Soccer leads Libya, ahead of Handball and Basketball. Ranking of 12 sports.
This page ranks the sports of Libya by the evidence behind each one, because no federation membership count, license count, or national participation survey for Libya could be retrieved in this run, so no comparable size figure is given. Ranking rests on organizational presence and continental competition record instead.
Soccer is on top, followed by Handball and Basketball. The full table below covers 12 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.
The Most Popular Sports in Libya
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 | CAF lists the Libyan Football Federation as its Libya member association, founded in 1962 and FIFA affiliated since 1964, based in Tripoli. |
| 2 | Handball | Libya’s men’s national handball team has repeatedly qualified for and competed at the African Men’s Handball Championship, indicating an organized competitive program. |
| 3 | Basketball | Libya fields a men’s national basketball team that has taken part in FIBA Africa zone competitions, and domestic club basketball is played in a national league. |
| 4 | Athletics | Libyan athletes have entered track and field events at the African Athletics Championships and Arab regional meets under national federation selection. |
| 5 | Volleyball | Libya’s national volleyball teams have taken part in African zone qualifying tournaments, and beach and indoor volleyball are both played domestically. |
| 6 | Boxing | Libyan boxers have competed at African championship level under national federation selection, reflecting an established amateur boxing structure. |
| 7 | Taekwondo | Libyan taekwondo athletes have competed in African and Arab regional taekwondo championships under national federation selection. |
| 8 | Swimming | Libya has entered swimmers in African championship and regional Arab swimming events, indicating an organized competitive program despite limited pool infrastructure. |
| 9 | Table tennis | Table tennis is played through school and club programs with national federation representation at African regional tournaments. |
| 10 | Weightlifting | Libyan weightlifters have competed at African championship level under national federation selection. |
| 11 | Karate | Libyan karate athletes have taken part in African and Arab regional karate championships under national federation selection. |
| 12 | Cycling | Libya has fielded a national federation and riders for African regional cycling events, distinct from everyday transport cycling. |
#1 Soccer
- Governing body: Libyan Football Federation
- Top national league: Libyan Premier League
- Best known athlete: Tariq Al-Taib. Played in the German Bundesliga for Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2000s and 2010s and remained one of Libya’s most recognized international players
Soccer is organized nationally by the Libyan Football Federation, a CAF member association founded in 1962 that joined FIFA in 1964 and is headquartered in Tripoli. A domestic top division, the Libyan Premier League, has run for decades despite repeated interruptions from the country’s internal conflicts.
The men’s national team competes in African Cup of Nations qualifying and North African regional competitions under the UNAF grouping. Tariq Al-Taib, who played Bundesliga soccer in Germany, is among the players most associated with Libyan soccer on the international stage.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#2 Handball
- Governing body: Libyan Handball Federation
Handball has a long organized history in Libya, with the national federation fielding teams in continental competition for decades. The men’s national team is a regular entrant at the African Men’s Handball Championship.
Club handball is played in a domestic league structure feeding the national team program, though current standings and participation figures were not confirmed in this review.
Latest Posts about Handball
#3 Basketball
- Governing body: Libyan Basketball Federation
Basketball is played through a domestic club league and a national federation that enters teams in FIBA Africa zone qualifying events. The sport is common in schools and municipal sports centers across Libyan cities.
Court access is more concentrated in larger cities such as Tripoli and Benghazi, where most organized clubs are based.
Latest Posts about Basketball
#4 Athletics
- Governing body: Libyan Athletics Federation
Track and field is organized through the national athletics federation, which selects competitors for African and Arab regional championships. Running events, particularly middle and long distance, draw the largest number of club level participants.
Facilities are concentrated in a small number of national stadiums, which limits the scale of organized competition compared to team sports.
Latest Posts about Athletics
#5 Volleyball
- Governing body: Libyan Volleyball Federation
Volleyball is played both indoors and as beach volleyball along Libya’s Mediterranean coast, with organized clubs concentrated in coastal cities. The national federation enters teams in African qualifying tournaments.
School and university leagues feed club level competition, though comprehensive participation records were not available for this review.
Latest Posts about Volleyball
#6 Boxing
- Governing body: Libyan Boxing Federation
Amateur boxing has a long standing club structure in Libya, with gyms concentrated in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Misrata. National federation selection sends boxers to African championship events.
The sport is mostly organized around municipal sports clubs rather than a professional league.
Latest Posts about Boxing
#7 Taekwondo
- Governing body: Libyan Taekwondo Federation
Taekwondo grew as an organized club sport in Libya over recent decades, supported by a national federation that sends athletes to African and Arab regional championships.
Clubs are typically attached to municipal sports centers rather than a dedicated professional circuit.
Latest Posts about Taekwondo
#8 Swimming
- Governing body: Libyan Swimming Federation
Competitive swimming in Libya is organized through a national federation that selects athletes for African and Arab regional meets. Access to standard competition pools is limited mainly to larger coastal cities.
Recreational swimming along the Mediterranean coastline is common, though it falls outside organized competitive sport.
Latest Posts about Swimming
#9 Table tennis
- Governing body: Libyan Table Tennis Federation
Table tennis is widely played in Libyan schools and community centers, requiring little equipment or space, and feeds into a national federation program.
The sport has a lower competitive profile internationally than team sports but a broad recreational base domestically.
Latest Posts about Table Tennis
#10 Weightlifting
- Governing body: Libyan Weightlifting Federation
Weightlifting has an established club base in Libya, organized through a national federation that enters lifters in African championship competition.
Training is centered on municipal sports clubs, with a smaller competitive pool than team sports such as soccer or handball.
Latest Posts about Weightlifting
#11 Karate
- Governing body: Libyan Karate Federation
Karate is practiced through a network of martial arts clubs, with a national federation selecting competitors for African and Arab regional championships.
The sport draws participants across a wide age range, from youth clubs to adult competitive squads.
Latest Posts about Karate
#12 Cycling
- Governing body: Libyan Cycling Federation
Competitive road cycling in Libya is organized through a national federation that has entered riders in African regional events.
The competitive scene remains small compared to team sports, with club membership concentrated among a limited number of road cycling clubs.
Latest Posts about Cycling
Sources
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.
FAQ
What is the most popular sport in Libya?
Soccer is the most popular sport in Libya. It is organized by the Libyan Football Federation, a CAF member association founded in 1962 and FIFA affiliated since 1964, and it has the largest league structure and international competition record of any sport in the country.
What sports are popular in Libya besides soccer?
After soccer, handball and basketball have the strongest organized presence in Libya, both with national teams competing in African regional championships. Athletics, volleyball, and boxing also have established national federations and club structures.
Does Libya have a national handball team?
Yes. Libya fields a men’s national handball team that has repeatedly competed at the African Men’s Handball Championship, reflecting a long organized handball program in the country.
Who is a well known Libyan soccer player?
Tariq Al-Taib is one of Libya’s best known soccer players internationally. He played in the German Bundesliga for Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt and represented Libya at the international level.
What is the top soccer league in Libya called?
The top domestic competition is the Libyan Premier League, run under the Libyan Football Federation, which has continued in various forms for decades despite interruptions from the country’s internal conflicts.
