Chile has had a long time love affair with football. Rodeo is their national sport but it is safe to say that football is the most popular sport of the country. They are a member of FIFA and have competed in eight World Cups and even hosted the 1962 FIFA World Cup where they took third place.
The Chilean national football team has appeared in the finals of Copa América four times, took home the silver once and the bronze twice from the Pan American Games and a bronze in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Their younger players are also making a name for themselves finishing third in the under 17 and under 20 youth FIFA tournaments.
Chileans are also doing great in tennis. Their national players have taken home the World Team Cup twice (2003 and 2004). They are also making headways in the most recognized sports stage. Their men’s singles have taken the gold and bronze while their men’s doubles took home the gold in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Marcelo Rios was the first Latin American to reach the top spot of the ATP singles in 1998. In 1937, Anita Lizana took the US Open making her the first Latin American woman to win the Grand Slam. Luis Ayala was a runner-up in the French Open twice while Fernando Gonzalez and Marcelo Rios both were Australian Open men’s singles finalists. Gonzalez was also a silver medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tennis is their biggest Olympic medal producer.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Chile.
Popular sports of Chile
- Football (Soccer), Rugby Union, Tennis
Chilean Traditional or Regional Soorts
- Chilean Rodeo — two riders on horseback try to stop a calf.
Chile Sporting Success
Great athletes from Chile
- Marcelo Rios (tennis)
Chile Sports trivia
- In 2010, Chile joined the Bolivarian Games, a multi-sport competition involving athletes from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
- At the 2023 Pan American Games, rowing quadruplets all won gold medals on the same day. Antonia and Melita Abraham were part of the winning women's four, then their brothers Ignacio and Alfredo Abraham won gold as part of the men's four.
Chile at major events
- Chile at the Summer Olympics
- Chile at the Winter Olympics
- Chile at the FIFA World Cup
- Chile at the FIFA Women's World Cup
- Chile at the Rugby World Cup
- Chile at the Copa América
Past sporting events hosted in Chile
- 1962 FIFA World Cup Chile
Upcoming sporting events in Chile
- 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago
- 2025 World Cycling Track Championships in Santiago
- 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago
Annual sporting events held in Chile
Sporting Facilities in Chile
Other
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