Exploring the Rich World of Sports in Mexico
Most Mexicans consider sports to be of interest, so in their daily lives they constantly consume sports news, play, watch or listen to a game at least once a week. That is why we will tell you what sports in Mexico are like.
Sports in Mexico represent a great passion for most of the inhabitants of the Aztec territory and users consume sports websites for several hours, as a way of relaxation and entertainment.
This passion for sports in Mexico can be seen in statistics and according to Comscore, 47% of Mexican Internet users during February 2021 accessed sports sites, this is a super high figure since Comscore registers in its system a total digital population of 67.4 million unique visitors.
The most remarkable thing about this is that these results are not isolated, since sports in Mexico are part of a consolidated interest for many years in the country.
On the other hand, it is also important to highlight the importance of sports in Mexico in relation to its culture and society, since at present, sports promote the economy and education in the country, since they allow a greater development in social functions in order to improve social integration, education and health.
In addition to this, sports are an active collaborator in the fight against racism by promoting tolerance and values.
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Traditional sports in Mexico
Sports in Mexico are an important part of the culture and society, and it is precisely for that reason that there are a variety of sports in Mexico that are part of the tradition and here we will tell you about them:
The Mesoamerican ball game- Ulama.
One of the traditional sports in Mexico is the ulama, a ball game that comes from Mesoamerican times. The ulama is played by some communities coming from Sinaloa, the game has great cultural importance because it is a version of the pre-Hispanic ball game.
Ulama is an ancient sports tradition and stands out for being considered the oldest known game that uses a rubber ball.
This ball game of Mesoamerican origin dates back to approximately the second millennium B.C. and according to studies was practiced in almost all Mesoamerican cultures, from Mexico, El Salvador and possibly Arizona and New Mexico.
Ulama obeys from ancestral times socio-political and religious aspects of Mesoamerican society, and is that ball games meant functions such as portal to the underworld, scenario for representation of cosmic battles, celestial bodies, fertility rituals, war, political and religious ceremonies. The importance of this game can also be appreciated in the number of courts that have been discovered in the profusion of representations in the art of communities such as the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya Toltec, Aztec and Zapotec.
In terms of rules, modern ulama closely resembles volleyball, except that there is no net. In the most popular version of ulama each team hits back and forth using only their hips until one of the teams fails to return the ball or until it leaves the court it is not determined who the winner is.
Currently the communities that practice Ulama are located in Zacatecas, Sinaloa Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca and some communities located in Mexico City.
Charreria
Another of the traditional sports in Mexico is charreria, this sport is practiced mainly by Mexican communities dedicated to the breeding and herding of cattle and horses. This sport was created with the objective of facilitating the coexistence between cattle ranchers from the different states of Mexico.
It has roots in the states of Jalisco and Hidalgo, its techniques are transmitted to the younger generations within families, and has certain halos of Spanish culture.
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After the Mexican Revolution, charrería became a National Sport, and associations began to be organized. It should also be noted that charrería is one of the most representative traditions of Mexican culture, and it fosters social and family values.
On the other hand, there is the charro clothing, another important aspect in the world of this Mexican sport. Here we describe them in detail:
Working costume
It is composed of a palm hat, cloth or suede jacket without any adornment, shirt without collar, pants without back pockets, tie or discreet hanging bow tie and leather boots. Normally the fatigues are worn in gray or brown colors.
Half-dress suit
Felt hat, collared shirt, elegant tie, suede or cashmere jacket, luxurious chest brooch, pants with silver-colored buttons and belt with ornaments.
Gala suit
The gala suit is usually gray, dark blue or black, it has a hat with silver buttons, it must have discreet but luxurious ornaments, shirt with turn-down collar, jacket, pistol with embroidered holster, tie with silver embroidery.
Suertes de charrería
- Piales
- Cala de Caballo
- Paso de la muerte
- Manganas on foot or on horseback
- Jineteo de toro
- Tails on the canvas
- Jineteo de mare
- Terna in the ring
Bullfighting
The first thing you should know is that this sport is related to a set of knowledge and activities that include the breeding and selection of fighting bulls. Bullfighting includes bullfighting and the art of dealing with this animal.
This is one of the traditional sports in Mexico and its history in the country dates back to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. According to records, the first bullfight that took place in the Aztec country was on August 13, 1529; the Spaniards held this event as part of the celebration for the taking of Tenochtitlan.
After this, this kind of event became a custom in the country until it became one of the most practiced sports in Mexico, and became a fundamental sport for the cultural development of Mexico.
While for some this sport is an artistic expression full of tradition and culture that helps the economic and social development of the regions where it is practiced, for others it is an abominable practice that should be abolished due to the harm done to an animal for no good reason.
These are the states in which bullfighting is banned in Mexico.
In 2013 Sonora became the first state to ban bullfighting, after this it was banned in 2014 by Guerrero, Coahuila in 2015, Quintana Roo in 2019 and so far the last one was Sinaloa in 2022.
Popular team sports in Mexico
The Mexican people are passionate about sports, and here we will tell you which are the most popular sports in Mexico:
Soccer
Soccer for Mexicans is in their blood and it is precisely for this reason that it is the most important sport in the country.
Mexico is considered one of the soccer powers that have left a historical mark and outstanding stars in the world of soccer at a national and international level.
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This sport arrived in the country in the 19th century, by British sailors and workers who little by little introduced the passion for this sport to the inhabitants of the Aztec territory.
The most outstanding teams in the country are: America, Chivas, Toluca, Cruz Azul, Leon, Tigres, Pumas, Pachuca, Santos Laguna and Monterrey.
Some of the most important titles won by the Mexican soccer team are: the Interamerican Cup three times, the South American Cup once, the Concacaf Champions Cup/League thirty-eight times, the Concacaf Cup Winners Cup three times and the Concacaf Giants Cup once.
Baseball
Baseball is another important sport for Mexicans and there are indications that it had its origins in the second half of the 19th century, but it was not until 1925 that the first professional baseball league was registered, called the Mexican Summer League, later the Mexican Winter League and then the Mexican Pacific League.
It is important to mention that baseball is the most popular sport in certain areas of the southeast and north of the country, and Mexico played an important role in the development of baseball in the United States.
It is also worth mentioning that Mexico has great characters in the MLB, among them Randy Arozarena, Alex Verdugo and José Urquidy.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that Mexico has managed to win the World Baseball Championship twice, in 2006 and 2009, and was ranked number 4 in the world in the World Baseball Ranking of the World Baseball Softball Confederation in the year 2021.
Basketball
Basketball is another of the most popular sports in Mexico, it has its origins in the country in 1902 in a game that took place in the city of Puebla, three years later the first professional game was held.
Some of the achievements related to basketball in Mexico are, an Olympic medal in Berlin 1936, also achieved a continental championship FIBA Americas 2013 and have four Pan American medals, three silver and one bronze.
American Soccer
In Mexico, American soccer has grown little by little and has been practiced in an organized way since 1930. It is also considered the sixth most popular sport in the country, concentrating its popularity in metropolitan cities such as Monterrey, Mexico City, Saltillo, Toluca and Puebla.
In recent years, American soccer has managed to establish itself strongly, not only among amateurs, but also in the LFA, the professional soccer league in Mexico, which has been growing to the point of being almost at the same level as the American league.
The Mexican league was founded in 2016 backed by the National Commission of Culture and Sports and the Mexico City Sports Institute and it is believed that little by little it will come to establish itself more strongly as a major sport in the country.
Popular individual sports in Mexico
Individual sports are also popular in Mexico and we will tell you about them:
Boxing
This sport is one of the most popular in the country, and its tradition dates back to the 19th century, it is practiced both amateur and professionally and has more than 200 world champions, as well as more than 200 championships won.
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Mexico also stands out for being the second country with the most championships won, only behind the United States, therefore, Mexico is a world power in pugilism.
Golf
Another of the most popular individual sports in Mexico is golf, and the country has almost 200 golf courses, making it one of the countries with the greatest variety and quality of golf courses in Latin America.
It has venues for championships of great importance such as the Chapultepec Golf Club or the Club de Golf Mexico.
It should be noted that the Aztec territory is possibly the country that has more achievements in golf in the region, so it is a common sport and quite popular mainly among members of the upper middle class and upper class.
Now you know which are the most popular sports in Mexico, tell us which one is your favorite?
