Tomás Yelmini
In Latin America, sports are alive and kicking, and there are many disciplines that are practised throughout the continent, with world-class exponents in many of them. Today we tell you which are the most popular sports in Chile.
As in most of this continent, soccer rules, but there are other sports that have hundreds of thousands of fans who practice them or follow them closely.
What Are the Most Popular Sports in Chile?
Soccer
Soccer is by far the most popular sport in Chile. Although its men’s national team failed to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, it is usually present at such events (it even hosted the 1962 World Cup). Its last great achievement was winning the Copa America Centenario in the United States in 2016 when it defeated Argentina on penalties (with it, it was crowned twice as champion after also winning in 2015 the edition played in its own country and against the same rival).
The National Professional Soccer Association (Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional in Spanish) organizes and governs professional soccer competitions in Chile, and its main clubs are Universidad Católica de Chile and Colo Colo. The main venue, usually where the national team plays its home games, is the Estadio Nacional, located in Santiago de Chile, the country’s capital.
Tennis
Sports of English origin are very popular in Chile, and tennis is one of them. In fact, after soccer, we could say that it is the one that gave the Chilean people the most joy, since Marcelo Ríos (photo) was the first South American to reach the No. 1 position in the ATP ranking, in March 1998.
From that moment on, tennis in Chile experienced a boom, not only at the amateur level with more enthusiasts of this sport but also with the proliferation of high-level tennis players, such as Fernando González (5th in ATP ranking in 2007) or Nicolas Massu (9th in ATP ranking).
Basketball
Basketball is a sport that over the years has gained not only a greater number of followers but also a serious organization. Thus, today there is not only a National Basketball League but also the Chile Cup, which brings together first and second-division clubs. If you want to know more about this sport in that country, we suggest you read the report on professional basketball in Chile.
Baseball
Not very popular in South America, but with thousands of followers in Chile, baseball is mainly practised in the northern region, in places such as Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, Tocopilla, Melilla, Santiago, Concepción and San Antonio.
Paddle
Being a sport that does not require a good physical condition to practice it, being economical and having a high level of socialization, paddle has gained many followers in recent years. For this reason, it is not uncommon to find courts in every city in Chile.
But that’s not all:
Now you know the most popular sports in Chile, and although we only mentioned five, there are many others such as cricket, Chilean rodeo, volleyball, rugby or cycling.
