Mexico's Sports

Bullfighting: When Spain colonized Mexico around 400 years ago, it brought along the sport of bullfighting. The sport has remained one of the most popular in the country ever since. Mexico City sports the largest bullring in the world, Plaza Mexico.

A modern bullfight typically also includes traditional folk dancing and equestrian events, called charrería (or charreada). Charrería, like a Mexican rodeo, is the national sport of Mexico, and it dates back to the 16th century. It was developed to maintain the traditions of the charro, a traditional Mexican cowboy.

Another uniquely Mexican sport is Lucha Libre, which means "freestyle-wrestling." Lucha Libre is a form of professional wrestling famous for the colorful masks worn by the Luchadores (wrestlers). Like professional wrestling in the United States, Lucha Libre is quite a spectacle, with rapid and dramatic maneuvers, a brazen atmosphere, and over-the-top personalities.

Despite historical connections to traditional sports, Mexico's real national pastime is association fútbol (soccer). Mexicans tend to be passionate people, and never more so than when it comes to football.

English miners introduced football to Mexico at the end of the 19th century. By 1902 a league had already emerged. Mexico’s national football team ranks as one of the best in Latin America and it qualified for 15 FIFA World Cups. The country also hosted the World Cup tournament twice, in 1970 and 1986.

Baseball is also enjoyed throughout Mexico, rivaling football in popularity in some states. Mexico has produced over 100 players into the US Major Leagues, some of them considered sports legends. Mexico also has its own professional leagues. There is both a summer league (Mexican League of Baseball) and a winter league (Mexican Pacific League).