Football is widely popular in Goa, particularly around Margao where the main football stadium, Fatorda, is located. Football is also played in local fields, during the non-monsoon, non-planting season, particularly in central coastal Goa. Many of the country's top NFL clubs such as the Vasco, Salgaocar, Dempo, Sporting Clube de Goa, Fransa-Pax Football Club and Churchill Brothers are based in Goa.

In recent decades, a growing influence of cricket is visible, in large part fuelled by the massive coverage this sport gets on national television, thus making an impact even in a part of South Asia which hardly had any contact with the British Empire. Goa now has its own cricket team.

Field Hockey is the third most popular sport.