Sport in Mexico
Located just south of the United States of America, Mexico is one of the largest countries in the Americas and 13th in the whole world. With all that real estate to play with, it is not hard to imagine why Mexicans have a special place in their heart for football.
Golf tournament in MexicoFootball is a national past time in Mexico and indeed the most popular sport in the country. Mexico loves football more than they love tacos. Traditionally, Mexicans love charreada (a form of rodeo), bullfighting and basque pelota. In modern times however, other sports has taken hold. Other than football, basketball, baseball, rugby union, racquetball and even ice hockey has enjoyed a decent amount of following in Mexico.
Mexico is also home to various individual sports like tennis, golf, taekwondo, track and field and their second most popular sport, boxing. But we cannot talk about any spectator sport in Mexico without mentioning lucha libre. It is the Mexican professional wrestling although some may argue that it's more like a spectacle than an actual sport.
Mexico has also hosted many international sporting events like the World Cup (1970 and 1986) and the Olympics (1968). They have produced many internationally acclaimed players like Eduardo Najera (basketball), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (football), Hugo Sanchez (football), Lorena Ochoa (golf) Fernando Valenzuela (baseball), and boxers Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Mexico.
Popular sports of Mexico
- Football (Soccer), boxing, basque pelota, basketball, baseball, rugby union, racquetball, tennis, golf, taekwondo, track and field.
Traditional and Regional Sports
- Bull Fighting — involves one or more bulls which are being fought in a bullring.
- Ulama — a traditional ball sport from Mexico, players keep the ball inbounds by hitting it with their hips or forearms.
- Pelota Mixteca — an ancient game similar to tennis without a net, the ball is hit with decorated gloves.
- Charreada - a competitive event similar to rodeo and was developed from animal husbandry practices used on the haciendas of old Mexico
- Lucha Libre - the form of professional wrestling from Mexico
- Mesoamerican Ballgame — an ancient sport that was played by people of Ancient Mesoamerica.
Mexican Sporting Success
Great athletes from Mexico
- Eduardo Najera (basketball)
- Cuauhtemoc Blanco (football)
- Hugo Sanchez (football)
- Lorena Ochoa (golf)
- Fernando Valenzuela (baseball)
- Julio Cesar Chavez (boxing)
- Oscar De La Hoya (boxing)
Mexico Sports trivia
- At the 1988 Winter Olympics, four brothers made up both of Mexico's teams in the 2-man bobsled event - Eduardo, Jorge, Adrian and Roberto Tames - the most siblings to compete in a single Winter Olympic Games event.
Mexico at major events
- Mexico at the Summer Olympics
- Mexico at the Winter Olympics
- Mexico at the FIFA World Cup
- Mexico women's football team at the FIFA Women's World Cup
- Mexico at the Copa América
Past sporting events hosted in Mexico
- 1968 Olympic Games summer Mexico City
- 1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico
- 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico
- 2011 Pan American Games, Guadalajara
- 2023 Gay Games, Guadalajara (co-host with Hong Kong)
- 2023 WTA tennis finals, Cancun
Upcoming sporting events in Mexico
Annual sporting events held in Mexico
Sporting Facilities in Mexico
- Estadio Azteca, Mexico City.
- University Olympic Stadium (Estadio Olímpico Universitario), Mexico City.
- La Loma Sports Center, San Luis Potosi
Other
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