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The most popularsport in Mexico currently isassociation football (soccer) followed byboxing andlucha libre.[1][2] Historically, football has been the dominant sport in Mexico shaping the national sports scene. TheLiga MX (Mexican Primera División) is one of the top football leagues globally.Baseball also holds a notable place in Mexican sports culture, particularly in the northwest and southeast regions of the country, particularly in states such asSonora andSinaloa, and in the southeast, notably inYucatán andQuintana Roo. TheMexican Baseball League (Liga Mexicana de Béisbol) serves as a major league in this sport, with a strong regional following. The country has produced many renowned boxers, and major fights generate considerable interest and viewership.
In recent decades,American football,basketball,sport wrestling,auto racing,mixed martial arts (MMA), andcycling have also gained traction in Mexico. Basketball and American football have seen growing followings. Basketball has seen growing popularity inurban centers and northern regions, cities such asMonterrey andGuadalajara. American football tends to have a more localized following, particularly in the states ofNuevo León andTamaulipas, where the sport is popular among college teams. Mixed martial arts is also popular in the northern regions, as they have produced the most Mexican MMA world champions.
Charrería (Mexican rodeo) holds cultural significance and is recognized as the national sport of Mexico.[3]American rodeo is also practiced in Mexico; particularly in the country's northern states. It is held in high regard especially inChihuahua andCoahuila.American bull riding is practiced in Mexico's northern and central regions, whilejaripeo, a Mexican-born form of bull riding is traditionally practiced in the country's central and southern regions.
The country's prominence in global football is underscored by its hosting of theFIFA World Cup in 1970 and 1986, with Mexico set to co-host the2026 FIFA World Cup with the United States and Canada.[4] While college sports in Mexico do not enjoy the same level of commercialization, there is growing interest in university-level competitions. Internationally, Mexico has achieved notable success in various sports at theOlympic Games, including boxing,diving, andathletics. The country also excels intaekwondo, with Mexican athletes performing well in international competitions. As the markets for youth and junior players expand, the extreme racquet sport ofracquetball is seeing steady growth and development. Meanwhile, in the southern part of Mexico City, the amateur practice ofPaleta frontón andBasque pelota holds significant cultural importance and has enhanced the international reputation of Mexican sports.
In terms of exercising sports discipline, a distinction must be made between organized sport (high-competition and federated) and amateur sport (primarily individual and for physical culture purposes). In the first case, the second most practiced sport (after association football) at the national level is taekwondo, followed by basketball and baseball. In the second case, physical conditioning disciplines such as walking, running, swimming or those linked to gyms are the most practiced.
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ThePre-Columbian people ofMesoamerica have played theMesoamerican ball game for over 3,000 years. Archaeologists found the oldest ballcourt yet discovered – dated to approximately 1400 BC – atPaso de la Amada in Mexico.[5] The exact rules of the traditional ballgame remain unknown. Researchers believe that the sport probably resembledracquetball or volleyball, where the object is to keep the ball in play.[6] The winner was sacrificed.
By the 18th-century Spanish colonialists had introduced new sports such as horse racing and bullfighting, which quickly gained popularity among the elite and became significant social events. Additionally, activities likefencing andswordplay were adopted from European martial traditions, particularly among the upper classes. Cultural festivals often featured a variety of athletic competitions, blending local customs with colonial practices, and reflecting the rich, hybrid nature of Mexican society during this period.
In the 19th century, British influences brought sports such as tennis and cricket to Mexico.[7] By the end of the century, the growing American presence introduced baseball,[7] with the sport taking root in Mexico City before growing in prominence throughout the rest of the country.[8]
Mexico City hosted the1968 Summer Olympics, the first time that the event was held inLatin America. Since then, the only edition of the Olympic Games held in the region was in2016, inRio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Mexico first participated at theOlympic Games in 1900 and has sent athletes to compete in everySummer Olympic Games since 1924. Mexico has also participated in severalWinter Olympic Games since 1928. Mexico has performed best inathletics,boxing,equestrian,diving, andSwimming events, and more recentlytaekwondo andfootball.
Enriqueta Basilio made history by being the first woman tolight theOlympic Cauldron at19th Summer Olympics inMexico City on 12 October 1968.
In diving, Mexico is the best Latin American representative with a long tradition of diving founded byJoaquín Capilla, a Mexicandiver who won the largest number of Olympic medals among Mexican athletes. Many others who have excelled in World Championships and Olympics areCarlos Girón,Fernando Platas andPaola Espinosa who is the first Latina woman to become world champion.Soraya Jiménez became the first ever female athlete from Mexico to win an Olympic gold medal in 2000.[9]
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Mexico finished in thirty-ninth place; the Mexico team brought home seven medals, including their first gold medal won infootball, and the rest of the medals inarchery,diving, andtaekwondo.
Donovan Carrillo is the first Mexicanfigure skater 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 thefree skate.
ThePan American Games competition is held among athletes from nations of theAmericas, every four years in the year before theSummer Olympic Games. 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 byAztec people in ancient temples, first in theCerro de la Estrella and later at thePyramid 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. The2011 Pan American Games were the third Pan American Games hosted by Mexico (the first country to do so) and the first held in the state ofJalisco in the city ofGuadalajara.
TheCentral American and Caribbean Games is a multi-sport regional championship event, held quadrennially (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.[10] As of 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.
Mexican sport is also known for itsboxing 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,[11] and has recently produced more World Champions in the last 30 years.[12] The first boxing champion Mexico produced wasBattling Shaw when he became theLight Welterweight Champion by outpointingJohnny Jadick in 1933. FourteenOlympic boxing medals have been won by Mexico.[13]
International Boxing Hall of Fame members includeJulio César Chávez, Sr.,Salvador Sánchez,Ricardo Lopez,José Nápoles,Rubén Olivares,Baby Arizmendi,Pipino Cuevas,Chiquita González,Sugar Ramos,Daniel Zaragoza,Miguel Canto,Vicente Saldivar,Carlos Palomino, andCarlos Zárate. Other prominent Mexican boxers include World Boxing Hall of Fame members,Kid Azteca,Jesús Pimentel,Lupe Pintor,Juan Zurita,Jorge Paez andJosé Luis Ramírez. More recent champions includeCanelo Álvarez,Julio César Chávez Jr.,Marco Antonio Barrera,Érik Morales,Juan Manuel Márquez,Rafael Márquez,Israel Vázquez andJuan Francisco Estrada.
Mexico's biggest rival in the sport of boxing is Puerto Rico. There have been many classic match ups between the two such asSalvador Sánchez–Wilfredo Gómez,Gómez–Carlos Zárate Serna and many more. Other great match ups are between two Mexican fighters and Mexican vs.Mexican-American. Good examples of fighting between two Mexicans are theBarrera vs. Morales trilogy and theMárquez–Vázquez rivalry. A good example of a Mexican vs a Mexican-American areJulio César Chávez vs. Oscar De La Hoya,Bobby Chacon vs. Rafael Limón,Chiquita González vsCarbajal, (particularly soMichael Carbajal vs. Humberto González)Márquez vsDíaz, andCastillo versus Corrales.
Taekwondo was introduced to Mexico in 1969 byKorean MexicanDai Won Moon.[14] 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.[14] Mexico has also been competitive on the international level in the sport of taekwondo. Over forty Mexican taekwondo practitioners have medaled at theWorld Taekwondo Championships.[15]
Taekwondo made its official debut at the2000 Summer Olympics 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 the2004 Summer Olympics, two gold medals at the2008 Summer Olympics, a bronze medal at the2012 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the2016 Summer Olympics.María Espinoza has medaled at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Mexico currently ranks fourth on thetotal medal count for taekwondo, its best performance for any Olympic sport.Jackie Galloway was an alternate for the Mexican team at the2012 Olympics.[16]
Mixed martial arts has achieved popularity in the early 21st century. Many companies promote MMA cards, with theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) the most dominant.[17] Mexico is, along with Brazil, the only two Latin American countries to have world champions in the major MMA leagues, although the country retains the honor of being the first Spanish-speaking country to achieve such a feat.
Some prominent fighters includeYair "Pantera" Rodríguez,Brandon Moreno,Erik "Goyito" Pérez,José "Teco" Quiñónez,Manuel "Loco" Torres,Raul Rosas Jr., andDaniel Zellhuber. Like boxing, women's MMA emerged after the men's, with martial artists such asAlexa Grasso,Loopy Godinez,Irene Aldana,Yazmin Jauregui, andJessica Aguilar.
InIMMAF, Mexico has won a total of 7 medals in the World Championships, five bronze and two silver. The two silver medals were won by Nora Ochoa Pérez in the 2019 Manama and 2023 Belgrade editions, marking the best result for a Mexican fighter in the competition.[18]
TheAbierto Mexicano Telcel is a tennis tournament held inAcapulco, Mexico. It is an event on both theATP Tour (International Series Gold event) and theWTA Tour (Tier III).
Rafael Osuna is the best tennis player to come out of Mexico. He was ranked number one in 1963 when he won theU.S. Open Championship. Osuna led Mexico to the1962 Davis Cup, becoming the first team from Latin America to compete for the trophy. Osuna would go on to win aGrandslam singles championship in 1963. He also won theU.S. Open Doubles Championship in 1962, theWimbledon double's championship in 1960 and 1963, and a doubles tennisOlympic gold medal in 1968. Osuna was killed in a plane crash in 1969 at the age of 30. In 1969, the Intercollegiate Tennis College AssociationNCAA 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 theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame in 1979.
Raúl Ramírez was the first player to finish first in both singles and doublesGrand Prix point standings, accomplishing the feat in 1976. Raúl Zurutuza is the director of Mextenis, which organizes Mexico's Acapulco andLos Cabos tennis tourneys.Plaza de Toros México become a tennis court and hosted, asRoger Federer faced Germany'sAlexander Zverev 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.
The most notable Mexican professionalauto racers have beenPedro Rodríguez, who was the winner of the1968 24 Hours of Le Mans, and his brotherRicardo Rodríguez, who at age 18 finished second at the1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, becoming the youngest ever to stand on the podium. He was also the youngestF1 driver at that time. They were both considered among the top drivers before their untimely deaths.
TheMexico City racetrackAutódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ("Rodríguez Brothers Racetrack") was named in their honor. Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has hosted several racing events including theFormula 1 (1962–1970, 1986–1992, 2015–present),Champ Car World Series (1980–1981 and 2002–2007),World Sportscar Championship,Grand-Am,Trans-Am,IMSA,A1 Grand Prix,NASCARNationwide Series,Formula BMW World Finals,Champ Car Atlantic Series,Panam GP Series andNASCAR Mexico Corona Series.
More recentlySergio Pérez andEsteban Gutiérrez have re-established a Mexican presence in F1. Before them,Héctor Rebaque competed in the F1 between 1977 and 1981, their best position was tenth in the1981 season, andJo Ramírez worked for a number of F1 teams, most notably as team co-ordinator forMcLaren in the 1980s and 1990s.
TheA1 Team Mexico is the Mexican team ofA1 Grand Prix, the World Cup of Motorsport;Salvador Durán has earned two victories for the team.
Adrián Fernández has become a popular driver in Mexico since the 1990s and reached his climax when he finished in second place during the2000 CART season. Fernández co-founded theFernández Racing with which he championed theAmerican Le Mans Series and previously won inChamp Car, theIRL IndyCar Series, andGrand-Am.Memo Rojas andLuis 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 won the2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Daniel Suarez becomes first Mexican-Born driver to win inNASCAR Cup Series.
Since 2004,Rally Mexico is a round of theFIAWorld Rally Championship, held in the state ofGuanajuato, and over time it has become one of the most popular rounds of the championship.
Other auto racing events currently held in Mexico include theBaja 1000, the World's most importantoff-road race, taking place on Mexico'sBaja California Peninsula and with theMexicans normally winning various categories. Racing events formerly held in Mexico include theTecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey and theCarrera Panamericana, which is now held as one of the premierevintage racing events of the World.
Golf is a popular sport in Mexico.[19] There are over 150 golf courses in the country.Lorena Ochoa, 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 won her first LPGA Tour event at theBlue Bay LPGA and was the flag bearer for Mexico at the opening2020 Summer Olympics.
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.[20]
Professional golf tournaments held in Mexico includes, theCorona Championship,MasterCard Classic,Lorena Ochoa Invitational,Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancún, and theMexican Open.
The 400-meter event became popular whenAna Guevara became world champion in 2003.Raúl González set theworld record in the 50-kilometres racewalk twice in 1978 (3:45:52 and 3:41:20). As of October 2011, it was still the North American record.
María Lorena Ramírez Hernández, a Mexicanlong-distance and ultra-fundrunner, became known worldwide after having won the 2017 UltraTrail Cerro Rojo ultra-distance race of 50 kilometers, in a time of 07:20:00, and for having done it wearinghuaraches and a longskirt, without sports footwear or equipment. Her story was depicted in a documentary film,Lorena, Light-Footed Woman, forNetflix.[21][22]
Rodolfo Dickson was the first Mexicanalpine skier representing Mexico to win an international ski race, winning inSuper-G in January 2015.[23][24][25][26][27]
Professional wrestling has been a popular form ofsports entertainment in Mexico since 1933, when promoterSalvador Lutteroth foundedEmpresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL). Unlike competitive sports, forms of sports entertainment, like professional wrestling, feature predetermined outcomes and choreographed performances, emphasizing entertainment and storytelling. Throughout the 20th century, professional wrestling had established itself as one of the most popular sports in Mexico, so much so that it has played an important role innational popular culture. Currently, the two most prominent wrestling promotions in Mexico areConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) andLucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA).
Notable Mexican wrestlers includeEl Santo,Blue Demon, andMil Máscaras, who are collectively known as theTres Grandes ("Big Three") of the Mexican wrestling tradition. Other legendary figures in Mexican wrestling includeMédico Asesino,Perro Aguayo,El Canek,Cavernario Galindo,El Solitario,Místico,La Parka,Tinieblas,Rayo de Jalisco, andHuracán Ramírez, among others.
The professional wrestling style that originated and gained popularity in Mexico is calledlucha libre (translated as "freestyle wrestling"), distinguishing it from Japanesepuroresu and traditionalAmerican professional wrestling styles.Lucha libre is characterized by its colorful wrestling masks, rapid sequences of holds and moves, and spectacular high-flying techniques—many of which have been adopted internationally.[28]
Mexico is the Latin American country that has produced the most world champions in foreign wrestling promotions. In 2008,Blue Demon Jr. became the first Mexican wrestler to hold theNWA World Heavyweight Championship. InWWE, Mexican wrestlerAlberto Del Rio held both theWWE Championship and theWorld Heavyweight Championship twice each. While wrestling inImpact Wrestling, Alberto also unified theGFW Global Championship with theImpact Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship. Mexico'sPentagón Jr. has also held the Impact championship.El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., a member of the Mexican Wagner and Moreno wrestling families, held theGHC Heavyweight Championship in the Japanese promotionPro Wrestling Noah. Mexican wrestlersRush andBandido have both held theWorld Championship inRing of Honor.Thunder Rosa, a native of Tijuana, became the first Mexican woman to hold a world title in American wrestling promotions, having held theNWA World Women's Championship and theAEW Women's World Championship.
Most popular team sports in Mexico:[29]
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 EnglishCornishminers 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. The main football clubs areAmérica,Guadalajara,Cruz Azul andUNAM, known collectively as theBig Four.
Mexico has hosted two World Cup tournaments (1970 and1986). Many of the stadiums in use in the league have a World Cup history. Sites such asEstadio Jalisco in Guadalajara, andEstadio Azteca 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 theMaracana) and is one of thehighest capacity stadiums in the world. Mexican's biggest stadiums areEstadio Azteca,Estadio Jalisco,Estadio BBVA Bancomer,Estadio Olímpico Universitario andEstadio Cuauhtémoc.
The1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico was broadcast to a global audience, andthe wave or the Mexican wave was popularized worldwide after featuring during the tournament.[30][31][32]
TheMexico national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de México) represents Mexico in association football and is governed by theMexican Football Federation (FMF, from the native name ofFederación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación), the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is theEstadio Azteca and their head coach isJaime Lozano. The team is currently ranked 20th in theWorld Football Elo Ratings.
Mexico has qualified for seventeenFIFA World Cup tournaments and is among six countries to have qualified consecutively since 1994. Mexico played France at thefirst World Cup on 13 July 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 in2026 sharing with Canada and United States.
Mexico won the1999 FIFA Confederations Cup and the gold medal at theLondon 2012 Olympics, finished twice as runners-up at theCopa América, won the2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, and have reached the quarter-finals twice at the World Cup. Recently, some players from Mexico have moved on to European clubs, includingRafael Márquez,Carlos Salcido,Ricardo Osorio,Pável Pardo,Andrés Guardado,Guillermo Franco,Carlos Vela,Giovani dos Santos,Omar Bravo,Aaron Galindo,Héctor Moreno,Francisco Javier Rodríguez and others.
Mexico is historically the most successful national team in theCONCACAF region, holding thirteen CONCACAF championships, including tenCONCACAF Gold Cups, oneCONCACAF Nations League, oneNorth American Nations Cup and three NAFC Championships. Mexico is the only team from CONCACAF to have won an official FIFA competition, the1999 FIFA Confederations Cup. Although Mexico is under the jurisdiction of CONCACAF, the national football team has been regularly invited to compete in theCopa América since 1993 finishing as runner-up twice and obtaining the third place medal on three occasions.
The first Mexican club,C.F. Pachuca, 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-levelLiga MX, formerly thePrimera 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 byLiga de Expansión MX, theLiga Premier, andTercera División. 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 arepromoted 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 inMexican football league system matches have beenAmérica (13 championships),Chivas (12),Toluca (10),Cruz Azul (8) andPumas (7).[33] America is the historicalarch-nemesis of Chivas, so a match between the two is theClásico Nacional derby that the entire country awaits. Another noted derby in Mexico is theClásico Regiomontano between crosstown rival teamsMonterrey andTigres. 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 theMexico national football team.
TheMexico women's national football team boasts one silver (1971) and one bronze (1970) in theWomen's World Cup, though these accomplishments are not officially recognized, as they took place prior toFIFA's recognition of the women's game.
Mexico stopped allocating players to theNWSL management of the United States, having established its own women's league theLiga MX Femenil in 2017, and the numbers of allocated players and international players on each team vary each year due to trades.Maribel Domínguez was a noted captain and leading scorer of the Mexico women's national football team.[34][35][36] She is known internationally as"Marigol" for her record of 46 goals scored in 49 matches for the Mexico women's national team.[37]
Beach football is avariant 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 theUniversiada (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 teamMonterrey La Raza joined the Major Indoor football League in 2007 and finished the season in second place during its inaugural year. A previous version ofMonterrey La Raza won three championships in the now defunct organizationsContinental Indoor Soccer League andWorld Indoor Soccer League.
American football (gridiron) has been played in Mexico since the early 1920s, and is a strong sport at Mexican colleges and universities, mainly inMonterrey. American football is the second most popular team sport in Mexico and the third most popular sport overall (behind onlyassociation football andboxing). The maximum competition is theLiga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA).[38] The Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional was founded in 2016[39] with 4 initial teams (Raptors,Eagles,Condors andMayas), 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.[40] 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 considered 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 theNational League in 1970. In 1978, this was reorganized under the name "Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano" (ONEFA).[41] In 2010 a breakaway league,CONADEIP, was formed by theMonterrey Tech system,UDLAP and additional private universities.
TheAztec Bowl is anNCAA sanctioned college division post-season bowl in which American Division III college All-stars face off against a team of Mexican all-stars.
TheMexico national American football team has competed in theIFAF World Cup, which has been held every four years since 1999. Mexico participated in 1999 and 2003, finishing second in both competitions.
Raul Allegre is a former football placekicker in theNational Football League (NFL); he played for theBaltimore Colts, theIndianapolis Colts, theNew York Giants, and theNew York Jets. Later eventually leading to his current work ascolor commentator forMonday Night Football withÁlvaro Martín forESPN in Latin America. He also appears on NFL32 and contributes to otherESPN programs.[42]Isaac Alarcón was signed by theDallas Cowboys in 2020 as a part of the league'sInternational Player Pathway 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 inFlag football at the 2022 World Games.Flag football made its international debut at theWorld Games 2022.
Basketball is the third most popular team sport in Mexico. Mexico has a few professional basketball leagues, the top professional league is theLiga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional where theFuerza Regia de Monterrey are the most successful team of the league, having won the competition five times. The best teams of the LNBP advance to theFIBA Americas League. In the northwestern states is theCIBACOPA 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 is the first and only Mexican inducted in theFIBA Hall of Fame. In 1996Horacio Llamas made history by becoming the first Mexican to participate in anNBA game. Since then, several Mexicans followed, includingEduardo Nájera,Earl Watson,Gustavo Ayón andJorge Gutiérrez; also, Manuel Raga and Gustavo Ayón had notable triumphs in the European Basket, as the only Mexican champions in theEuroLeague.
The best results of theNational team is the first place in the2013 Americas Championship, for qualify to the2014 Basketball World Cup, where it reached the playoffs, the team also won the bronze medal inBerlin 1936. The nation hosted theFIBA AmeriCup in1989 and2015.[43]
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 toFuerza Regia de Monterrey.
In December 2019, commissionerAdam Silver of theNational Basketball Association (NBA) announcedCapitanes de la Ciudad de México, a Mexican professional basketball team based in Mexico City, were joining theNBA G League.[44] 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 became the2nd Mexican American basketball player to win an NBA title when he won anNBA championship with the Warriors in2022. Juan had played for theFuerza Regia de Monterrey and theSoles de Mexicali.
Blanca Burns became the first Mexican-born woman to referee an NBA game in 2021. She officiated her first NBA game in December. Before entering the NBA, she worked as a college basketball referee. Burns began her NBA refereeing career in 2021 at the San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz game. Previously, she worked as a referee in the NBA G-League.[45] The first Mexican-born player to be drafted into the WNBA wasLou Lopez Sénéchal. She previously played for theFairfield Stags and was namedMAAC Player of the Year as a senior.[46] She was selected 5th overall in the2023 WNBA draft by theDallas Wings.
Mexico has two main leagues to support women's basketball.
| Zone North | Zone South |
|---|---|
| Abejas de León Femenil | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey |
| Astros de Jalisco Femenil | Plateras de Fresnillo |
| Panteras de Aguascalientes Femenil | Halcones de Xalapa Femenil |
| Libertadores de Querétaro | Las Adelitas de Chihuahua |
| Conferencia Nacional | Conferencia Mexicana |
|---|---|
| Barreteras | Algodoneras |
| Escaramuzas | Atléticas |
| Mexcaltecas | Leñadoras |
| Mieleras | Lobas |
| Phoenix | Racers |
| Plebes | Regias |
| Quetzales | Temporacas |
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 inSonora andSinaloa, and arguably inCampeche,Yucatán,Durango,Chihuahua,Nayarit andTabasco, where it rivals football in popularity. Other states where baseball has had a strong traditional legacy includeBaja California,Oaxaca,Coahuila,Veracruz,Puebla,Nuevo León,Tamaulipas,Quintana Roo andMexico City. Baseball is currently the fourth most popular team sport in Mexico. Historically it was the third in popularity behind football and boxing, and Mexico has had relative success in the sport, probably just behindboxing 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 themajor leagues in the United States, includingCy Young Award winnerFernando Valenzuela,top 300 home run hitterVinny Castilla,Gold Glove Award winnerAurelio Rodríguez, and AL batting championBobby Ávila. The first Mexican to play in Major League Baseball in the United States wasMel Almada, who participated with the Boston Red Sox in 1933. Most recentlyBenji Gil,Esteban Loaiza,Julio Urías,José Urquidy, and Cuban defector, now a Cuban-MexicanRandy Arozarena.
TheMexican Baseball League ("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 stillbarred from Major League Baseball untilJackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 – played alongside Mexicans and Cubans in the Mexican League. In 1937, legendaryNegro leagues' starsSatchel Paige and "Cool Papa Bell" left thePittsburgh Crawfords to play in Latin America. After playing a year inSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic, Paige and Bell joined the Mexican League.
In the 1940s, multi-millionaireJorge Pasquel attempted to turn the Mexican League into a first-rate rival to the major leagues in the United States.[51] 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 asMickey Owen andSal Maglie, 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 theMexican Baseball League 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 anAAA minor league, though no team has an affiliation with any team in the United States.
In the winter, 10 teams play in theMexican Pacific League ("Liga Mexicana del Pacífico" or "LMP"), whose winner advances to theCaribbean Series 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 theMajor League Baseball (MLB) off-season, so many MLB players also compete in the LMP.
TheMexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted 167 players, consisting of 138 Mexicans, 16 Cubans, 12 from the United States, and one Puerto Rican.[52][53] Distinguished players include MLB starsRoy Campanella andMonte Irvin, who played in the Mexican League in the 1940s. Nicknamed "El Bambino Mexicano", or the Mexican Babe Ruth,Héctor Espino was inducted in the Mexican Hall of Fame in 1988, after playing withSan Luis Potosí, andTampico from 1962 to 1984. His 453 home runs remained the record untilNelson Barrera surpassed him in 2001. Espino still holds the all-time records in many offensive categories.
TheMexico national baseball team represents Mexico in international tournaments, most notably theWorld Baseball Classic. 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. At the2023 World Baseball Classic Mexico placed third in the tournament after losing to Japan.
The country'ssoftball team, finished fourth with a 3–2 loss to Canada in thebronze-medal game at TheTokyo Olympics. The games were Mexico's first foray into Olympic softball.
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, theMexican Rugby Federation was established, and the sport has been steadily increasing in popularity, with around twelve teams competing in the top league. TheMexican national rugby sevens team have achieved some good results in international tournaments, including taking third place at the2015 NACRA Sevens.
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Pelota purépecha (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 is played in larger cities like Monterrey, Guadalajara, Villahermosa, Culiacán, León, Cancun and Mexico City.
The Mexican Elite League is the top level of ice hockey in Mexico. TheMexican 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.[54] Mexico is also the only Latin Americanfull member of theInternational Ice Hockey Federation and competes in international tournaments.[55]Claudia Téllez, at 32 became the first Mexican national to sign for theCanadian Women's Hockey League and Jorge Perez, became the first Mexican-born player at the Junior A level in Canada forRayside-Balfour.
AlthoughAmerican born and trained,National Hockey League (NHL) centerAuston Matthews is of Mexican heritage through his mother, and grew up inScottsdale, Arizona. In the2016 NHL entry draft Matthews was drafted first overall by theToronto Maple Leafs, and began his NHL career by scoring four goals against theOttawa Senators in his NHL debut, becoming the only rookie in modern history to achieve such a feat.[56]
Guadalajara born Xavier A. Gutierrez serves as the CEO and President of theArizona Coyotes, and is the first Latino team President & CEO in NHL history.[57] Notable former NHL players of Mexican descent include formerMontreal Canadiens forwardScott Gomez and retiredSan Jose Sharks wingerRaffi Torres.
In 2017 the Mexican women's ice hockey team won a gold inIceland, in their six-team division of the women's world championship. It was the first gold-medal win for Mexico at a fullInternational Ice Hockey Federation (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.[58]
Polo 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 atthe 1900 Olympics. The Mexican polo team also won anOlympic bronze medal in 1936, the last Olympic Games which featured polo.
Mexico hosted theWorld Polo Championship in 2008. The World Polo Championship has been held every three years by theFederation of International Polo since 1987. Mexico's best finishes have been second place in 1987, and third place in 1995 and 2008.
The best Mexican polo player isCarlos Gracida, 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 theAbierto 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 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 is a variation of the Basque pelota game, itself a derivation ofreal tennis. 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 is a popular sport that is played in Mexico. TheRacquetball World Championships 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 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).[59] while the Mexican teams have finished among the top three in men's and top four in women's since 1986.[60]
Paola Longoria was the #1 player on theWomen's Professional Racquetball Organization 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 2013World Games, 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 doublesRacquetball World Championship.
Racquetball will be included in the 2011Pan American Games inGuadalajara.
The1974FIVB Women's World Championship was the seventh edition of the tournament, organised by the world's governing body, theFIVB. It was held from 13 to 27 October 1974 inMexico.[61] Mexico featured national teams inbeach volleyball that competed at the2018–2020 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in both the women's and the men's sections.[62]
The following table shows the professional sports leagues in Mexico and that have a national TV contract that pays rights fees.
| League | Sport | Teams | National TV contract | Average Attendance | Total Annual Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liga MX | Association football | 18 | Claro, ESPN, Fox, Televisa, TV Azteca | 21,548 | 8,325,487 | [63] |
| Mexican League (LMB) | Baseball | 20 | AYM Sports, Canal 22, Canal Once, Claro, ESPN, Fox, Fox Sports, Hi Sports, Multimedios, Televisa, TV Azteca, TVC Deportes | 5,525 | 5,137,817 | [63] |
| Mexican Pacific League (LMP) | Baseball | 10 | Fox, Megacable, TVC Deportes, YouTube TV | 16,987 | 3,618,157 | [63] |
| Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP) | Basketball | 14 | AYM Sports, Canal 26, Canal 66, Capital 21, Hi Sports, Multimedios, TV4, TVC Deportes | 4,688 | 1,200,000 | [63] |
| Liga MX Femenil | Association football | 18 | ESPN, Fox, Televisa, TV Azteca | 2,067 | 1,027,673 | [63] |
| Liga de Expansión MX | Association football | 15 | AYM Sports, ESPN, Hi Sports, ITV Deportes, Latin American Sports TV, TV Azteca | 3,410 | 989,182 | [63] |
| Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA) | Basketball | 11 | ESPN, Megacable, TVC Deportes | 1,594 | 220,000 | [63] |
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liga MX (Soccer) | Liga MX (Soccer) | |||||||||||
| Liga de Expansión MX (Soccer) | Liga de Expansión MX (Soccer) | |||||||||||
| Liga MX Femenil (Soccer) | Liga MX Femenil (Soccer) | |||||||||||
| LMB (Baseball) | ||||||||||||
| LMP | LMP (Baseball) | |||||||||||
| LMS (Softball) | ||||||||||||
| LNBP (Basketball) | ||||||||||||
| CIBACOPA (Basketball) | ||||||||||||
| LNBPF (Basketball) | ||||||||||||
| LFA (American football) | ||||||||||||
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)[citation needed] and Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (summer).[citation needed] 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 cities/metro areas they're based in.
| Metro areas with 3 teams in league | |
| Metro areas with 2 teams in league | |
| Metro areas larger than 500,000 population without a team in these leagues |
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)| Individual sports | |
|---|---|
| Team sports | |
| In international competitions | |
