The most popular sport in Mexico currently is
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
followed by
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
. However, there are regional variations: for example,
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
is the most popular sport in the northwest and the southeast of the country.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
,
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
and
bull riding
Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider.
American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To recei ...
(called "Jaripeo") are also popular. The tradition of bullfighting remains strong in Mexico.
History of sport in Mexico
Mesoamerican ball game
The
Pre-Columbian
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...
people of
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...
have played the
Mesoamerican ball game
The Mesoamerican ballgame ( nah, ōllamalīztli, , myn, pitz) was a sport with ritual associations played since at least 1650 BC by the pre-Columbian people of Ancient Mesoamerica. The sport had different versions in different places during t ...
for over 3,000 years. Archaeologists found the oldest ballcourt yet discovered – dated to approximately 1400 BC – at
Paso de la Amada Paso de la Amada (from Spanish: "beloved's pass") is an archaeological site in the Mexican state of Chiapas on the Gulf of Tehuantepec, in the Mazatán part of Soconusco region of Mesoamerica. It is located in farmland between the modern town oB ...
in Mexico. The exact rules of the traditional ballgame remain unknown. Researchers believe that the sport probably resembled
racquetball
Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velo ...
or volleyball, where the object is to keep the ball in play. The winner was sacrificed.
In their
Post-Classical Era
In world history, post-classical history refers to the period from about 500 AD to 1500, roughly corresponding to the European Middle Ages. The period is characterized by the expansion of civilizations geographically and development of trade ...
(1000–1697 CE), the
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
began placing vertical stone rings on each side of the court, with the object of passing the ball through one. Several of these were placed quite high, as at
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza , es, Chichén Itzá , often with the emphasis reversed in English to ; from yua, Chiʼchʼèen Ìitshaʼ () "at the mouth of the well of the Itza people" was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people of the Terminal ...
, where they stand 6 meters from the ground. Players would strike the ball with their hips or forearms, or employed rackets, bats, or hand-stones.
[Quirarte, p.209-210.]
The ball was made of rubber and weighed up to 4 kg or more, with sizes that differed greatly over time or according to the version played. Games took place between two individuals and between two teams of players. The ballgame played out within a large masonry structure which contained a long narrow playing alley flanked by walls with both horizontal and sloping (or, more rarely, vertical) surfaces. The walls were often plastered and brightly painted.
A version of the game called
Ulama
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
is still played in the Mexican state of
Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...
.
Pelota purépecha Pelota purépecha (Spanish language, Spanish for "Purépecha ball"), called ''Uárukua Ch'anakua'' ( "a game with sticks") in the Purépecha language, is an Sport in Mexico, Indigenous Mexican sport similar to those in the hockey family. A common va ...
has the
Purépecha language
Purépecha (also ''P'urhépecha'' , tsz, Phorhé or ''Phorhépecha''), often called Tarascan, which is a pejorative term coined by Spanish colonizers ( es, Tarasco), is a language isolate or small language family that is spoken by some 140,000 ...
, and is an Indigenous Mexican sport. A common variant, distinguished as ''pasárutakua'' in Purépecha, uses a ball which has been set on
fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
and can be played at night.
It has a league,
several practicing communities
and about 800 players across Mexico as of 2010.
It is one of 150
pre-Hispanic
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...
Mexican games at risk of dying out along with
Ulama
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
.
Bullfighting
In the sixteenth century, the Spanish introduced
bullfighting
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
to
colonial Mexico
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 au ...
. The sport has been one of the most popular in the country for the last 400 years. One of the most prominent bullfighters of the 20th century in Mexico was
Carlos Arruza
Carlos Arruza (February 17, 1920 – May 20, 1966), born Carlos Ruiz Camino, was one of the most prominent bullfighters of the 20th century. He was known as "El Ciclón" ("the cyclone").
Arruza was born in Mexico to Spanish parents. He began ...
. He was known as "El Ciclón" ("The Cyclone").
Typically, a bullfight in Mexico includes a variety of rodeo events known as
charreadas, and traditional
folkloric
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fro ...
dances. Thousands of bullfighting events occur in Mexico. In certain areas of the country, bullfighting generates a large amount of revenue from the local population, as well as visiting tourists.
As evidence of the popularity of the sport, the largest
bullring
A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with the Iberian Peninsula, but they can also be found through Iberian America and in a few Spanish and Portuguese ex-colonies in Africa. Bullrings are o ...
in the world is the
Plaza Mexico
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
, located in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
. The Plaza México has been host to many of the world's best and most famous bullfighters. The anniversary of the 1946 opening of Plaza Mexico is celebrated annually with a special bullfight called the "Corrida de Aniversario".
Charrería
Charrería
Charrería () is a sport and discipline arising from equestrian activities and livestock traditions used in the haciendas of old Mexico.
Evolving from the traditions brought from Spain, most specifically the municipality of Salamanca in the 16th ...
is the national sport of Mexico, it dates back to the 16th century and consists of a series of Mexico-developed equestrian events. The most notable event is the
charreada, a style of
rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
developed in Mexico in the interest of maintaining the traditions of the
charro
Charro has several meanings, but it generally refers to Mexican horse riders, who maintain traditional dress, such as some form of sombrero, which in Mexican Spanish are called ''sombrero de charro'' (a charro's hat). The charros could also ...
. A charro is a term referring to a traditional
horseman or a
cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...
of Mexico, originating in the state of
Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
. The national horse of Mexico, used in
Charreria, is the
Azteca.
The
Federación Mexicana de Charrería
The Federación Mexicana de Charrería (Mexican Federation of Charreria) regulates ''charrería'' events in Mexico. ''Charrería'', officially the National Sport of Mexico, consists of a series of Mexican equestrian events rooted in the horsemans ...
(Mexican Federation of Charreria) organizes
charrería
Charrería () is a sport and discipline arising from equestrian activities and livestock traditions used in the haciendas of old Mexico.
Evolving from the traditions brought from Spain, most specifically the municipality of Salamanca in the 16th ...
events.
Cockfight
Cockfighting
A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...
is not banned in Mexico, and practiced in the
Mexican states
The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a separate ent ...
of
Michoacán
Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...
,
Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes (; ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Aguascalientes ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Aguascalientes), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. At 22°N and ...
,
Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
,
Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...
, and
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
, mostly during regional fairs and other celebrations. Cockfights are performed in ''palenques'' (pits).
[Aleksin H. Ortega, "Cockfighting" in ''Encyclopedia of Latino Culture: From Calaveras to Quinceaneras'', Vol. 1 (ed. Charles M. Tatum: Greenwood, 2014), pp. 757-58.] Cockfighting remains legal in the municipality of
Ixmiquilpan
Ixmiquilpan (Otomi: Ntsʼu̱tkʼani) is a city and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. It is located on the Mexico City/Nuevo Laredo Highway at km 170 in the central west part of the state of Hidalgo. The town of I ...
and throughout Mexico.
International Games Competitions
Olympic Games
Mexico City hosted the
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...
, the first time that the event was held in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
. Since then, the only edition of the Olympic Games held in the region was in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, Brazil.
Mexico first participated at the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
in 1900 and has sent athletes to compete in every
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
since 1924. Mexico has also participated in several
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...
since 1928. Mexico has performed best in
athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...
,
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
,
equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
*Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...
,
diving
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
, and
Swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
events, and more recently
taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...
and
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
.
Enriqueta Basilio
Norma Enriqueta "Queta" Basilio Sotelo (15 July 1948 – 26 October 2019), was a Mexican track and field athlete. She was born in Mexicali, capital of Baja California. She came from an athletic family; her father was a cotton farmer. Her Pol ...
made history by being the first woman to
light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
the
Olympic Cauldron
The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic ...
at
19th Summer Olympics in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
on 12 October 1968.
In diving, Mexico is the best Latin American representative with a long tradition of diving founded by
Joaquín Capilla
Joaquín Capilla Pérez (December 23, 1928 – May 8, 2010), was a Mexican diver who won the largest number of Olympic medals among Mexican athletes. Together with his elder brother Alberto he competed in the 3 m springboard and 10 m platform ...
, a Mexican
diver who won the largest number of Olympic medals among Mexican athletes. Many others who have excelled in World Championships and Olympics are
Carlos Girón,
Fernando Platas
Fernando Fabricio Platas Álvarez (born March 16, 1973, in Mexico City) is a Mexican diver. He began diving since he was a young boy. In 1990 he won in Germany two tests of 2 and 10 metres, and in that same year he won three gold medals in the ...
and
Paola Espinosa
Paola Milagros Espinosa Sánchez (born 31 July 1986) is a Mexican diver and represented Mexico at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she was her national team's flagbearer, and the 2012 Summer Ol ...
who is the first Latina woman to become world champion.
Soraya Jiménez
Soraya Jiménez Mendivil (a twin sister born 5 August 1977 – 28 March 2013) was a Mexican weightlifter and Olympic champion. She participated at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where she won a gold medal. Jiménez became the first eve ...
became the first ever female athlete from Mexico to win an Olympic gold medal in 2000.
[Profile: "Soraya Jimenez"]
''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on 19 January 2008)
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Mexico finished in thirty-ninth place; the Mexico team brought home seven medals, including their first gold medal won in
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, and the rest of the medals in
archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
,
diving
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
, and
taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...
.
Donovan Carrillo is the first Mexican
figure skater
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
to compete at the Olympics in 30 years in 2022, and after scoring a personal best in the short program became the first ever Mexican skater to advance to the
free skate.
Pan American Games
The
Pan American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
competition is held among athletes from nations of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
, every four years in the year before the
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
. Mexico ranks sixth in the top ten nations all time at the Pan American Games (minus medals won at the Winter Pan American Games). Mexico and Canada have hosted three Pan American Games each, more than any other nation. Among cities, only Winnipeg and Mexico City have played host to the Pan American Games more than once, each holding that honor twice.
Similar to the Olympic flame, the Pan American Games flame is lit well before the Games are to commence. The flame was lit for the first games in Olympia, Greece. For subsequent games, the torch has been lit by
Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
people. in ancient temples, first in the Cerro de la Estrella and later in the Pyramid of the Sun at the Teotihuacan Pyramids. The only exception was for the São Paulo games in 1963, when the torch was lit in Brasília by the indigenous Guaraní people. An Aztec then lights the torch of the first relay bearer, thus initiating the Pan American Games torch relay that will carry the flame to the host city's main stadium, where it plays an important role in the opening ceremony. The
2011 Pan American Games
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, ...
were the third Pan American Games hosted by Mexico (the first country to do so) and the first held in the state of
Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...
in the city of
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
.
Central American and Caribbean Games
The
Central American and Caribbean Games
The Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC or CACGs) are a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennial (once every four years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The games are for countries in Cent ...
a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennial (once every four years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The Games are for countries in Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the South American Caribbean countries of Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. They are designed to provide a step between sub-CACG-region Games held the first year following a Summer Olympics (e.g. Central American Games) and the Continental Championships, the Pan American Games, held the year before the Summer Olympics. The CACGs are the oldest continuing regional games in the world, and only the Olympics have run longer. In 2014, Mexico has hosted the CACG games four times, three in Mexico City and one in Veracruz. Mexico is also one of the three countries present at the first games and the first organizer of the Games. Mexico is the only country that has attended all editions, without a single absence and has the most medals and second most gold medals as of 2019.
Team sports
Association football
Mexico's most popular team sport is association football. Football is widely followed and practiced all over the country and it is considered the most popular sport in most states. It is believed that football was introduced in Mexico by English
Cornish miners
A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...
at the end of the 19th century. By 1902 a five-team league emerged with a strong English influence. Football became a professional sport in 1943.
Mexico has hosted two World Cup tournaments (
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
and
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
). Many of the stadiums in use in the league have a World Cup history. Sites such as
Estadio Jalisco
The Jalisco Stadium is a football stadium located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It is the third largest Mexican football stadium behind Estadio Azteca and Estadio Olímpico Universitario. The facility is located in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, 4 ...
in Guadalajara, and
Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the official home of football clubs Club América and Cruz Azul as well as the Mexico national football team. The stadium sits at an altitude of above sea level. Wit ...
in Mexico City are renowned for their national and international history. The legendary Estadio Azteca, for example, is one of the only two stadiums in the world to have hosted two men's World Cup finals (the other being the
Maracana) and is one of the
highest capacity stadiums in the world. Mexican's biggest stadiums are
Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the official home of football clubs Club América and Cruz Azul as well as the Mexico national football team. The stadium sits at an altitude of above sea level. Wit ...
,
Estadio Jalisco
The Jalisco Stadium is a football stadium located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It is the third largest Mexican football stadium behind Estadio Azteca and Estadio Olímpico Universitario. The facility is located in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, 4 ...
,
Estadio BBVA Bancomer
The Estadio BBVA, nicknamed "El Gigante de Acero" (Spanish for "The Steel Giant"), formerly known as the Estadio BBVA Bancomer, is a stadium developed by FEMSA and C.F. Monterrey in Guadalupe, Greater Monterrey. The stadium replaced the Estadio Te ...
,
Estadio Olímpico Universitario
Estadio Olímpico Universitario is a multi-purpose stadium located inside Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico City. It was built in 1952 and at that time was the largest stadium in Mexico. This stadium has a capacity of 72,000. The first major event ...
and
Estadio Cuauhtémoc
Estadio Cuauhtémoc is a Association football, football stadium in Puebla, Puebla City, Mexico. It is the home of Club Puebla . It is currently the fourth-biggest football stadium in Mexico by capacity. The stadium has been the host of the 1 ...
.
The
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup was the 13th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June 1986. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia ha ...
in Mexico was broadcast to a global audience, and
the wave or the Mexican wave was popularized worldwide after featuring during the tournament.
[Andy Jackson (Jun 11 2010]
Fan Crazes
Australian Four Four Two. Retrieved 25 August 2011
''The Independent''. Retrieved 25 August 2011
Men's National team
The
Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (). It competes as a member of CONCACAF.
Mexico has qualified to seventeen World Cups and has qualified conse ...
(Spanish: Selección de fútbol de México) represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the
Mexican Football Federation
The Mexican Football Federation (; abbreviated as Femexfut or FMF) is the governing body of association football in Mexico. It adm the Mexico national team, the Liga MX and all affiliated amateur sectors, and controls promoting, organizing, direc ...
(FMF, from the native name of ''Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación''), the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the
Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the official home of football clubs Club América and Cruz Azul as well as the Mexico national football team. The stadium sits at an altitude of above sea level. Wit ...
and their head coach is
Gerardo Martino
Gerardo Daniel "Tata" Martino (born 20 November 1962) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player.
Martino played mostly for Newell's Old Boys in his native Rosario. He holds the record of appearances with the team playing a ...
. The team is currently ranked 21st in the
World Football Elo Ratings
The World Football Elo Ratings are a ranking system for men's national association football teams that is published by the website eloratings.net. It is based on the Elo rating system but includes modifications to take various football-specific va ...
.
Mexico has qualified for fifteen
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
tournaments and is among six countries to have qualified consecutively since 1994. Mexico, Brazil and Germany, are the only nations to make it out of the group stage in the six World Cup tournaments since. Mexico played France at the
first World Cup on July 13, 1930. Mexico's best progression was reaching the quarter-finals in the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, both of which were staged on Mexican soil, and will host once again in
2026
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1930 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** ''Soup to Nuts'', the first on-scree ...
sharing with Canada and United States.
The
Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (). It competes as a member of CONCACAF.
Mexico has qualified to seventeen World Cups and has qualified conse ...
won the
1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup was the fourth FIFA Confederations Cup, and the second organised by FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Mexico between 24 July and 4 August 1999.
It was won by Mexico, who beat Brazil 4–3 in the final. Mexico be ...
and the gold medal in
London 2012
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, finished twice as runners-up at the
Copa América
The Copa América ( en, America Cup) or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship (''Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol'' in Spanish and ''Campeonato Sul-Americano de Futebol'' in Portuguese), is the t ...
, won the
2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, the eleventh edition of the tournament, was held in the cities of Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura and Iquitos in Peru between 16 September and 2 October 2005. Players born after 1 January 1988 could participa ...
, and have reached the quarter finals twice at the World Cup. Recently, some players from Mexico have moved on to European clubs, including
Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez (; born 13 February 1979) is a Mexican former professional footballer and current head coach of Spanish team Barcelona Atlètic. Nicknamed '' El Káiser'', he is regarded as the best defender in Mexico's history and o ...
,
Carlos Salcido
Carlos Arnoldo Salcido Flores (; born 2 April 1980) is a Mexican former professional footballer. He started his career as a centre-back and played most of it as left-back, then converted to defensive midfielder and ended it as centre-back. He ...
,
Ricardo Osorio
Ricardo Osorio Mendoza (born 30 March 1980) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a defender.
Club career Early career
Born in Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca, Osorio made his debut in the Primera División de México in 2001 ...
,
Pável Pardo
Pável Pardo Segura (; born 26 July 1976) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
Pardo spent most of his career playing with Club América and is the fourth most capped player in the history of the Me ...
,
Andrés Guardado
José Andrés Guardado Hernández (; born 28 September 1986) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Betis and captains the Mexico national team.
Popularly known as ''Principito'' (Spanish for '' L ...
,
Guillermo Franco
Guillermo "Guille" Luis Franco Farquarson (born 3 November 1976) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Argentina, he represented the Mexico national team.
Early life
Guillermo Franco was born in Corrientes, the ...
,
Carlos Vela
Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido (born 1 March 1989) is a Mexican professional footballer who captains and plays for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. Described as a versatile player who can play as a forward, winger, and attacking midfield ...
,
Giovani dos Santos
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez ( ; born 11 May 1989) is a Mexican professional footballer. A versatile forward, dos Santos can play as an attacking midfielder, winger, and secondary striker. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
Dos Santos began his ...
,
Omar Bravo
Omar Bravo Tordecillas (born 4 March 1980) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is Guadalajara's all-time leading scorer in all matches.
Club career Club Deportivo Guadalajara
Omar Bravo has scored 132 goals ...
,
Aaron Galindo,
Héctor Moreno
Héctor Alfredo Moreno Herrera (born 17 January 1988) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga MX club Monterrey and the Mexico national team.
Moreno ascended the youth ranks of Club Universidad Nacional, makin ...
,
Francisco Javier Rodríguez
Francisco Javier "Maza" Rodríguez Pineda (; born 20 October 1981) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Club career
Guadalajara
Francisco Javier Rodríguez was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, which is the or ...
and others.
Mexico is historically the most successful national team in the
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football,, ; french: Confédération de football d'Amérique du Nord, d'Amérique centrale et des Caraïbes, . Dutch uses the English name. abbreviated as CONCACAF ( ; typese ...
region, holding nine CONCACAF championships, including six
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
s, one
North American Nations Cup
The North American Nations Cup and NAFC Championship were association football tournaments for teams in the area of North America.
In 1947 and 1949, the NAFC Championship was organized by the North American Football Confederation. Cuba, Mexico, a ...
and three
NAFC Championships. Mexico is the only team from CONCACAF to have won an official FIFA competition, the
1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup was the fourth FIFA Confederations Cup, and the second organised by FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Mexico between 24 July and 4 August 1999.
It was won by Mexico, who beat Brazil 4–3 in the final. Mexico be ...
. Although Mexico is under the jurisdiction of CONCACAF, the national football team has been regularly invited to compete in the
Copa América
The Copa América ( en, America Cup) or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship (''Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol'' in Spanish and ''Campeonato Sul-Americano de Futebol'' in Portuguese), is the t ...
since 1993 finishing as runner-up twice and obtaining the third place medal on three occasions.
Men's Professional leagues
The first Mexican club,
C.F. Pachuca
Club de Fútbol Pachuca is a Mexican professional football team based in Pachuca, Hidalgo, that competes in Liga MX. Founded by Cornish miners from Camborne and Redruth in 1901, it is one of the oldest football clubs in the Americas, and was ...
, survives. Since 1996, the country has played two split seasons instead of a traditional long season. There are two separate playoff and league divisions. This system is common throughout Latin America. After many years of calling the regular seasons as "Verano" (Summer) and "Invierno" (Winter); the top-level
Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
, formerly the ''Primera División'', has changed the names of the competition, and has opted for a traditional name of "Apertura" (opening) and "Clausura" (closing) events. The Apertura division begins in the middle of Mexico's summer and ends before the official start of winter. The Clausura division begins during the New Year, and concludes in the spring season.
Mexican football is divided into four divisions, beginning with Liga MX and followed by
Ascenso MX
Ascenso MX was the second tier of professional football in Mexico of the Mexican football league system. The champion of the competition was promoted to Liga MX (top-flight tier). The bottom team was relegated to Liga Premier (the third tier). ...
, the
Liga Premier
The Malaysia Premier League ( ms, Liga Premier) was the second-tier professional football league in Malaysia. The league replaced the former second-tier league, Liga Perdana 2 in the Malaysian football league system.
The Malaysia Premier Leag ...
, and
Tercera División
Tercera División ( en, Third Division) was the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system. Founded in 1929, it was below the ''Primera División'' (also known as La Liga), the ''Segunda División'', and the semi-professional ''Segunda Di ...
. The bottom two leagues translate literally as "Second Division" and "Third Division"; their names reflect their former positions in the league hierarchy before the Segunda División was split into two leagues, with the league now known as Ascenso MX becoming the new second level.
The teams are
promoted and relegated by the FMF based on percentage calculations. Relegation is a common practice in Mexican football. There is a club exchange of each tier with the adjacent tiers so that a division's least successful team is relegated (transferred) to the next lower tier and the most successful club of the lower tier is promoted to the tier above. By the placement of each, the top tier cannot promote and the bottom tier cannot relegate.
The relegation system does not punish clubs for producing a single poor season. Mexican clubs are assessed on their previous five campaigns. Points are accumulated for five seasons, and are divided by the number of matches played. The club with the lowest percentage in the Apertura is relegated to a lower division. Each team must earn their promotions.
Since 1943, Mexico's five most successful clubs in
Mexican football league system
The Mexican football league system is organized by the Mexican Football Federation, except for the Liga MX and the Ascenso MX that are organized independently; The tournaments consist of five levels, male and female professional levels. In additio ...
matches have been
América (13 championships),
Chivas (12),
Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
(10),
Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
(8) and
Pumas (7). America is the historical
arch-nemesis
In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) is the main enemy of someone. In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero's, most prominent and most-known enemy.
Etymology
The word ''archenemy'' sometim ...
of Chivas, so a match between the two is the
Clásico Nacional derby that the entire country awaits. Another noted derby in Mexico is the
Clásico Regiomontano
Clásico Regiomontano, Clásico Regio, Clásico del Norte or Clásico Norteño is a football derby in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, between crosstown rival teams Monterrey and Tigres. Since the first Clásico in 1974, the two teams have competed over 100 ...
between crosstown rival teams
Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
and
Tigres. Whereas the Clásico Nacional involves two teams from cities in different states the Clásico Regiomontano game involves two neighboring cities. Chivas are renowned for using only Mexican players in their squad. Consequently, they have long fed players to the
Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (). It competes as a member of CONCACAF.
Mexico has qualified to seventeen World Cups and has qualified conse ...
.
Men players
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez (born 11 July 1958) is a Mexican former professional footballer and manager, who played as a forward. A prolific goalscorer known for his spectacular strikes and volleys, he is widely regarded as the greatest Mexican fo ...
widely regarded as the greatest Mexican footballer of all time, was named best CONCACAF player of the 20th century by
IFFHS
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
. No other Mexican footballer has scored as many goals in Europe as Hugo Sánchez. He is the
fourth highest scorer in the history of
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
, the third-highest scoring foreign player after
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
and
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
.
Carlos Vela
Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido (born 1 March 1989) is a Mexican professional footballer who captains and plays for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. Described as a versatile player who can play as a forward, winger, and attacking midfield ...
described as a versatile player who can play as a forward, winger, and attacking midfielder, Vela is known for being a creative player and prolific scorer.
Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez (; born 13 February 1979) is a Mexican former professional footballer and current head coach of Spanish team Barcelona Atlètic. Nicknamed '' El Káiser'', he is regarded as the best defender in Mexico's history and o ...
the first Mexican to win the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
is considered by many the best defender in the country's football history. Márquez is
Mexico's record World Cup player and one of only three players with appearances in five tournaments.
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (; born 17 January 1973) is a Mexican politician and former professional footballer who is the current Governor of Morelos under the coalition '' Juntos Haremos Historia''. He formerly served as the municipal president ...
is the only Mexican football player to be presented with an award (The Silver Ball and Silver Shoe) in a major international FIFA competition (
1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup was the fourth FIFA Confederations Cup, and the second organised by FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Mexico between 24 July and 4 August 1999.
It was won by Mexico, who beat Brazil 4–3 in the final. Mexico be ...
). He shares the record as the
highest scorer of the tournament with Ronaldinho (nine goals in two editions). He has been awarded the MVP of the México Primera División League five times.
Jorge Campos
Jorge Campos Navarrete (born 15 October 1966) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
A notable player of Mexico in the 1990s and early 2000s, Campos was an eccentric player, known for his constant play outside ...
with the national team, appeared in three World Cups, two Confederation Cups, two Gold Cups and three Copas América.
Horacio Casarín
Horacio Casarín Garcilazo (25 May 1918 – 10 April 2005) was a Mexican professional football player and coach who established himself as one of his country's most popular sports figures in the 1940s and 1950s.
A symbol for Atlante, the team ...
was sought out by defenders and fouled him mercilessly during a 1939 game between Casarin's
Necaxa
Impulsora del Deportivo Necaxa S.A. de C.V. (); often simply known as Necaxa, is a Mexican professional football club in Liga MX based in the city of Aguascalientes. It plays in the Estadio Victoria.
History
Foundation (Light and Power Comp ...
, and
Asturias F.C.
Asturias F.C. (currently Centro Asturiano de México) was a sports club located in Mexico City, established in 1918. The squad played in the Liga Mexicana de Football Amateur Association, the first and main league prior to the professionalisati ...
, Necaxa fans were so angry that they burnt the
Parque Asturias
Parque Asturias was a multi-use stadium in Mexico City, Mexico. It was initially used as the stadium of Asturias F.C. and Atlante F.C. matches. It was replaced by Estadio Azteca in 1966. The capacity of the stadium was 25,000 spectators.
Histo ...
stadium. Horacio retired as the all-time Mexican scorer, with 256 goals to his count.
Antonio Carbajal
Antonio Félix "Tota" Carbajal Rodríguez (; born 7 June 1929) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was also called ''"El Cinco Copas"'', in reference to his then-record of five World Cups played.
Club care ...
was the first player to appear in five World Cups and the only Mexican player that has received the
FIFA Order of Merit
The FIFA Order of Merit is the highest honour awarded by FIFA. The award is presented at the annual FIFA congress. It is normally awarded to people who are considered to have made a significant contribution to :association football.
At FIFA's ce ...
.
Claudio Suárez
Claudio Suárez Sánchez (; born 17 December 1968) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Nicknamed ''El Emperador'' (The Emperor).
Club career
Born in Texcoco, State of Mexico and nicknamed ''El Emperador'' ...
is the most
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
ped player in the history of Mexico national team with 178 caps. As of 2006, it was estimated that Mexico has over 324,000 registered players and 8,155,000 unregistered players.
Women's football in Mexico
The
Mexico women's national football team
The Mexico women's national football team represents Mexico on the international stage. The squad is governed by the Mexican Football Federation and competes within CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Associatio ...
boasts one silver (1971) and one bronze (1970) in the
Women's World Cup, though these accomplishments are not officially recognized, as they took place prior to
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
's recognition of the women's game.
Mexico stopped allocating players to the
NWSL
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federatio ...
management of the United States, having established its own women's league the
Liga MX Femenil
The Liga MX Femenil, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX Femenil for sponsorship reasons, is the highest division of women's football in Mexico. Supervised by the Mexican Football Federation, this professional league has 18 teams, each coincidi ...
in 2017, and the numbers of allocated players and international players on each team vary each year due to trades.
Maribel Domínguez
Maribel Domínguez Castelán (born 18 November 1978) is a Mexican former Association football, footballer who played for the Chicago Red Stars during 2013 Chicago Red Stars season, 2013 season of the National Women's Soccer League, and was cap ...
was a noted captain and leading scorer of the Mexico women's national football team. She is known internationally as "Marigol" for her record of 46 goals scored in 49 matches for the Mexico women's national team.
Variants of association football
Beach football
Beach soccer, also known as beach football, sand football or beasal, is a variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand.
Whilst football has been played informally on beaches, the introduction of ''beach soccer'' was an a ...
is a
variant of the sport of association football which was invented in Brazil. It is played on beaches, and emphasizes skill, agility and goal scoring. The FIFA Beach Football World Cup has been held annually since 2005. Mexico finished as runners up to Brazil in its first appearance at the 2007 Beach Football World Cup.
Recently indoor association football has become a popular sport in Mexico, being included as part of the
Universiada
The FISU World University Games, formerly the Universiade, is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The former name is a portmanteau of the words "Universi ...
(University National Games) and the "CONADEIP" (Private School Tournament), which match University school teams from all over Mexico. In Mexico, "indoor" football fields are commonly built outdoors, and the sport is known as "fútbol rápido" (fast football).
The Mexican team
Monterrey La Raza joined the Major Indoor football League in 2007 and finished the season in second place during its inaugural year. A previous version of
Monterrey La Raza (1992–2001)
The original Monterrey La Raza ( es, La Raza de Monterrey) was a professional indoor soccer team based in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. The team was founded on December 29, 1992 as a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. After th ...
won three championships in the now defunct organizations
Continental Indoor Football League
The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIF ...
and
World Indoor Football League
The World Indoor Football League was an indoor football league that was to begin in 1988 to compete with the Arena Football League, which was playing its second season in 1988. Some of the teams in the league ran into financial trouble before th ...
.
Baseball
Baseball has been practiced throughout all Mexico across time. It has been traditionally known as the most popular sport in some regions of Mexico, mainly in
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
and
Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...
, and arguably in
Campeche
Campeche (; yua, Kaampech ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Campeche), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by ...
,
Yucatán
Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the political divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. I ...
,
Durango
Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...
,
Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to:
Places
*Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state
**Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state
**Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state
**Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state
**Chihuahua Mun ...
,
Nayarit
Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...
and
Tabasco
Tabasco (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco), is one of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa.
It is located in ...
, where it rivals football in popularity. Other states where baseball has had a strong traditional legacy include
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
,
Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...
,
Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
,
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
,
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
,
Nuevo León
Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...
,
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
,
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...
and
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
. Despite historically lagging third in popularity behind football and boxing, Mexico has had relative success in the sport, probably just behind
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
and comparable to the success obtained in football.
Although there is some dispute about exactly when and where baseball started in Mexico, baseball has a long and colorful history in Mexico, particularly in the north, with historians placing its origin there as early as the 1840s. Today, baseball flourishes in Mexico, where it is played professionally in both summer and winter.
Over 100 Mexicans have played in the
major leagues in the United States, including
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
winner
Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea (, born November 1, 1960) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. Valenzuela played 17 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons, from to and to . While he played for six MLB teams, he is best remembered f ...
,
top 300 home run hitter Vinny Castilla
Vinicio "Vinny" Castilla Soria (; born July 4, 1967) is a Mexican former Major League Baseball third baseman who played his best years with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves. Previously, he played with the Atlanta Braves (1991–1992, 200 ...
,
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
winner
Aurelio Rodríguez
Aurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. (December 28, 1947 – September 23, 2000), sometimes known by the nickname "Chi Chi", was a Mexicans, Mexican professional baseball player, who spent the bulk of his Major League Baseball, Major League career ...
, and AL batting champion
Bobby Ávila
Roberto Francisco Ávila González (April 2, 1924 – October 26, 2004), known as "Beto" in Mexico and as "Bobby" in the United States, was a Mexican professional baseball second baseman.
A native of Veracruz, Mexico, Ávila began his career pl ...
. The first Mexican to play in Major League Baseball in the United States was
Mel Almada
Baldomero "Mel" Almada Quirós (February 7, 1913 – August 13, 1988) was a Mexican center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1933 through 1939 for the Boston Red Sox (1933–37), Washington Senators (1937–38), St. Louis Browns ...
, who participated with the Boston Red Sox in 1933.
The
Mexican Baseball League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
("Liga Mexicana de Béisbol" or "LMB") was founded in 1925, establishing six teams, and playing all their matches in Mexico City. In the 1930s and 1940s, African-Americans from the United States – who were still
barred from Major League Baseball until
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...
broke the color barrier in 1947 – played alongside Mexicans and Cubans in the Mexican League. In 1937, legendary
Negro leagues
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...
' stars
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction in ...
and "
Cool Papa Bell
James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell (May 17, 1903 – March 7, 1991) was an American center fielder in Negro league baseball from 1922 to 1946. He is considered to have been one of the fastest men ever to play the game. Stories demonstrating Bell's s ...
" left the
Pittsburgh Crawfords
The Pittsburgh Crawfords, popularly known as the Craws, were a professional Negro league baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team, previously known as the Crawford Colored Giants, was named after the Crawford Bath House, a recrea ...
to play in Latin America. After playing a year in
Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
, websi ...
,
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
, Paige and Bell joined the Mexican League.
In the 1940s, multi-millionaire
Jorge Pasquel Jorge Pasquel (April 23, 1907 - March 1955) was a Mexican businessman and sports executive. He was president of the Mexican League and owned interests in several teams at a time when the league recruited from Negro league baseball and Major League ...
attempted to turn the Mexican League into a first-rate rival to the major leagues in the United States.
In 1946, Pasquel traveled north of the border to pursue the top players in the Negro and major leagues. Pasquel signed up close to twenty major leaguers, including such well known names as
Mickey Owen
Arnold Malcolm "Mickey" Owen (April 4, 1916 – July 13, 2005) was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played as a catcher for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between and for the St. Louis Cardinals, Brookly ...
and
Sal Maglie
Salvatore Anthony Maglie (April 26, 1917 – December 28, 1992) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher and later, a scout and a pitching coach. He played from 1945 to 1958 for the New York Giants, Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers, New ...
, and a number of Negro league players. Ultimately, Pasquel's dream faded, as financial realities led to decreased salaries and his high-priced foreign stars returned home.
Currently, 16 teams divided into North and South Divisions play in the
Mexican Baseball League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
in a summer season, which ends in a 7-game championship series between the winners of the two divisions. Since 1967, the league has been sanctioned as an
AAA minor league, though no team has an affiliation with any team in the United States.
In the winter, 10 teams play in the
Mexican Pacific League
The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...
("Liga Mexicana del Pacífico" or "LMP"), whose winner advances to the
Caribbean Series
The Caribbean Series (''Spanish'': ''Serie del Caribe''), also called Caribbean World Series, is the highest tournament for professional baseball teams in Latin America. The tournament location is rotated annually among the countries and is norma ...
against other Latin American champions. Although the Mexican League has a longer history, the Mexican Pacific League is the premier baseball league in Mexico today. It is played during the
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) off-season, so many MLB players also compete in the LMP.
The
Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame
The Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Profesional de México (in English, Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame), commonly called the Salón de la Fama (Hall of Fame) is a baseball hall of fame and museum located in Monterrey, Nuevo León. ...
has inducted 167 players, consisting of 138 Mexicans, 16 Cubans, 12 from the United States, and one Puerto Rican. Distinguished players include MLB stars
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering the minor lea ...
and
Monte Irvin
Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin (February 25, 1919 – January 11, 2016) was an American left fielder and right fielder in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who played with the Newark Eagles (1938–1942, 1946–1948), New York Giant ...
, who played in the Mexican League in the 1940s. Nicknamed "El Bambino Mexicano", or the Mexican Babe Ruth,
Héctor Espino
Héctor "El Niño" Espino (6 June 1939 – 7 September 1997) was a Mexican professional outfielder, first baseman and manager. He has been called "The Mexican Babe Ruth". Born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Espino he played from 1960 through 1984 in b ...
was inducted in the Mexican Hall of Fame in 1988, after playing with
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...
, and
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
from 1962 to 1984. His 453 home runs remained the record until
Nelson Barrera
Nelson Barrera Romellón (17 October 1957 in Ciudad del Carmen – 14 July 2002 in Campeche City) was a Mexican professional baseball player, who at the time of his death led the Mexican League in career home runs (455) and RBIs (1,927). He wa ...
surpassed him in 2001. Espino still holds the all-time records in many offensive categories.
The
Mexico national baseball team
The Mexico national baseball team (Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de México'') is the baseball team that represents Mexico in international tournaments. It is currently the 4th-ranked baseball team in the world.
Roster
Results and fixtures
...
represents Mexico in international tournaments, most notably the
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Leagu ...
. In the Bronze Medal Game of the Premier12 tournament in Tokyo, Mexico defeated USA, 3–2, in 10 innings to earn a spot in the 2020 Olympic Games.
The country's
softball
Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
team, finished fourth with a 3–2 loss to Canada in the
bronze-medal game at The Tokyo Olympics. The games were Mexico's first foray into Olympic softball.
Basketball
Men's basketball
Basketball is the third most popular team sport in Mexico. Mexico has a few professional basketball leagues, the top professional league is the
Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional
The National Professional Basketball League ( or LNBP) is the top professional basketball league in Mexico. The league was founded in 2000 with 10 teams. Despite its short history, the LNBP has established itself as the one of the most important ...
where the
Halcones UV Xalapa
Halcones de Xalapa is a basketball club based in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico that plays in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). Their home games were played at Gimnasio Universitario de la Unidad Deportiva.
Former Michigan star and ...
are the most successful team of the league, having won the competition four times. The best teams of the LNBP advance to the
FIBA Americas League
The FIBA Americas League (Portuguese: ''FIBA Liga das Américas'', Spanish: ''FIBA Liga de las Américas''), officially abbreviated as the LDA, was the premier intercontinental basketball club competition played annually by clubs of the entire Am ...
. In the northwestern states is the
CIBACOPA competition, with professional basketball players from Mexico and U.S. universities. This regional league have a stake in the rest months of the LNBP.
Manuel Raga
Manuel "Manolo" Raga Navarro (born March 14, 1944) is a Mexican former professional basketball player. During his playing career, he was nicknamed, "The Flying Mexican", due to his nationality and his one of a kind 43 inch standing (no step) vert ...
is the first and only Mexican inducted in the
FIBA Hall of Fame
The FIBA Hall of Fame, or FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA, in 1991. It includes the " Samar ...
. In 1996
Horacio Llamas
Horacio Llamas Grey (born July 17, 1973) is a Mexican former professional basketball player. He played two seasons with the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA), becoming the first Mexican-born player in NBA history.
Early y ...
made history by becoming the first Mexican to participate in an
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
game. Since then, several Mexicans followed, including
Eduardo Nájera
Eduardo Alonso Nájera Pérez () (born July 11, 1976) is a Mexican former professional basketball player who is currently a scout for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a pregame and postgame analyst ...
,
Earl Watson
Earl Joseph Watson Jr. (born June 12, 1979) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA ...
,
Gustavo Ayón
Gustavo Alfonso Ayón Aguirre (born April 1, 1985) is a Mexican former professional basketball player. His last team was Capitanes de Arecibo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He also represents the senior Mexican national basketball te ...
and
Jorge Gutiérrez; also, Manuel Raga and Gustavo Ayón had notable triumphs in the European Basket, as the only Mexican champions in the
EuroLeague.
The best results of the
National team
A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport.
The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exam ...
is the first place in the
2013 Americas Championship, for qualify to the
2014 Basketball World Cup, where it reached the playoffs, the team also won the bronze medal in
Berlin 1936. The nation hosted the
FIBA AmeriCup
The FIBA AmeriCup (previously known as the FIBA Americas Championship) is the Americas Basketball Championship that takes place every four years between national teams of the Western Hemisphere continents.
Since FIBA organised the entire Wester ...
in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
and
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
.
Gimnasio Nuevo León Independiente one of the most modern multipurpose venue located in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It was inaugurated on October 7, 2013, and is home to
Fuerza Regia de Monterrey
The Fuerza Regia de Monterrey (''Monterrey Royal Force'' in English) is a Mexican professional basketball team based in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico playing in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). They currently play their home ga ...
.
In December 2019, commissioner
Adam Silver
Adam Silver (born April 25, 1962) is an American lawyer and sports executive who serves as the fifth and current commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He joined the NBA in 1992 and has held various positions within the lea ...
of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA) announced
Capitanes de Ciudad de México
The Capitanes de Ciudad de México (English: ''Mexico City Captains'') are a Mexican professional basketball team based in Mexico City, Mexico. The Capitanes competed as a member club in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP) for the ...
, a Mexican professional basketball team based in Mexico City, were joining the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
. The Capitanes join the NBA G League for the 2021–22 season, initial plan was starting from the 2020–21 season, the team would play in the G League for five seasons and be the first team outside the United States and Canada.
Juan Toscano-Anderson
Juan Ronel Toscano-Anderson (born April 10, 1993) is a Mexican-American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball, ...
became the
2nd Mexican American basketball player to win an NBA title when he won an
NBA championship
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
with the Warriors in
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
. Juan had played for the
Fuerza Regia de Monterrey
The Fuerza Regia de Monterrey (''Monterrey Royal Force'' in English) is a Mexican professional basketball team based in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico playing in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). They currently play their home ga ...
and the
Soles de Mexicali
The Soles de Mexicali (English: ''Mexicali Suns'') is a Mexican professional basketball team based in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, playing in the Northern Division of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). The team was founde ...
.
Women's basketball
Mexico has two main leagues to support women's basketball
* LNBPF (Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil): Founded in April 2022 out of the men's organisation the LNBP. In its inaugural season it had eight teams spread across two zones:
* LMBPF (Liga Mexicana de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil) was founded in 2014 out of a dispute within the LMPB surrounding a previous attempt to set up a women's league league entitled the "Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil". The league was formed with ten original teams who had been members of the 2014 version of the LNBPF: Mieleras de Guanajuato, Lobas de Aguascalientes, Mexcaltecas de Nayarit, Tapatias de Jalisco, Rieleras de Aguascalientes, Gamos de la Universidad Marista, Quetzales Sajoma, Nueceras from the State of Mexico, Leonas Cenhies and Bengalis. It operates, in 2022, with two conferences of seven teams each:
American football
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
(gridiron) has been played in Mexico since the early 1920s, and is a strong minority sport at Mexican colleges and universities, mainly in
Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
. American football is the fourth most popular team sport in Mexico. The maximum competition is the
Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA). The Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional was founded in 2016 with 4 initial teams (
Raptors,
Eagles
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
,
Condors
Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.
They are:
* The Andean condor (''Vult ...
and
Mayas
The Maya peoples () are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical reg ...
), all based in Mexico City. On February 21 it held the first game and the championship game was held on April 10, leaving the Mayas as champions and the Raptors as runners-up. The LFA has since expanded to eight members as of 2019. There are plans to expand the league and increase the number of teams and the number of participating states. Funded in 2018, the Fútbol Americano de México (FAM) is considerad as a rival to the LFA given they compete for television spaces, players, coaches and in general for the same market segment. The team that became champion of the first season are the Pioneros de Querétaro (
Pioneers of Querétaro).
Before this professional league was founded, the maximum competition of American football in Mexico was at the college level. American football has been played in Mexico since the early 1920s in different colleges and universities, mainly in Mexico City. In 1928 the first college championship was played, organized by Jorge Braniff. Over successive decades, more universities and colleges joined the championship, and four categories, called "Fuerzas", were created. The First Fuerza became the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
in 1970. In 1978, this was reorganized under the name "Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano" (ONEFA). In 2010 a breakaway league,
CONADEIP, was formed by the
Monterrey Tech system,
UDLAP and additional private universities.
The
Aztec Bowl is an
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
sanctioned college division post-season bowl in which American Division III college All-stars face off against a team of Mexican all-stars.
The
Mexico national American football team
The Mexico national American football team (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Selección de fútbol americano de México'') represents Mexico in international American football competitions. The team is controlled by the Mexican American ...
has competed in the
IFAF World Cup
The IFAF World Championship of American Football (also known as the IFAF World Cup) is an international American football, gridiron competition held every four years and contested by teams representing member nations. The competition is run by th ...
, which has been held every four years since 1999. Mexico participated in 1999 and 2003, finishing second in both competitions.
Raul Allegre
Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul.
Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
is a former football placekicker in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL); he played for the
Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from its founding in 1953 to 1984. The team now plays in Indianapolis, as the Indianapolis Colts. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breed ...
, the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, and the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. Later eventually leading to his current work as
color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...
for
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
with
Álvaro Martín for
ESPN in Latin America. He also appears on NFL32 and contributes to other
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
programs.
Isaac Alarcón
Isaac Alarcón García (born July 27, 1998) is a Mexican professional American football defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the Monterrey Institute of Technology ( ...
was signed by the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
in 2020 as a part of the league's
International Player Pathway
The International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) is a program run by the National Football League (NFL) to increase the number of non-Americans, American and Canadians, Canadian players in the NFL. The program was formed as part of the NFL's strateg ...
program.
Mexico's Estadio Azteca is also notable as being the venue of the NFL-game with the all-time record attendance of 103,467 on October 2, 2005. Mexico defeated the United States in the Women's gold-medal game at the Women's tournament in
Flag football at the 2022 World Games
The flag football competition at the 2022 World Games took place in July 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama in the United States.
Originally scheduled to take place in July 2021, the Games were rescheduled for July 2022 as a result of the 2020 Summer ...
.
Flag football
Flag football is a variant of American football where, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a Down (gridiron football), down. The sport has a ...
made its international debut at the
World Games 2022
The 2022 World Games were an international multi-sport event held from July 7 to 17, 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. They were the 11th World Games, a multi-sport event featuring disciplines of Olympic sports and other competitions ...
.
Rugby in Mexico has a long tradition dating back to the early 1900s when Europeans were migrating to Mexico. Though rugby has been a minor sport in Mexico, the
Mexican Rugby Federation
The Mexican Rugby Federation ( es, Federación Mexicana de Rugby, FMR or FMRU) is the governing body for rugby union in Mexico. The FMRU organizes rugby in the country: a championship takes place at the highest level in the country, and in the sa ...
was established, and the sport has been steadily increasing in popularity, with around twelve teams competing in the top league. The
Mexican national rugby sevens team have achieved some good results in international tournaments, including taking third place at the
2015 NACRA Sevens
The 2015 NACRA Sevens was an Olympic qualification tournament for Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in the United States at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina on 13–14 June 2015.
The teams were split into two groups. The top ...
.
Ice hockey
Pelota purépecha Pelota purépecha (Spanish language, Spanish for "Purépecha ball"), called ''Uárukua Ch'anakua'' ( "a game with sticks") in the Purépecha language, is an Sport in Mexico, Indigenous Mexican sport similar to those in the hockey family. A common va ...
(Spanish for "Purépecha ball"), called Uárukua Ch'anakua (literally "a game with sticks") in the Purépecha language, is an Indigenous Mexican sport similar to those in the Hockey family. Although not a mainstream sport in Mexico,
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
is played in larger cities like Monterrey, Guadalajara, Villahermosa, Culiacán, León and Mexico City.
The Mexican Elite League is the top level of ice hockey in Mexico. The
Mexican Elite League, was inaugurated on 2 October 2010 with the aim to establish Mexico as a high-level international competitor in ice hockey. Currently it has 4 professional teams and 17 associated equipment.
The "Federación Deportiva de Mexico de Hockey Sobre Hielo" (
Mexico National Ice Hockey Federation) regulates all tournaments in Mexico. The Mexican hockey league includes 7 federation clubs and 8 independent clubs. Mexico is also the only Latin American
full member of the
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 m ...
and competes in international tournaments.
Claudia Téllez, at 32 became the first Mexican national to sign for the
Canadian Women's Hockey League
The Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL; french: Ligue canadienne de hockey féminin ‒ LCHF) was a women's ice hockey league. Established in 2007 as a Canadian women's senior league in the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, and Ottawa, the league ...
and Jorge Perez, became the first Mexican-born player at the Junior A level in Canada for
Rayside-Balfour
Rayside-Balfour (1996 census population 16,050) was a town in Ontario, Canada, which existed from 1973 to 2000. It is now part of the city of Greater Sudbury.
The town was created as part of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury and took its name ...
.
Although
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
born and trained,
National Hockey League (NHL)
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
center
Auston Matthews
Auston Taylour Matthews (born September 17, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in San Ramon, California, Matthews and his family moved ...
is of Mexican heritage through his mother, and grew up in
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
. In the
2016 NHL Entry Draft
The 2016 NHL Entry Draft was the 54th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 24–25, 2016 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The first three selections were Auston Matthews going to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Patrik Laine go ...
Matthews was drafted first overall by the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
, and began his NHL career by scoring four goals against the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
in his NHL debut, becoming the only rookie in modern history to achieve such a feat.
Matthews would go on to win the
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...
as the best rookie during the
2016/17 season with a 40 goal campaign, helping the Maple Leafs return to the
Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs (french: Les séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley) is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League (NHL) consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series to determine the league champion and the winner ...
for the only the second time since
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, where they would fall in six games to the
President Trophy winning
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
. Widely considered one of the best players in the world, Matthews won his first
Rocket Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard (; ; August 4, 1921 – May 27, 2000) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens. He was the first player in NHL hist ...
trophy in
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
as the league's leading scorer with 41 goals in 52 games. Matthews would repeat this feat the
following season, becoming the first player in a decade to score 60 goals in a single seasonand putting up a career high 106 points, for which he was awarded the
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original trophy was donat ...
and
Ted Lindsay Award
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players' Association. First awarded in 1971 ...
as the most valuable player in the league as judged by the
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
and
players union respectively.
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
born Xavier A. Gutierrez serves as the CEO and President of the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
, and is the first Latino team President & CEO in NHL history. Notable former NHL players of Mexican descent include former
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
forward
Scott Gomez
Scott Carlos Gomez (born December 23, 1979) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player.
He was the assistant coach for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Gomez had previously played in the NHL with t ...
and retired
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
winger
Raffi Torres
Raffi Cavoukian, ( hy, Րաֆֆի, born July 8, 1948), known professionally by the mononym Raffi, is a Canadian singer-lyricist and author of Armenian descent born in Egypt, best known for his children's music. He developed his career as a " ...
.
In 2017 the Mexican women's ice hockey team won a gold in
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, in their six-team division of the women's world championship. It was the first gold-medal win for Mexico at a full
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 m ...
(IIHF) world championship event. The team formed in 2012. The team's win this past week in Akureyri, Iceland, which left it in 27th place in the women's championships, earned it a promotion from Group B to Group A in Division II for next year.
Polo
Polo
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
was first popularized by the Escandon-Barron family in the late nineteenth century. Three members of the Escandon-Barron family would win a bronze medal at
the 1900 Olympics. The Mexican polo team also won an
Olympic bronze medal in 1936, the last Olympic Games which featured polo.
Mexico hosted the
World Polo Championship
The World Polo Championship is a polo (Horse Polo) competition between countries (Up to 2022, only for men). The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the Federation of International Polo (FIP), and is contested by the national teams ...
in 2008. The World Polo Championship has been held every three years by the
Federation of International Polo
The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is the international federation representing the sport of polo, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee. It was founded in 1982 by representatives of eleven national polo associati ...
since 1987. Mexico's best finishes have been second place in 1987, and third place in 1995 and 2008.
The best Mexican polo player is
Carlos Gracida
Carlos Gracida (September 5, 1960 – February 25, 2014) was a Mexican-American polo player. He reached a 10-goal handicap at the age of 25.
Biography
Gracida was born in Mexico City. As a product of the Gracida polo dynasty, Ca ...
, who is also considered to be one of the best polo players in the sport. He has accumulated more tournament wins than any other athlete in the history of the sport, winning the
Abierto Argentino de Palermo tournament five times, the British Open Gold Cup ten times, and the US Open nine times. Carlos' brother,
Memo Gracida, is a polo player of international renown as well and a member of the Polo Hall of Fame. The two have teamed together to win numerous tournaments worldwide.
Basque pelota
Basque pelota
Basque pelota (Basque: '' pilota'', Spanish: '' pelota vasca'', French: '' pelote basque'') is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (''frontis or fronton ...
is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat, or a basket propulsor, against a wall. Since 1952, the International Federation of Basque Pelota has organized the World Championships of Basque pelota every four years. Mexico hosted the world championships in 1982, 1998 and 2006. Mexico gave its best performance at the 2006 games when they led all nations with six gold medals.
Frontenis
Frontenis is a sport that is played in a 30 meter pelota court using racquets (a tennis racquet or a similar frontenis racquet) and rubber balls. It can be played in pairs or singles, but only pairs frontenis is played in international competit ...
is a variation of the Basque pelota game, itself a derivation of
real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis (also called "lawn tennis") is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United Sta ...
. It was created in 1916 in Mexico, when the idea of merging tennis and the traditional Basque pilota emerged. It is played in one of the largest courts in racquet sports with a tennis racquet that contains an optional custom double string called "doble encordado" and a tiny frontenis ball.
Racquetball
Racquetball
Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velo ...
is a popular sport that is played in Mexico. The
Racquetball World Championships The World Racquetball Championships is the top international racquetball competition organized by the International Racquetball Federation (IRF).
History
The first event was held in 1981 as part of the 1981 World Games. The second World Championsh ...
were first held in 1981 and have been played every two years since 1984. San Luis Potosí hosted the championships in 1994 and 2000.
Álvaro Beltrán
Álvaro Beltrán (born October 15, 1978), is a Mexican professional racquetball player. Beltrán is the currenInternational Racquetball Federation(IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles with Daniel De La Rosa, winning the title in 2022 in San Lui ...
was World Champion in 2000, and Mexican men have won the doubles titles four times: in 2000 (Luis Bustillos & Javier Moreno), 2002 (Polo Gutierrez & Gilberto Mejia), 2006 (Moreno & Beltran), and in 2012 (Moreno & Beltran). while the Mexican teams have finished among the top three in men's and top four in women's since 1986.
Paola Longoria
Paola Michelle Longoria López (born July 20, 1989) is a Mexican racquetball player. She is the current Women's World Champion in both Singles and Doubles, winning both divisions at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champ ...
was the #1 player on the
Women's Professional Racquetball Organization The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour is the latest name for the women's professional racquetball tour. It features the world's best players and several events each season - running from September to May - that are mostly played in the USA.
Hist ...
tour at the end of its 2008–2009 season, becoming the first woman not from Canada or the US to do so. She also won gold at the 2009 and 2013
World Games
The World Games are an international multi-sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. They are usually held every four years, one year after a Summer Olympic Games, over the course of 11 d ...
, and again is the first non-American woman to do so. Additionally, in 2012, she became the first player to win both the singles and doubles
Racquetball World Championship.
Racquetball will be included in the 2011
Pan American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
in
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
.
Beach volleyball
Mexico featured national teams in
beach volleyball
Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two or more players on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the ...
that competed at the
2018–2020 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Cup The 2018–2020 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Cup were a beach volleyball double-gender event. NORCEA is the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation. The winners of the event qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Ag ...
in both the women's and the men's sections.
Individual sports
Boxing
Mexican sport is also known for its
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
tradition. Boxing is the most popular individual sport in Mexico. Mexico is also the second in total number of world champions produced, after the United States, and has recently produced more World Champions in the last 30 years. The first boxing champion Mexico produced was
Battling Shaw
José Pérez Flores (October 21, 1910 – August 27, 1994) was a Mexican professional boxer better known as Battling Shaw or Benny Kid Roy. He was the first Mexican to become world champion.
Professional career
Shaw made his pro debut at the a ...
when he became the
Light Welterweight
Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional boxing
In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...
Champion by outpointing
Johnny Jadick
John J. Jadick, better known as Johnny Jadick (June 16, 1908 – April 3, 1970) was an American light welterweight boxer and the NBA light welterweight world champion in 1932. In September of 1932, the NBA decided not to recognize junior divis ...
in 1933. Thirteen
Olympic boxing medals have been won by Mexico.
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...
members include
Julio César Chávez, Sr.,
Salvador Sánchez
Salvador "Sal" Sánchez Narváez (January 26, 1959 – August 12, 1982) was a Mexican professional boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México. Sanchez was the WBC and ''The Ring featherweight champion from 1980 to 19 ...
,
Ricardo Lopez,
José Nápoles
José Ángel Nápoles, nicknamed ''Mantequilla'' ("Butter", referring to his smooth boxing style), (April 13, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was a Cuban-born Mexican professional boxer and a World Welterweight Champion. He is frequently ranked as one ...
,
Rubén Olivares
Rubén Olivares Avila (born January 14, 1947) is a Mexican former professional boxer and a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame., Olivares was a world champion multiple times, and considered by many as the greatest bantamweight champio ...
,
Baby Arizmendi
Alberto "Baby" Arizmendi (March 17, 1914 – December 31, 1962) was a Mexican professional boxer and New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) featherweight world title holder in 1934. He also competed in the bantamweight and welterweight di ...
,
Pipino Cuevas,
Chiquita González,
Sugar Ramos
Ultiminio Ramos Zaqueira (2 December 1941 – 3 September 2017) was a Cuban-born Mexican professional boxer who was better known as Sugar Ramos. Ramos fought out of Mexico where he was adopted as a national hero. He was a world featherweight cha ...
,
Daniel Zaragoza
Daniel Zaragoza (born December 11, 1957) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1997. He is a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC bantamweight title in 1985 and the WBC super bantamweight title bet ...
,
Miguel Canto
Miguel Angel Canto Solis (born January 30, 1948) is a Mexican former world boxing champion who held the WBC and Lineal flyweight titles.
Boxing life
Unlike many Mexican boxers, Canto was not a "slam-bang" type of boxer ("Slam-Bang" boxers ...
,
Vicente Saldivar
Vicente Samuel Saldívar García (May 3, 1943 – July 18, 1985) was a Mexican professional boxer who competed between 1971 and 1973. He was a two-time featherweight champion, having held the WBA, WBC, and ''The Ring'' titles from 1964 until ...
,
Carlos Palomino
Carlos Palomino (born August 10, 1949) is a Mexican former professional boxer. Palomino is a former World Welterweight Champion and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Palomino is also an actor who has been featured in several tele ...
, and
Carlos Zárate. Other prominent Mexican boxers include World Boxing Hall of Fame members,
Kid Azteca
Luis Villanueva Páramo (June 21, 1913 – March 16, 2002) was a Mexican boxer best known as ''Kid Azteca''. Villanueva boxed professionally from 1932 to 1961, making him one of a small number of fighters that fought during four decades. Archie M ...
,
Jesús Pimentel,
Lupe Pintor
José Guadalupe Pintor Guzmán (born 13 April 1955), better known as Lupe Pintor, is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1995. He won the WBC bantamweight title in 1979 after defeating Carlos Zárate Serna, and made e ...
,
Juan Zurita
Juan Zurita (2 May 1917 – 24 March 2000) was a Mexican Boxing, professional boxer in the lightweight division and a 1944 National Boxing Association Lightweight world champion. Zurita was a southpaw or left handed boxer, who often fought with h ...
,
Jorge Paez
Jorge is a Spanish Language, Spanish and Portuguese Language, Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth ...
and
José Luis Ramírez
José Luis Ramírez (born December 3, 1958) is a Mexican former professional boxer who was a two-time World Lightweight Champion.
Career
A native of Huatabampo, Sonora and a resident of Culiacán, Ramírez made his professional debut on March ...
. More recent champions include
Canelo Álvarez
Santos Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez Barragán (; born 18 July 1990) is a Mexican professional boxer. He has won multiple world championships in four weight classes from light middleweight to light heavyweight, including unified titles in three of ...
,
Julio César Chávez Jr.
Julio César Chávez Carrasco (born 16 February 1986), best known as Julio César Chávez Jr., is a Mexican professional boxer who held the WBC middleweight title from 2011 to 2012. He is the son of former three-division world champion of bo ...
,
Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia (born January 17, 1974) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2011. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the WBO junior featherweight title twice betwe ...
,
Érik Morales
Erik Isaac Morales Elvira (; born September 1, 1976) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2012. He is the first Mexico-born boxer in history to quadruple champion, win world titles in four different weight classes, h ...
,
Juan Manuel Márquez
Juan Manuel Márquez Méndez (born August 23, 1973) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2014. He is known for defeating Manny Pacquiao. He is the third Mexican boxer (after Érik Morales and Jorge Arce) to become a ...
,
Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez (; born 13 February 1979) is a Mexican former professional footballer and current head coach of Spanish team Barcelona Atlètic. Nicknamed '' El Káiser'', he is regarded as the best defender in Mexico's history and o ...
,
Israel Vázquez
Israel Vázquez Castañeda (born December 25, 1977) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2010. He is a three-time super bantamweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2004 to 2005; and the WBC, ''The R ...
and
Juan Francisco Estrada
Juan Francisco Estrada Romero (born April 14, 1990) is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a two-weight world champion, having held ''The Ring'' super flyweight title since 2019. He previously held the WBA (Unified) and WBO flyweight titles b ...
.
Mexico's biggest rival in the sport of boxing is Puerto Rico. There have been many classic match ups between the two such as
Salvador Sánchez–Wilfredo Gómez,
Gómez–Carlos Zárate Serna and many more. Other great match ups are between two Mexican fighters and Mexican vs.
Mexican-American
Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...
. Good examples of fighting between two Mexicans are the
Barrera vs. Morales trilogy and the
Márquez-Vázquez rivalry. A good example of a Mexican vs a Mexican-American are
Julio César Chávez vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Julio César Chávez vs. Oscar De La Hoya, billed as ''Ultimate Glory'', was a professional boxing match contested on June 7, 1996 for the WBC super lightweight championship.
Background
After both Julio César Chávez and Oscar De La Hoya defea ...
,
Bobby Chacon vs. Rafael Limón
The Chacon vs. Limón series was four boxing fights between the American Bobby Chacon (1951–2016) and the Mexican Rafael Limón (born 1954). It was a rivalry that made history in the sport. Many sports historians consider Chacon–Limón to be a ...
,
Chiquita González vs
Carbajal, (particularly so
Michael Carbajal vs. Humberto González I)
Márquez Márquez or Marquez is a surname of Spanish origin, meaning "son of Marcos or Marcus".
Its Portuguese equivalent is Marques.
It should not be confused with the surname Marqués, also of Spanish origin.
People
* Adrian Garcia Marquez, American s ...
vs
Díaz, and
Corrales versus Castillo.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...
was introduced to Mexico in 1969 by
Korean Mexican
Korean diaspora, Korean immigration to Mexico began in 1905. The first Koreans, Korean migrant workers settled in Yucatán (state), Yucatán, while more recent migrants from South Korea often choose Mexico City as their destination.
Migration his ...
Dai Won Moon
Dai-won Moon is a South Korean-born Mexican martial artist and is known as the Father of Mexican Taekwondo. He introduced taekwondo to Mexico in 1969. Since then, with over 1.5 million taekwondo practitioners and 3,500 schools throughout the co ...
.
With over 1.5 million taekwondo practitioners and 3,500 schools throughout the country, taekwondo is one of the most popular sports in the nation.
Mexico has also been competitive on the international level in the sport of taekwondo. Over forty Mexican taekwondo practitioners have medaled at the
World Taekwondo Championships
The World Taekwondo Championship is held every two years by World Taekwondo.
Competitions
1 Wuxi, China, was originally selected to host the 2021 World Taekwondo Championships. Due to the impact of the Global COVID-19 pandemic, Wuxi gave up ...
.
Taekwondo made its official debut at the
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
and Mexican athletes have medaled in the sport in every Olympics since then. Mexican athletes won a bronze medal in taekwondo at the 2000 Summer Olympics, a silver and bronze medal at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
, two gold medals at the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
, a bronze medal at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
and a silver medal at the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
.
María Espinoza
María del Rosario Espinoza Espinoza (born November 27, 1987) is a Mexican taekwondo practitioner.
Espinoza is one of the two women from Mexico who have won an Olympic gold medal, the other being Soraya Jiménez.
Early life
Espinoza was born ...
has medaled at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Mexico currently ranks fourth on the
total medal count for taekwondo, its best performance for any Olympic sport.
Jackie Galloway was an alternate for the Mexican team at the
2012 Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
.
Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
has achieved popularity in the early 21st century. Many companies promote MMA cards, with the U.S.-based
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
the most dominant.
Brandon Moreno
Brandon Carrillo Moreno (born December 7, 1993) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Flyweight Champion, and the cu ...
, from Tijuana, made history when he became the first Mexico-born champion in UFC history.
Jessica Aguilar
Jessica Aguilar (born May 8, 1982) is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist who competes in RIZIN. At the time of her voluntary departure from World Series of Fighting, she was the reigning WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion. Aguilar previously ...
, a native of Vera Cruz, was the first Mexican-born champion in a major MMA promotion, winning the
WSOF Strawweight title in 2014 (pre-dating the UFC in that division). There have been many Champions in MMA who born in the U.S. but are of Mexican heritage, however, including some of the pioneers of the sport such as
Frank "Shamrock" Juarez (UFC),
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz (; born January 23, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist and politician. He is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. Ortiz is best known for his stints with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UF ...
(UFC),
Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert Melendez (born April 12, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightwe ...
(Strikeforce),
Miguel Angel Torres
Miguel Angel Torres Quintana (born 17 January 1982) is a Peruvian former footballer who played, as a winger.
Career
Torres started out with Universitario and played for two years. He then went to Coronel Bolognesi for a year. He then played tw ...
(WEC),
Zoila Frausto Gurgel
Zoila Frausto (born December 10, 1983) is an American professional female mixed martial artist and kickboxer. Her nickname comes from the popular 1990s TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. She was the first Bellator Women's Champion.
Background
...
(Bellator).
Tennis
The
Abierto Mexicano Telcel
The Mexican Open (currently sponsored by Telcel and HSBC Mexico, HSBC and called the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presented by HSBC) is a men's professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts, and usually held annually in late February at ...
is a tennis tournament held in
Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
, Mexico. It is an event on both the
ATP Tour (
International Series Gold
The ATP 500 tournaments (previously known as the ''ATP World Tour 500'' tournaments, ''ATP International Series Gold'', and ''ATP Championship Series'') are the fourth highest tier of annual men's tennis tournament after the four Grand Slam tourn ...
event) and the
WTA Tour (Tier III).
Rafael Osuna
Rafael Osuna Herrera (15 September 1938 – 4 June 1969), nicknamed "El Pelón" (The Bald), was a former world No. 1 tennis player, the most successful player in the history of Mexico and an Olympian. He was born in Mexico City, and is best re ...
is the best tennis player to come out of Mexico. He was ranked number one in 1963 when he won the
U.S. Open Championship. Osuna led Mexico to the
1962 Davis Cup
The 1962 Davis Cup was the 51st edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. 28 teams entered the Europe Zone, 8 teams entered the Eastern Zone, and 5 teams entered the America Zone. Iran and the ...
, becoming the first team from Latin America to compete for the trophy. Osuna would go on to win a
Grandslam singles championship in 1963. He also won the
U.S. Open Doubles Championship in 1962, the
Wimbledon double's championship in 1960 and 1963, and a doubles tennis
Olympic gold medal in 1968. Osuna was killed in a plane crash in 1969 at the age of 30.
In 1969, the Intercollegiate Tennis College Association
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
instituted "The Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award" in his honor. Later that year, the Chapultepec Club, renamed its stadium "Rafael Osuna Stadium". He was inducted into the
International Tennis Hall of Fame
The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indo ...
in 1979.
Raúl Ramírez
Raúl Ramírez (born 20 June 1953) is a Mexican retired professional tennis player. He was active during the 1970s and 1980s. Ramírez was the first player to finish first in both singles and doubles Grand Prix point standings, accomplishing th ...
was the first player to finish first in both singles and doubles
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
point standings, accomplishing the feat in 1976. Raúl Zurutuza is the director of Mextenis, which organizes Mexico's Acapulco and
Los Cabos
LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation
* Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers
* Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
tennis tourneys.
Plaza de Toros México
The Plaza de toros México, situated in Mexico City, is the world's largest bullring. This 41,262-seat facility is usually dedicated to bullfighting, but many boxing matches have been held there as well, including Julio César Chávez's third ...
become a tennis court and hosted, as
Roger Federer
Roger Federer (; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss former professional tennis player. He was ranked List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players#Weeks at No. 1, world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, in ...
faced Germany's
Alexander Zverev
Alexander "Sascha" Zverev (; born 20 April 1997) is a German professional tennis player. He has been ranked by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) as high as world No. 2, and was continuously ranked in the top 10 from July 2017 to N ...
on November 23, 2019. A record tennis crowd of more than 42,000 watched, the attendance figure smashed an almost decade-old record of 35,681, set in 2010.
Auto racing
The most notable Mexican professional
auto racers have been
Pedro Rodríguez, who was the winner of the
1968 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 36th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 28 and 29 September 1968 on the Circuit de la Sarthe, in Le Mans, France.
Originally scheduled for the weekend of 15 and 16 June, the race had to be delayed unti ...
, and his brother
Ricardo Rodríguez, who at age 18 finished second at the
1960 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 28th 24 Hours of Le Mans Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 25 and 26 June 1960, on Circuit de la Sarthe. It was the fifth and final round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship as well as being t ...
, becoming the youngest ever to stand on the podium. He was also the youngest
F1 driver at that time. They were both considered among the top drivers before their untimely deaths.
The
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
racetrack
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a motorsport race track in Mexico City, Mexico, named after the racing drivers Ricardo (1942–1962) and Pedro Rodríguez (1940–1971). The circuit got its name shortly after it opened when Ricardo Rodr ...
("Rodríguez Brothers Racetrack") was named in their honor. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has hosted several racing events including the
Formula 1
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
(1962–1970, 1986–1992, 2015–present),
Champ Car World Series
Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., or Champ Car, a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams ...
(1980–1981 and 2002–2007),
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.
The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and No ...
,
Grand-Am
Grand-Am Road Racing or Grand-Am was an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America. Its primary focus was the Rolex Sports Car Series, an endurance racing championship series. ...
,
Trans-Am
The Trans-Am Series is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).
Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of track types includin ...
,
IMSA
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida under the jurisdiction of the ACCUS arm of the FIA. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive direc ...
,
A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix (A1GP) was a "single-make" open-wheel auto racing series that ran from 2005 until 2009. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most for ...
,
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
Nationwide Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
,
Formula BMW World Finals,
Champ Car Atlantic Series
The Atlantic Championship is a formula race car series with races throughout North America. It has been called Champ Car Atlantics (after its former name), Toyota Atlantics (due to the series' previous history of using Toyota-powered engines) ...
,
Panam GP Series
The Panam GP Series is the replacement of the Mexican Formula Three Championship. In 2002 began as Mexican Formula Renault, but in 2005 started an internationalization process in Central America and North of South America. In 2008, the series fe ...
and
NASCAR Mexico Corona Series
The NASCAR Mexico Series (formerly NASCAR Corona Series and other names) is a NASCAR series in Mexico. It is the most prestigious stock car racing series in the country.
Origins (Desafío Corona)
The Desafío Corona was established in 2004 by ...
.
More recently
Sergio Pérez
Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza (; born 26 January 1990), is a Mexican Auto racing, racing driver who races in Formula One for Red Bull Racing, having previously driven for Sauber, McLaren, Force India, and Racing Point. He won his first ...
and
Esteban Gutiérrez
Esteban Manuel Gutiérrez Gutiérrez (; born 5 August 1991) is a Mexican racing driver currently representing Mercedes in Formula One, Formula E and esports and Inter Europol Competition in World Endurance Championship.
Previously from 2013 t ...
have re-established a Mexican presence in F1. Before them,
Héctor Rebaque
Héctor Alonso Rebaque (born 5 February 1956) is a Mexican former racing driver who raced in Formula One and CART IndyCar in the 1970s and 1980s. He also ran for his own Formula One team called Rebaque in 1978 and 1979.
Racing career
Rebaque par ...
competed in the F1 between 1977 and 1981, their best position was tenth in the
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
season, and
Jo Ramírez
Joaquín Ramírez Fernández (born August 20, 1941, Mexico City) is a Mexican author and retired employee of several sports car racing teams. From 1984 to 2001 Ramírez was coordinator of the McLaren Formula One team, including during the infa ...
worked for a number of F1 teams, most notably as team co-ordinator for
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formul ...
in the 1980s and 1990s.
The
A1 Team Mexico
A1 Team Mexico is the Mexican team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.
Management
''A1 Team Mexico'' owners are Juan Cortina and Julio Jáuregui.[A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix (A1GP) was a "single-make" open-wheel auto racing series that ran from 2005 until 2009. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most for ...]
, the World Cup of Motorsport;
Salvador Durán
Salvador Durán Sánchez (born 6 May 1985) is a Mexican race car driver who raced in the FIA Formula E Championship for the Amlin Aguri team. Durán has also previously competed in A1 Grand Prix, Formula Renault 3.5, and the NASCAR Toyota Seri ...
has earned two victories for the team.
Adrián Fernández
Adrián Fernández Mier (born April 20, 1963 in Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico) is a Mexican former professional race car driver and he was co-owner of the Fernandez Racing team.
Racing career
Early career
Fernández began his career in Mexico by ...
has become a popular driver in Mexico since the 1990s and reached his climax when he finished in second place during the
2000 CART season
The 2000 FedEx Championship Series season was the twenty-second in the CART era of open-wheel racing in the United States. It consisted of 20 races,
beginning in Homestead, Florida on March 26, 2000 and concluding in Fontana, California on Octo ...
. Fernández co-founded the
Fernández Racing
Fernández Racing was a Mexican motor racing team that competed in the American Le Mans Series, Champ Car, the IRL IndyCar Series, and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The team was co-founded by Adrian Fernández and Tom Anderson in 2001.
Open wheel
...
with which he championed the
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The American Le Mans' hea ...
and previously won in
Champ Car
Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., or Champ Car, a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams ( ...
, the
IRL IndyCar Series
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...
, and
Grand-Am
Grand-Am Road Racing or Grand-Am was an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America. Its primary focus was the Rolex Sports Car Series, an endurance racing championship series. ...
.
Memo Rojas
Guillermo "Memo" Rojas Jr. (born August 18, 1981) is a Mexican professional race car driver. Successful in American sports car racing, Rojas is a four-time series champion in the Rolex Sports Car Series, a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Day ...
and
Luis Díaz have also been successful in formula racing and sports car racing.
Carlos Contreras was the first Mexican-born driver racing full-time in any NASCAR national series.
Daniel Suárez
Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza (born January 7, 1992) is a Mexican professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing Team. He previously drove in t ...
won the
2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series
The 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 35th season of the Xfinity Series, a stock car racing series sanctioned by the NASCAR in the United States. The season started at Daytona International Speedway on February 20 and ended at Homestead-Mia ...
championship. Daniel Suarez becomes first Mexican-Born driver to win in
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
.
Since 2004,
Rally Mexico
Rally Mexico, formerly known as Rally America is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The rally entered the championship schedule in the 2004 season. The event's itinerary is based in the state of Guanajuato. The stages take place in t ...
is a round of the
FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backst ...
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
, held in the state of
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
, and over time it has become one of the most popular rounds of the championship.
Other auto racing events currently held in Mexico include the
Baja 1000
The Baja 1000 is an annual Mexican off-road motorsport race held on the Baja California Peninsula. It is one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world, having attracted competitors from six continents. The race was founded by Ed Pearl ...
, the World's most important
off-road race, taking place on Mexico's
Baja California Peninsula and with the
Mexicans
Mexicans ( es, mexicanos) are the citizens of the United Mexican States.
The most spoken language by Mexicans is Spanish language, Spanish, but some may also speak languages from 68 different Languages of Mexico, Indigenous linguistic groups ...
normally winning various categories. Racing events formerly held in Mexico include the
Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey
The Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey was a round of the Champ Car World Series held on a street circuit at Fundidora park in Monterrey, Mexico. It was first held in 2001, and it was held for the last time in 2006
File:2006 Events Collag ...
and the
Carrera Panamericana
The Carrera Panamericana was a border-to-border sedan ( stock and touring and sports car) rally racing event on open roads in Mexico similar to the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in Italy. Running for five consecutive years from 1950 to 1954, i ...
, which is now held as one of the premiere
vintage racing
Historic motorsport or vintage motorsport, is motorsport with vehicles limited to a particular era. Only safety precautions are modernized in these hobbyist races. A historical event can be of various types of motorsport disciplines, from roa ...
events of the World.
Golf
Golf is a popular sport in Mexico. There are over 150 golf courses in the country.
Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa Reyes (; born 15 November 1981) is a Mexican former professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010. She was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for 158 consecutive and total weeks (both are LPGA ...
, who was the number-one-ranked female golf player in the world before abruptly retiring in 2010, has helped increase the popularity of golf in the country. On 10 November 2018,
Gaby López
Maria Gabriela López Butron (9 November 1993) is a Mexican professional golfer.
Amateur career
López played college golf at the University of Arkansas where she won three events and was individual runner-up at the 2015 NCAA Division I Champi ...
won her first LPGA Tour event at the
Blue Bay LPGA
The Blue Bay LPGA is a women's professional golf tournament in China on the LPGA Tour. It debuted in October 2014 at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course on Hainan Island
Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's ...
and was the flag bearer for Mexico at the opening
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
.
In the early days of Mexican golf, there were not many Mexicans playing golf at these Mexican golf clubs. The introduction of golf came from Anglo-American business owners. These individuals used their power, influence, and money to develop the land. This in turn made it possible for these clubs to be erected, such an extravagant oasis in the middle of these cities. For example, the Monterey Club had connections in North American smelting, refining and mining companies. Furthermore, the Oro golf Club in contrast was controlled by London-based executives who held positions in El Oro Mining and Railways. The explosion of capitalist society as well as the extreme wealth being accrued by many around the world paved the way for enormous changes in infrastructure. In the early days of golf in Mexico, the MGA was composed of immigrants only. This means that the Metropolitan Golf Association of Mexico had no individuals of Mexican descent. Additionally, the modernity of golf was evidence of the vast possibilities that can be achieved by hard work. These new construction projects were palpable evidence that humans can sculpt the world around them into something new adding lakes, forests, and lush hills in the middle of an area that previously had a completely different complexion previous to this renovation. The Mexican Golf Association was originally started by Anglo-Americans although it is the Mexican Golf Association. In Mexico, they still refer to it in English rather than in Spanish which reflects the members who belonged. These men were all interested in the inherent battle with nature, risk-taking, calculation, and resilience in the face of defeat. These characteristics were all seen as applicable to these individuals' daily lives.
Professional golf tournaments held in Mexico includes, the
Corona Championship
The Tres Marias Championship was a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour, played from 2005 LPGA Tour, 2005 to 2010 LPGA Tour, 2010, at Tres Marias Residential Golf Club in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico.
From 2005 through 2009 the titl ...
,
MasterCard Classic
The MasterCard Classic Honoring Alejo Peralta was a golf tournament for professional female golfers, played on the LPGA Tour. It was played each year between 2005 and 2009 at Bosque Real Country Club in Mexico City, Mexico.
Winners
* Championshi ...
,
Lorena Ochoa Invitational
The Lorena Ochoa Invitational was a women's professional golf tournament in México on the LPGA Tour. Hosted by Lorena Ochoa, the event debuted in November 2008 at the course where she learned to play, Guadalajara Country Club in Guadalajara.
...
,
Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancún, and the
Mexican Open.
Jockey
Victor Espinoza
Victor Espinoza (born May 23, 1972) is a Mexican jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing who won the Triple Crown in 2015 on American Pharoah. He began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California. He has wo ...
won the
Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplis ...
in 2015 on
American Pharoah
American Pharoah (foaled February 2, 2012) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first ho ...
. He began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California. The first Hispanic
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
to win the award. Other well known jockeys include
Jose L. Espinoza
José Luis Espinoza (born December 17, 1969 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican retired jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Espinoza rode in his first Kentucky Derby in 2013, guiding Giant Finish to a 10th-place finish for Sunrise Stabl ...
and
Mario Gutierrez.
Fencing
Pilar Roldán was the first Mexican woman to win an Olympic medal (a silver in the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City) and was also part of the first father-daughter team (her father was the tennis player Ángel Roldán) in the Pan-American games in 1955.
Track and field
The 400-meter event became popular when
Ana Guevara
Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza (born March 4, 1977) is a Mexican former track and field athlete who specialized in the 400 meters and is the 7th fastest female 300-meter runner in the world, running 300 meters in 35.3 seconds on May 3, 2003. She ...
became world champion in 2003.
Raúl González
Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul.
Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
set the
world record in the 50-kilometres racewalk twice in 1978 (3:45:52 and 3:41:20). As of October 2011, it still was the North American record.
María Lorena Ramírez Hernández, a Mexican
long-distance
Long distance or Long-distance may refer to:
*Long-distance calling
* Long-distance operator
* Long-distance relationship
* Long-distance train
*Long-distance anchor pylon, see dead-end tower
Footpaths
* Long-distance trail
*European long-d ...
and ultra-fund
runner
Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...
, became known worldwide after having won the UltraTrail Cerro Rojo in 2017 ultra-distance race of 50 kilometers, in a time of 07:20:00 and for having also done it with
huaraches and her long
skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are fi ...
, without footwear or sports equipment. Her story became a breathtaking short documentary in the film ''
Lorena, Light-Footed Woman'' for
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
.
Climbing
Elsa Ávila was the first Latin American woman to reach the
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
summit in 1999, but she has also been the first to accomplish several other climbs. She specializes in big wall climbs and was the first Latin American woman to climb
El Capitán in
Yosemite
Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ar ...
, the
Rockies
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Can ...
, the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
, the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
, the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
,
Patagonia
Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...
and
Baffin Island
Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...
in the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
.
Skiing
Rodolfo Dickson was the first Mexican
alpine skier
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...
representing Mexico to win an international ski race, winning in
Super-G
Super giant slalom, or super-G, is a racing discipline of alpine skiing. Along with the faster downhill, it is regarded as a "speed" event, in contrast to the technical events giant slalom and slalom. It debuted as an official World Cup event d ...
in January 2015.
Sports leagues in Mexico
Major sports leagues
The following table shows the professional sports leagues in Mexico and that have a national TV contract that pays rights fees.
Association Football and Baseball teams by City/Metro Area
Association Football and Baseball are the two most popular team sports in Mexico. Liga MX is the most important and highest level league (Football). Mexico has two Baseball leagues (winter and summer) which, historically, have been comparable to Triple-A in the U.S.; Liga Mexicana del Pacífico (winter) and Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (summer). Liga de Expansión MX (formerly Ascenso MX) is Mexico's second division in Football. The following table shows the teams of these leagues and the cites/metro areas they're based in.
;Key to colors and symbols:
Other team sports leagues
*
Circuito de Baloncesto del Pacífico (CIBAPAC)
*
Liga del Norte de Coahuila (LNC)
*
Liga de Balompié Mexicano
Liga de Balompié Mexicano is one of the professional football leagues in Mexico. It is the first division of the league system of the National Association of Mexican Football (ANBM in Spanish).
The league is an alternate to Liga MX, which is o ...
(LBM)
*
Liga de Básquetbol Estatal de Chihuahua (LBE)
*
Liga Invernal de Béisbol Nayarita (LIBN)
*
Liga Estatal de Béisbol de Chihuahua (LEB)
*
Liga Invernal Mexicana (LIM)
*
Liga Invernal Veracruzana
The Veracruz Winter League (Spanish: Liga Invernal Veracruzana de Béisbol Profesional) is a professional baseball winter league, representing the Mexican state of Veracruz, taking place between the months of October and January. It is currently ...
(LIV)
*
Liga Mayor de Béisbol de La Laguna (LMBL)
*
Liga Meridana de Invierno (LMI)
*
Liga Mexicana de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil (LMBPF)
*
Liga Mexicana de Voleibol Femenil (LMVF)
*
Liga Mexicana de Voleibol Varonil (LMVV)
*
Liga Mexicana Elite de Hockey (LMEH)
*
Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional Femenil (LNBPF)
*
Liga Norte de Coahuila (LNC)
*
Liga Norte de México
The Liga Norte de México (''LNM'') (English: ''Northern League of México'') is a professional baseball league located in the Northwest of Mexico in the states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. Formerly known as Liga Norte d ...
(LNM)
*
Liga Norte de Sonora (LNS)
*
Liga Peninsular de Béisbol (LPB)
*
Liga Premier de México
The Liga Premier is the third tier of Association football, football in Mexico within the Mexican football league system that governs Serie A de México, Serie A and Serie B de México, Serie B leagues/group competitions. They compete from the fa ...
*
Liga TDP
The Liga TDP is Mexico's fourth tier in the Mexican League System. The Liga TDP is divided into 17 groups. For the 2009/2010 season, the format of the tournament has been reorganized to a home and away format, which all teams will play in their ...
*
Major Arena Soccer League
The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico.
MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. MASL players ...
(MASL)
*
Major Arena Soccer League 2
The Major Arena Soccer League 2 is a North American indoor soccer league that serves as the developmental league of the Major Arena Soccer League.
History
M2 launched in 2017 to "provide an outlet for teams to either reorganize for a re-emergenc ...
(M2, MASL2)
*
Mexican major rugby league
*
Mexican Roller Hockey National League
The Mexican Roller Hockey Championship is the biggest Rink hockey, Roller Hockey Clubs Championship in Mexico.
Participated teams in the last season
# Jaguares
# All Blacks, Aztecas
# Gallos Negros Querétaro
# Lobos BUAP
# Patin San Luis
List o ...
*
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
(G League)
*
National Student Organization of American Football (ONEFA)
*
National Student Sports Commission of Private Institutions (CONADEIP)
*
Veracruz State League
The Veracruz State League was a winter baseball league established in 2016. The league was composed of four teams, all in the Mexican state of Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereig ...
(LVEB)
Other individual sports leagues
*
NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series
The NASCAR Mexico Series (formerly NASCAR Corona Series and other names) is a NASCAR series in Mexico. It is the most prestigious stock car racing series in the country.
Origins (Desafío Corona)
The Desafío Corona was established in 2004 by ...
International sporting events hosted by Mexico
*
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...
*
1926 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 1st edition of what is today known as Central American and Caribbean Games (CACGs) were held in Mexico City, Mexico, at Estadio Nacional from 12 October to 2 November 1926.
History
Originally billed as the Central American Sports Games ( es, ...
*
1954 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 7th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Mexico City, the capital city of Mexico. The games were held from the 5 March to the 20 March 1954, and included 1,356 athletes from twelve nations.
Sports
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* ...
*
1990 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 16th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Mexico City the capital of Mexico from November 20 to December 3, 1990, and included a total of 4,206 competitors from 29 nations, the largest the games had ever seen.
The 1990 Central A ...
*
*
1955 Pan American Games
The 1955 Pan American Games opened on March 12, 1955, in the University Stadium (now Olympic Stadium) in Mexico City, Mexico, in front of a capacity crowd of 100,000 spectators.
A total number of 2,583 athletes from 22 nations marched in review ...
*
1975 Pan American Games
The 1975 Pan American Games were held in Mexico City, Mexico, from October 12 to October 26, 1975, exactly twenty years after the second Pan American Games were held there. It was the third major sporting event held in the Mexican capital in seve ...
*
2011 Pan American Games
The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, ...
*
1969 World Judo Championships
*
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's senior national teams. Held from 31 May t ...
*
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup was the 13th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June 1986. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia ha ...
*
1983 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship was the fourth edition FIFA World Youth Championship tournament, hosted from 2 June to 19 June 1983 in seven venues in Mexico — Guadalajara, Irapuato, León, Mexico City, Monterrey, Puebla and Toluca — wh ...
*
2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the fourteenth tournament of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and the eleventh played since the change in age limits from under 16s to Under 17s in 1991. It was held in Mexico with games being played amongst various venues ...
*
1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup was the fourth FIFA Confederations Cup, and the second organised by FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Mexico between 24 July and 4 August 1999.
It was won by Mexico, who beat Brazil 4–3 in the final. Mexico be ...
*
2012 FIFRA Club Championship
The 2012 FIFRA Club Championship is an indoor soccer tournament that included teams from four countries and four professional leagues. Teams from United States, Canada, Mexico and Ecuador compete for FIFRA Club Championship.
Standings
''Blue ...
*
1974 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship
*
1974 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship
The 1974 FIVB Women's World Championship was the seventh edition of the tournament, organised by the world's governing body, the FIVB. It was held from 13 to 27 October 1974 in Mexico.
Teams
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (withdr ...
*
1979 Summer Universiade
The 1979 Summer Universiade, also known as the X Summer Universiade, took place in Mexico City, Mexico.
Sports
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Medal table
{{Universiade
1979
U
U
U
Multi-sport events in Mexico
Sports competitions in Me ...
*
1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the second edition of the Gold Cup, the soccer championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
The format of the tournament stayed the same as in 1991: eight teams were broken up into ...
*
2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the seventh edition of the Gold Cup, the association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
For the first time since 1993, the tournament was held in more than one c ...
*
2007–2008 FIBA Americas League
*
2008–2009 FIBA Americas League
*
2007 World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship 2007 was held in Mexico City, from 12 September 2007 to 30 September 2007 to decide the world champion of the game of chess. It was an eight-player, double round robin tournament.
Viswanathan Anand of India won the t ...
*
2008 World Polo Championship
The 2008 World Polo Championship, eight edition, took place in Mexico during May 2008 and was won by Chile.
Background
This event will bring together eight teams from around the world in the Campo Marte of the Mexican capital, where they will pla ...
*
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on 5 9 and finished 5 26.
Unlike in 2006, when the round-robin format of the first two rounds led to some eliminations being decided by run-difference ti ...
(
Pool B
Pool may refer to:
Water pool
* Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming
* Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings
* Tide pool, a rocky pool ...
)
*
2013 World Taekwondo Championships
The 2013 World Taekwondo Championships was the 21st edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and was held in Puebla, Mexico from July 15 to July 21, 2013.
Medal summary
Men
Women
Medal table
Team ranking
Men
Women
Part ...
*2014
World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships
The World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships began in 2006, and is held every two years by World Taekwondo.
The participating male and female teams are divided into five groups each and the top four countries at the previous championship and the hos ...
*2015
World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships
The World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships began in 2006, and is held every two years by World Taekwondo.
The participating male and female teams are divided into five groups each and the top four countries at the previous championship and the hos ...
*''
2026 FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three No ...
'' with Canada and United States
''Italic'' text indicates upcoming events hosted by Mexico.
Sports entertainment
Lucha libre (wrestling)
Mexican
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
, which is known as
lucha libre
Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
, has been a popular spectacle in Mexico since 1933, when promoter
Salvador Lutteroth Gonzales founded
Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...
. Like other forms of professional wrestling, it is not strictly a sport, but rather a form of
sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competition, competitive event using a high level of theatre, theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertainment, entertaining an audience. Un ...
, as matches usually have predetermined outcomes. Lucha libre is characterized by rapid sequences of holds and moves, as well as spectacular
high-flying moves, many of which have been adopted in the United States. The two most popular lucha libre promotions are
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as ''Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre'' (''EMLL'') (''Mexi ...
(CMLL), and
Lucha Libre AAA World Wide
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply AAA (pronounced "triple A"; an abbreviation of its or ...
(AAA). Notable wrestling stars include
El Santo
Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (23 September 1917 – 5 February 1984), known professionally as El Santo or in English The Saint, was a Mexican luchador enmascarado (Spanish for "masked professional wrestler"), actor and folk hero. He is one of the mo ...
,
Blue Demon
Alejandro Muñoz Moreno (April 24, 1922 – December 16, 2000), better known by the ring name Blue Demon (''Demonio Azul'' in Spanish), was a Mexican film actor and ''luchador enmascarado'' (Spanish for masked professional wrestler). Blue Dem ...
, and
Mil Máscaras
Mil Máscaras (born Aarón Rodríguez Arellano, July 15, 1942) is a Mexican luchador (professional wrestler) and actor. He is regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of the lucha libre tradition in Mexico – along with El Santo and Blue Demon ...
. The original "Big Three" of the lucha libre tradition in Mexico, other legendary wrestlers are
Perro Aguayo
Pedro Aguayo Damián (18 January 1946 — 3 July 2019) better known as "(El) Perro Aguayo" (Aguayo the dog) and El Can de Nochistlan (The Nochistlan Dog) was a Mexican wrestler through the 1970s to the 1990s.
Aguayo was the first person ever ...
,
Rayo de Jalisco, and
Huracán Ramírez
Daniel García Arteaga (April 9, 1926 – October 31, 2006), best known under the ring name Huracán Ramírez (English: "Hurricane Ramírez"), was a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'' (or masked professional wrestler) and actor. García was nei ...
.
In 2019,
Alberto Del Rio
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
and fellow professional wrestler
Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Salvador Guerrero IV (born October 20, 1970) better known by his ring names Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr., is an American professional wrestler. He has previously worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), WWE, World Wrestling Feder ...
created their own promotion,
Nación Lucha Libre
Nación Lucha Libre is a ''lucha libre'' Mexican professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. The promotion, founded in 2019, was owned and managed by Alberto El Patrón and Chavo Guerrero Jr. It closed down on January 8, 202 ...
. The promotion aired its first show on a television channel.
Recently, Mexican wrestlers had more participation in foreign wrestling companies like
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
,
AEW AEW or aew may refer to:
* Airborne early warning, airborne radar system for detecting aircraft
* Aerosvit Airlines, an airline based in Kyiv, Ukraine (ICAO airline designator: AEW)
* AEW Capital Management, a property investment management company
...
,
ROH,
NWA
NWA or Nwa most commonly refers to:
* N.W.A ("Niggaz Wit Attitudes"), a hip hop group from Compton, California, US
* National Wrestling Alliance, a professional wrestling organization
NWA or Nwa may refer to:
Music
* New Weird America, a subgenr ...
,
IMPACT
Impact may refer to:
* Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period
* Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US
Science and technology
* Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event
* Impact ...
and
NJPW
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares o ...
; these wrestlers are Blue Demon Jr, Alberto Del Rio,
Rush
Rush(es) may refer to:
Places
United States
* Rush, Colorado
* Rush, Kentucky
* Rush, New York
* Rush City, Minnesota
* Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois
* Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream
* Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
,
Bandido,
Penta 0M
Penta may refer to:
Places
* , an Italian hamlet (') of Fisciano, Salerno
* Penta-di-Casinca, a French municipality of Corsica
* Penta, Chhattisgarh, a town in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India
* , a small river in Lithuania
Other
* Pent ...
,
Rey Fenix Rey may refer to:
*Rey (given name), a given name
*Rey (surname), a surname
* Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films
*Rey, Iran, a city in Iran
* Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran
* ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film
*The ...
,
Thunder Rosa
Melissa Cervantes (born July 22, 1986), known by her ring name Thunder Rosa, is a Mexican professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a former one-time AEW Women's World Champion. She is ...
,
Laredo Kid
Laredo Kid (born December 30, 1986) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler. He is currently signed to both Impact Wrestling and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, but is currently inactive due to abdominal surgery.
Lar ...
,
Dragon Lee,
Flamita
Flamita (born November 30, 1994) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'' or masked professional wrestler. In addition to working for promotions such as Ring Of Honor, (ROH) Lucha Libre AAA World Wide, (AAA) and Desastre Total Ultraviolento (DTU) in ...
,
Gran Metalik
Máscara Dorada (born August 24, 1988) is the ring name of a Mexican ''luchador'' '' enmascarado'' (masked professional wrestler) currently working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He is best known for his time in WWE where he performe ...
,
Andrade El Idolo
Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza (born November 3, 1989) is a Mexican professional wrestler who is currently signed to the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Andrade El Idolo (also stylized Andrade "El Ídolo"). He ...
,
Humberto Carrillo
Humberto Garza Carrillo (born October 20, 1995) is a Mexican professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Humberto. He previously worked under the ring name Último Ninja whi ...
,
Angel Garza
Humberto Garza Solano (born September 23, 1992) is a Mexican professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Angel (shortened from his previous ring name Angel Garza).
He is a th ...
,
Santos Escobar
Jorge Luis Alcantar Bolly (born April 30, 1984), is a Mexican second-generation ''luchador'' (professional wrestler). He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Santos Escobar.
Before his WWE ca ...
, etc.
See also
*
Football in Mexico
Mexico's most popular sport is football (called fútbol in Mexico). , the top tier leagues in Mexico are Liga MX for the men and the Liga MX Femenil for women.
In Mexico, football became a professional men's sport in 1943. Since then, Mexico ...
*
Baseball in Mexico
*
List of Mexican boxing world champions
In Mexico, boxing is considered a major sport, having produced over 200 world champions in professional boxing. Mexico ranks first worldwide between countries with most boxing world champions and is the second country to have world champions accred ...
*
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...
*
Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
*
Liga de Expansión MX
The Liga de Expansión MX, also known as Liga de Desarrollo (Liga BBVA Expansión MX for sponsorship reasons), is a Mexican football league founded in 2020 as part of the Mexican Football Federation's "Stabilization Project", which has the prima ...
*
Ascenso MX
Ascenso MX was the second tier of professional football in Mexico of the Mexican football league system. The champion of the competition was promoted to Liga MX (top-flight tier). The bottom team was relegated to Liga Premier (the third tier). ...
*
Mexican Pacific League
The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...
*
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
*
Mexico–Puerto Rico boxing rivalry
*
Mexico–United States soccer rivalry
*
Prince Hubertus of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Hubertus Rudolph zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg (born 2 February 1959; ), commonly known as Hubertus von Hohenlohe, is a Mexican alpine skier, photographer, and businessman. He was previously a pop singer using the names Andy Himalaya and Royal Disaster. ...
*
Gilberto Hernández Guerrero
Gilberto Hernández Guerrero (born February 4, 1970 in Ébano, San Luis Potosí) is a chess Grandmaster from Mexico. On the July 2008 FIDE rating list he has an Elo rating of 2550, making him the second highest ranked player on the Mexican ...
*
Manuel León Hoyos
Manuel León Hoyos (born February 10, 1989) is a Mexican chess Grandmaster. He is the first Mexican chess player to break 2600 Elo in the official FIDE rating list with 2603 in October 2012.
Chess career
León Hoyos achieved the Grandmaster ti ...
*
Siquitibum
The Chiquitibum is a chant heard at Mexican sporting events. The Chiquitibum/Siquitibum cheer goes as follows: "Chiquitibum a la bim bom ba, chiquitiboom a la bim bom ba, a la bio, a la bao, a la bim bom ba, Mexico Mexico, Rah rah rah!!!" This mo ...
* Sports marketing in Mexico
* List of Mexican records in swimming
References
Further reading
*Arbena, Joseph L., ed. ''Sport and Society in Latin America: Diffusionism, Dependency, and the Rise of Mass Culture''. New York: Greenwood Press 1988.
*Klein, Alan M. "Baseball Wars: The Mexican Baseball League and Nationalism in 1946." ''Studies in Latin American Popular Culture'' 14 (1994)
External links
Complete list of Mexico sports federationsFederación Mexicana de Raquetbol – Women's Mexican Racquetball Federation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sport In Mexico
Sport in Mexico,