The Most Popular Sports in Serbia (Top 20 Ranked)

Soccer leads Serbia, ahead of Basketball and Volleyball. Ranking of 20 sports.

This page ranks the sports of Serbia by the evidence behind each one, because no single participation or membership survey covering all sports in Serbia was verified in this session, so the ranking is ordered by an evidence based assessment of organized presence, competitive success and public following rather than by one uniform number.

Soccer is on top, followed by Basketball and Volleyball. The full table below covers 20 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.

The Most Popular Sports in Serbia

The table counts evidence, not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable.

#	Sport	Basis for the placing
1	Soccer	Soccer has the largest number of registered clubs and players of any sport in Serbia and draws the largest domestic crowds and media coverage.
2	Basketball	The KSS website identifies itself as the official governing body for basketball in Serbia, overseeing national teams and domestic leagues at all age levels.
3	Volleyball	Serbia’s women’s national volleyball team has won Olympic, World Championship and European titles in the past decade, giving the sport a high public profile relative to its club ba
4	Water polo	Serbia’s men’s water polo team has won multiple Olympic and World Championship titles, making it one of the most decorated national teams in the sport worldwide.
5	Tennis	Novak Djokovic’s career, including the record for men’s Grand Slam singles titles, is widely credited with a large increase in grassroots tennis participation in Serbia.
6	Handball	Handball has an established domestic league structure and Serbia’s national teams compete regularly in European Championship and World Championship qualifying.
7	Athletics	Serbia has produced World and European champions in field events, most notably in the long jump, which keeps athletics visible in international results.
8	Boxing	Boxing has an organized club and competition structure in Serbia, with amateur boxers regularly entered in European and World Championship qualifying events.
9	Judo	Judo has an established club network in Serbia and Serbian judokas compete regularly in European Championship and World Championship events.
10	Wrestling	Serbia won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the Rio 2016 Games, one of the sport’s highest profile results for the country.
11	Rowing	Rowing has an organized club structure in Serbia, based mainly around the country’s major rivers, with national teams entered in European and World Championship events.
12	Canoe sprint	Serbia has an organized canoe sprint program with national teams entered in Olympic qualifying and World Championship events.
13	Table tennis	Table tennis has an organized league and club structure in Serbia, with national teams entered in European and World Championship events.
14	Cycling	Competitive road and track cycling in Serbia is organized through a national federation and domestic race calendar, distinct from everyday utility cycling.
15	Swimming	Swimming has an organized club and competition structure in Serbia, with national teams entered in European and World Championship events.
16	Gymnastics	Gymnastics, including rhythmic gymnastics, has an organized club structure in Serbia with national teams entered in European and World Championship events.
17	Shooting sports	Serbia has won Olympic and World Championship medals in sport shooting, including a mixed team title at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
18	Weightlifting	Weightlifting has an organized club and competition structure in Serbia, with national teams entered in European and World Championship events.
19	Taekwondo	Taekwondo has an organized club structure in Serbia, with national teams entered in European and World Championship events.
20	Chess	Chess is recognized as an organized competitive sport in Serbia, with a national federation, domestic league and a strong historical tradition dating back to the Yugoslav era.

Is There a National Sport of Serbia?

Serbia has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No law or government decree designating an official national sport for Serbia was found or verified in this session; this entry reflects general knowledge rather than a checked legal source.

• Soccer. Soccer is the sport most commonly regarded as Serbia’s de facto national sport based on its participation base and media coverage, though this is a general assessment rather than a verified survey result.

#1 Soccer

• Governing body: Football Association of Serbia
• Top national league: Serbian SuperLiga
• Best known athlete: Nemanja Vidic. Former captain of Serbia’s national team and of Manchester United, where he won the Premier League title five times and the UEFA Champions League in 2008

Soccer is the most widely played and watched sport in Serbia. The top domestic competition is the Serbian SuperLiga, and Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) and Partizan are the country’s two most followed clubs, both with long histories in European competition.

The Serbia national team has qualified for several FIFA World Cups and produces players who move on to leading European clubs. Youth participation in club soccer is higher than in any other sport in the country.

#2 Basketball

• Governing body: Basketball Association of Serbia
• Top national league: Basketball League of Serbia (KLS)
• Best known athlete: Nikola Jokic. Center for the Denver Nuggets, three time NBA Most Valuable Player and 2023 NBA champion, widely regarded as the most successful Serbian basketball player of his generation

Basketball has a long competitive tradition in Serbia and the men’s and women’s national teams have repeatedly reached the medal rounds of Olympic Games, World Cups and European Championships.

Domestic clubs Crvena zvezda and Partizan compete in the EuroLeague, Europe’s top club competition, which keeps the sport prominent in national media even outside major tournament years.

#3 Volleyball

• Governing body: Volleyball Federation of Serbia
• Top national league: Serbian Volleyball SuperLiga
• Best known athlete: Tijana Boskovic. Outside hitter and long time captain of Serbia’s women’s national team, named MVP of multiple World Championship and European Championship finals

Volleyball rose sharply in national visibility after Serbia’s women’s team began winning major international titles. The sport is played at club and school level across the country.

The men’s national team has also reached World Championship and Olympic medal rounds, which helps sustain interest in the sport between the more frequent successes of the women’s side.

#4 Water polo

• Governing body: Water Polo Federation of Serbia
• Best known athlete: Dusan Mandic. Long time member of Serbia’s men’s national water polo team, Olympic and World Championship gold medalist

Water polo is a minority sport by number of participants but a major one by international results, with Serbia among the most successful nations in the sport’s history.

Clubs in Belgrade and Novi Sad field teams that regularly compete in European club competitions, and the national team’s tournament runs are closely followed in domestic media.

#5 Tennis

• Governing body: Tennis Federation of Serbia
• Best known athlete: Novak Djokovic. Holder of the men’s record for Grand Slam singles titles and multiple year end world number one rankings, the most successful Serbian athlete internationally

Tennis participation in Serbia grew substantially during Novak Djokovic’s career, with new courts and clubs opening across the country in response to his success.

Serbia has also produced other internationally ranked players in both singles and doubles, and the men’s team has won the Davis Cup.

#6 Handball

• Governing body: Handball Federation of Serbia
• Top national league: Handball Super League of Serbia

Handball is played competitively in schools and clubs throughout Serbia, with the Handball Super League as the top domestic men’s competition.

The national teams have not matched the recent international success of basketball or volleyball, but the sport retains a stable base of clubs and youth programs.

#7 Athletics

• Governing body: Athletics Federation of Serbia
• Best known athlete: Ivana Spanovic. Long jumper who has won World Championship, European Championship and European Indoor Championship gold medals for Serbia

Athletics in Serbia is organized through school, club and national federation structures, with track and field events among the most commonly practiced disciplines.

International success has come mainly in field events rather than running, which shapes where domestic coaching investment is concentrated.

#8 Boxing

• Governing body: Boxing Federation of Serbia

Boxing is practiced through a network of local clubs, and amateur competition remains the main pathway for Serbian boxers into international events.

The sport has a smaller public profile in Serbia than the leading team sports, but it retains a consistent base of competitive clubs in most larger cities.

#9 Judo

• Governing body: Judo Federation of Serbia

Judo is taught in dedicated clubs across Serbia, often starting at a young age, and forms part of the country’s broader combat sports tradition.

Serbian judokas compete internationally, though the sport has a smaller media profile than team sports such as soccer or basketball.

#10 Wrestling

• Governing body: Wrestling Federation of Serbia
• Best known athlete: Davor Stefanek. Freestyle wrestler who won Olympic gold for Serbia at the Rio 2016 Games in the 66 kilogram category

Wrestling in Serbia is organized through a network of clubs with a long competitive tradition dating back to the Yugoslav era.

The sport gained particular attention after Davor Stefanek’s Olympic gold in 2016, though its everyday participation base is smaller than that of the leading team sports.

#11 Rowing

• Governing body: Rowing Federation of Serbia

Rowing clubs in Serbia are concentrated along the Danube, Sava and Tisa rivers, which provide the training courses used by national squads.

The sport has a smaller domestic following than land based team sports but maintains a consistent competitive presence internationally.

#12 Canoe sprint

• Governing body: Canoe Federation of Serbia

Canoe sprint is practiced on Serbia’s river courses and has an organized national team pathway from club level upward.

The sport has a smaller public profile than the country’s leading team sports but is part of its established Olympic sports program.

#13 Table tennis

• Governing body: Table Tennis Federation of Serbia

Table tennis is played in clubs across Serbia and forms part of school sport programs in many areas.

Serbian teams compete in European team and individual championships, though the sport’s public following is smaller than that of the country’s leading team sports.

#14 Cycling

• Governing body: Cycling Federation of Serbia

Competitive cycling in Serbia includes road races and track events organized through domestic clubs and a national calendar.

The sport is smaller in both participation and visibility than Serbia’s leading team sports, though it has a stable base of organized clubs.

#15 Swimming

• Governing body: Swimming Federation of Serbia

Swimming clubs operate in most larger Serbian cities and feed into national age group and senior competition.

The sport is practiced widely at a recreational level, but organized competitive swimming has a smaller public profile than Serbia’s leading team sports.

#16 Gymnastics

• Governing body: Gymnastics Federation of Serbia

Gymnastics clubs in Serbia train both artistic and rhythmic gymnasts, with rhythmic gymnastics having a particularly active domestic club scene.

Competitors represent Serbia at European and World Championship level, though the sport’s participation base is smaller than that of the leading team sports.

#17 Shooting sports

• Governing body: Shooting Federation of Serbia
• Best known athlete: Zorana Arunovic. Sport shooter who won Olympic gold in the mixed team 10 meter air pistol event at the Tokyo 2020 Games alongside Damir Mikec

Sport shooting in Serbia is organized through a national federation and a network of shooting clubs and ranges.

The sport gained added visibility after Serbian shooters won Olympic medals at the Tokyo 2020 Games, though its everyday participation base remains modest.

#18 Weightlifting

• Governing body: Weightlifting Federation of Serbia

Weightlifting is practiced through a small number of specialized clubs in Serbia, feeding national age group and senior competition.

The sport has a limited public profile in Serbia compared with the country’s leading team sports.

#19 Taekwondo

• Governing body: Taekwondo Federation of Serbia

Taekwondo clubs operate in most larger Serbian cities and are part of the country’s broader combat sports scene.

Serbian competitors take part in European and World Championship events, though the sport has a smaller following than team sports such as soccer or basketball.

#20 Chess

• Governing body: Chess Federation of Serbia

Chess in Serbia is organized through a national federation and a domestic club league, and the country has a long competitive tradition dating back to the Yugoslav era.

It is included here as an organized competitive sport rather than an everyday leisure activity, reflecting its formal federation and league structure.

Sources

• General knowledge assessment, not independently verified this session
• Basketball Association of Serbia (KSS), official website, reachability confirmed in this session
• General knowledge assessment, not independently verified this session
• General knowledge assessment, not independently verified this session

Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.

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