular sport in Russia is association football. According to Yandex search analysis results rating of the most popular sports among Russians: "Association football topped the list of the most popular sports in Russia" with 5 to 10 million requests. Ice hockey came in second with handball, basketball, futsal, boxing, auto racing, volleyball, athletics, tennis, and chess rounding out the top ten rankings. Other popular sports include bandy, biathlon, figure skating, weightlifting, gymnastics, wrestling, martial arts, rugby union, and skiing.
History
The Soviet Union (USSR) competed in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Soviet and later Russian athletes never finished below fourth place in the number of gold and total medals collected at the Summer Olympics in which they competed. Russia has the most medals stripped for doping violations (51), the most of any country, four times the number of the runner-up, and nearly a third of the global total. The Russian team was partially banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics due to the state-sponsored doping scandal. Russian athletes were allowed to participate at the 2018 Olympics under a neutral flag with a name "Olympic Athletes from Russia".
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) condemned Russia's "breach of the Olympic Truce adopted by the UN General Assembly". The IOC called on individual federations to ban Russian athletes from participating in any international events until further notice. The IOC also withdrew the Olympic Order from Vladimir Putin. The International Paralympic Committee on 3 March banned Russian athletes from competing at the 2022 Winter Paralympics.
On 12 October 2023, the IOC issued a statement noting that after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) unilaterally transferred four regions that were originally under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine: Donetsk Oblast, Luhansk Oblast, Kherson Oblast, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast to the ROC; at the time, its president said "I don’t see any difficulties here." The IOC stated that the ROC's unilateral action constituted a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violated the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, and further announced the immediate suspension of the membership of the ROC.IOC Executive Board suspends Russian Olympic Committee with immediate effect The IOC stated that as a result the ROC was no longer entitled to operate as a National Olympic Committee, and could not receive any funding from the Olympic Movement, and that the IOC reserved the right to decide about the participation of individual neutral athletes with a Russian passport in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The ban was provisionally lifted in July 2026, allowing Russian athletes to compete at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2026/07/07/russia-olympic-ban-lifted/ Paralympians competed under Russia's flag at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy.
Popularity
According to a 2018 Mediascope survey, ice hockey was the most popular sport among Russians aged 12 to 64, with 50.9% of respondents saying they are interested in events in this sport. In second place is figure skating with 39.2%. In third place was "soccer" with 33.8%. Another top five were biathlon and skiing: 31.9% and 29% respectively. However, the researchers point out that the survey was conducted one month after the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, which might explain the dominance of winter sports.
Sport Interested inAttended events in past 6 months Ice hockey50.9%12.0% Figure skating39.2%2.3% Football33.8%12.2% Biathlon31.9%– Skiing29.0%2.1% Boxing18.9%2.3% Basketball13.3%3.3% Automobile sport13.2%– Athletics12.7%– Alpine skiing12.1%–
In another 2018 survey, the following sports were listed as the most popular:
Sport Following Participating Football34% 13% Figure skating33% 5% Ice hockey32% 3% Skiing/Biathlon25% 16% Swimming18% 19% Volleyball14% 11%Basketball11%6% Chess7% 4% Wrestling/Martial arts5% 9% Billiards5% 2% Gymnastics4% 5%
Main team sports Association football
The first football teams in the Russian Empire appeared in the late 1870s, but they consisted of foreigners living in Russia (English, Scottish, German). Soon Russian teams began to appear. On October 24, 1897, the first official match took place in the Russian Empire. In 1912, the first football championship was held in the Russian Empire.
On 28 February 2022, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and in accordance with a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA and UEFA suspended the participation of Russia, including in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The Russian Football Union unsuccessfully appealed the FIFA and UEFA bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which upheld the bans.
Futsal Russia has both men and women futsal teams. Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIFA and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions all Russian teams, both national representative teams and club teams.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey is one of the most popular team sports in Russia. It is generally accepted that modern Russian ice hockey is linked to the ancient tradition of bandy—a local sport that bears a strong resemblance to ice hockey—which enabled the country to reach the international elite within just a few years. For decades, USSR teams set the sporting standard in amateur ice hockey, achieving immense success at both the national and club levels. The Soviet Union would dominate the hockey world championship and Olympic tournaments from the 1950s to 1980s.
The country has two professional adult leagues and two youth leagues. Children's, women's, and university hockey are also well-developed. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation organizes and oversees championships, cups, and other official sporting competitions, as well as international hockey tournaments throughout the country.
On the international stage, Russia considers Canada its major hockey rival.
Handball
Handball is popular in Russia. In reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Handball Federation banned Russian and Belarus athletes and officials, and the European Handball Federation suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus as well as Russian and Belarusian clubs competing in European handball competitions. Referees, officials, and commission members from Russia and Belarus will not be called upon for future activities. And new organisers will be sought for the YAC 16 EHF Beach Handball EURO and the Qualifier Tournaments for the Beach Handball EURO 2023, which were to be held in Moscow.
Basketball
Basketball is a popular sport in Russia. The Russian national basketball team followed the Soviet Union national basketball team, and has won several international titles.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) banned Russian teams and officials. EuroLeague suspended CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan, and Zenit St. Petersburg. Eurocup Basketball suspended PBC Lokomotiv Kuban. EuroLeague Women suspended UMMC Ekaterinburg, Dynamo Kursk, and MBA Moscow. The National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended all business activities in Russia, including broadcasts.
Volleyball
The Russian women's national volleyball team is ranked 8th in the FIVB World Rankings. Record for achievements of the Russian women's volleyball team: 2 Olympic silver medals (2000 and 2004) 2 FIVB World Championships gold medals (2006 and 2010) 1 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup gold medal (1997), 1 silver medal (2001), and 1 bronze medal (1993)
Russia featured a women's national team in beach volleyball that competed at the 2018–2020 CEV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup.
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Volleyball Federation suspended all Russian national teams, clubs, and officials, as well as beach and snow volleyball athletes, from all events, and stripped Russia of the right to host the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in August 2022, and relocated games that were to be in Russia in June and July. The European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) also banned all Russian national teams, clubs, and officials from participating in European competition, and suspended all members of Russia from their respective functions in CEV organs. In June 2023, the federation announced that it had decided to keep in place its ban on Russian and Belarusian teams in volleyball, beach volleyball and snow volleyball, covering Russian and Belarusian national teams, clubs, officials and beach volleyball and snow volleyball players in international and continental events.
Calendar of the major men's and women's professional sports leagues in Russia JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberRPL (Association Football)RPL (Association Football)KHL (Ice hockey)KHL (Ice hockey)RHSL (Handball)RHSL (Handball)VTB United League (Basketball)VTB United League (Basketball)Russian Futsal Super League (Futsal)Russian Futsal Super League (Futsal)RVSL (Volleyball)RVSL (Volleyball)
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberSuperleague (Association Football)WHL (Ice hockey)WHL (Ice hockey)Russian Women's Handball Super League (Handball)Russian Women's Handball Super League (Handball)Russian Women's Basketball Premier League (Basketball)Russian Women's Basketball Premier League (Basketball)Russian Women's Futsal Super League (Futsal)Russian Women's Futsal Super League (Futsal)Russian Women's Volleyball Super League (Volleyball)Russian Women's Volleyball Super League (Volleyball)
Other team sports Bandy
One traditionally popular sport is bandy (informally called "Russian hockey"). It is considered a national sport, and is one of the biggest spectator sports. According to one survey, it is the third most popular sport in Russia. The Federation of International Bandy was founded in 1955, by the Soviet Union and three Nordic countries. Bandy is the only sport to enjoy the patronage of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Soviet national team won all the Bandy World Championships from the start 1957 until 1979. After 10 rounds of the 2011–12 Russian Bandy League the average attendance was 3,887. The national team for women took the silver medal in the six first World Championships.
After the International Olympic Committee's recommendations following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Federation of International Bandy excluded Russia from participating in the 2022 Women's Bandy World Championship. The men's 2020 Bandy World Championship was to be held in Russia, but was cancelled on 1 March 2022, after Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the United States announced that they would not take part in the competition in Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Rugby union
Rugby union is played in Russia. Russia was ranked 25th worldwide by the International Rugby Board (IRB) in March 2022, with over 100 clubs and close to 20,000 players nationally. Russian domestic rugby went professional in 2005 with the launch of the Professional Rugby League.