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Associated Press photos

The biggest myth

Millions of people will watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, but they won't propel American football to the most-watched event in the world.

That title is still held by European football.

The Super Bowl for decades has been the most-watch sporting event in the U.S., but NFL viewership is greatly outpaced globally by FIFA, the UEFA and cricket.

And in recent years, the Super Bowl has competed for the most U.S. viewers with other sports, including cycling and women's soccer.

The audience that watches the Atlanta Falcons take on the New England Patriots at 6:30 p.m. Sunday might be the biggest in the U.S., but it won't be the biggest in the world.

Cheerleaders for the Atlanta Falcons, left, and the New England Patriots, right, get ready for Super Bowl 51.

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Jae C. Hong

Super Bowl 50

Let's look at the last Super Bowl: The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 and attracted 112 million viewers.

It was the most-watched game in the U.S. last year, but it wasn't the Super Bowl with the highest ratings.

Denver Broncos' Von Miller walks off the field with his mother Gloria after the NFL Super Bowl 50 football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. The Broncos won 24-10. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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Associated Press photo

Super Bowl 49

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks played in the Super Bowl with the highest ratings. In the game played on Feb. 1, 2015, Malcolm Butler intercepted a Russell Wilson pass to help the Pats win 28-24.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady lifts the Vince Lombardi trophy after the team's win in Super Bowl 49.

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Antonio Calanni

PA@

The UEFA Champions League Final is basically the European Super Bowl, but way bigger. Last year, the game between Spanish teams Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid attracted 350 million viewers.

Real Madrid players celebrate after Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning penalty in a shootout during the Champions League final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Saturday, May 28, 2016. Real Madrid won 5-4 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 after extra time. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

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Associated Press photo

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It happens every four years, and it has a massive audience.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup drew more than 200 million viewers per game, with the championship game between Germany and Argentina drawing 913 million viewers globally.

Argentina's Lucas Biglia, center, heads the ball clear from Germany's Mesut Ozil, right, during the World Cup final on July 13, 2014. (Associated Press)

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Associated Press

Cricket

The Cricket World Cup in 2015 had more than 1 billion viewers for the final game between India and Pakistan on Feb. 15, 2015. About 288 million of those viewers were in India.

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Associated Press photo

Summer Olympics

The 2016 Summer Olympics had 3.5 billion viewers worldwide and 198 million viewers in the U.S. That's not an apples-to-apples measurement with the Super Bowl, given the duration of the Olympics, but it's a metric worth mentioning in discussing the sports audience last year.

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Associated Press photo

Tour de France

The audience for the Tour de France also has a huge global audience, reaching 1.5 billion viewers in 2016. The three-week competition isn't an equal comparison to a single Super Bowl game, but it shows the global audience is hungry for more than just American or European football.

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Getty

Women's Cup

The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup broke ratings records when the U.S. team defeated Japan 5-2 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada. Some 61 million viewers watched that final game and the tournament overall drew 750 million viewers.

Forward Abby Wambach of the U.S. team celebrates the 5-2 victory against Japan in the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 Final at BC Place Stadium on July 5, 2015, in Vancouver, Canada.

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Associated Press photo

Super Bowl 51

What will ratings be for Super Bowl 51, lower or higher than last year? Some say lower because Atlanta doesn't have one of the biggest followings in the NFL. Others say more because New England is a huge market and Lady Gaga is the halftime show.

Here's how you can be part of the millions of Super Bowl viewers:

Teams: Atlanta Falcons vs. New England Patriots

Date: Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: NRG Stadium (Houston, Texas)

Channel: FOX

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And, if we can't agree on who has the bigger audience, can we at least admit that Lady Gaga has some big platform shoes to fill if she wants to rank among the top halftime performances? For example, the video here shows Prince performing "Purple Rain" in the rain.

How does anyone outdo that passionate performance from Super Bowl XLI in 2007 when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami?

7 Super Bowl halftime performances that will give you chills