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Sport in Uruguay has been an important part of Uruguayan culture, since the early start of the nation. Winners of such important awards such as the FIFA World Cup, the French Open, and Olympic medals, Uruguay has been a constantly successful sports nation in continental and world aspects.
Football (Spanish: fútbol) is the most popular sport in Uruguay. Uruguay has won an Olympic gold medal in 1924, and another one in 1928, which were considered the most important tournaments in football, before the FIFA World Cup began in 1930, hence the four stars on the Uruguayan jersey. The first World Cup, which Uruguay won, [1] was held in 1930 in Montevideo. The Estadio Centenario was built for the World Cup, and serves to this day as the country's main football stadium.
Uruguay also won the World Cup in 1950, beating Brazil in Rio de Janeiro at the Estádio do Maracanã. The event has had astounding impacts on the history of the sport, due to Brazil being a heavily favoured team at that time, and is also known as the Maracanazo .
Uruguay produces well known football players such as Luis Suárez and Diego Godin. Another Uruguayan player, Sebastian "El Loco" Abreu, became an iconic figure in Uruguay, after chipping a goal during the penalty shootout, against Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
Basketball has risen as a competitive alternative to football and rugby, and the Uruguayan Basketball Federation boasts a proud early history. The Uruguay national basketball team was placed 6th in the first Olympic Games (Berlin in 1936), 5th in London in 1948, 3rd in Helsinki in 1952, 3rd in Melbourne in 1956, 8th in Rome in 1960, and 8th in Tokyo in 1964. After this successful run, the team did not qualify as finalists in any Olympic tournament, until the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, in which they earned 6th place. Uruguay has also won 12 South American championships, and participated in many Pan-American and World Championships. Uruguay was the host for the 1967 FIBA World Championship. And took part in a co-bid for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with Argentina but lost out to Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
The Liga Uruguaya (Uruguay's top league) attracts many players from Argentina and Brazil. Esteban Batista is the only Uruguayan to have played in the NBA. He played seventy games over two seasons for the Atlanta Hawks. [2]
With a history dating back to the 1940s, rugby union is a popular recreational sport in Uruguay. The tragic crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, and the resulting books and films, Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors and Alive , brought Uruguayan rugby into the global limelight.
Rugby union is considered the third most popular sport in Uruguay after Football and Basketball.
The popularity of rugby increased significantly, after the national side qualified for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, and the subsequent 2003 Rugby World Cup, this saw a renewed interest in the sport and broad media coverage of the game. Uruguay secured a historic victory over a much more fancied Fiji at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, winning 30-27. This was followed by a string of strong performances against more favoured opposition.
The Uruguay national rugby union team, more commonly known as the Los Teros (southern lapwing), represent Uruguay at the international level. The team is governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay, and are the second highest ranked team in South America, after Argentina, at 17th [3] in the world.
Uruguayan rugby players such as Pablo Lemoine and Rodrigo Capó Ortega have enjoyed success in the professional European leagues.
Four Uruguayan drivers competed in Formula Two: Eitel Cantoni, Asdrúbal Fontes Bayardo, Óscar González, and Alberto Uría. The latter two shared a ride at the 1956 Argentine Grand Prix and finished 6th. Gonzalo Rodríguez won the International Formula 3000 races at Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, and Monaco, and finished 3rd in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. He got a ride in the CART World Series for Penske Racing, where he finished 12th in his debut, but was killed in a crash during practice for his second race.
Uruguay has been a major force in South American rally. The most notable driver is Gustavo Trelles, who won the FIA Group N World Cup four times straight from 1996 to 1999, finished runner-up in 1990, 2000, and 2001, and ranked 9th in the 1993 World Rally Championship season, with a best result of fourth in the Rally Argentina. The Rally del Atlántico, held in the Maldonado department, is regularly included in the South American Rally Championship.
The two major purpose-built circuits are El Pinar and Mercedes, whereas several cities have hosted street races, including Montevideo, Punta del Este, and Piriápolis. Major Argentine and South American road course championship series have raced at those places, most notably the Turismo Carretera, TC 2000, Top Race, and Formula Three Sudamericana, and also international karting and motorcycling events. Conversely, Uruguayan drivers have raced in Argentina, most recently Juan Cáceres and José Pedro Passadore.
Currently, Uruguay has national championships for road course racing (both automobiles and motorcycles), rallying, motocross, and karting. NASCAR has offered a check to Uruguay so they can race the US in the Indy 500
Uruguay featured a men's national team in beach volleyball that competed at the 2018–2020 CSV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup. [4]
Tennis is a mildly popular sport in Uruguay, although Uruguayan players have not been as successful as the Argentinian and Brazilian ones. Marcelo Filippini is Uruguay's most successful player, winning five singles titles, reaching the quarterfinals at the 1999 French Open, and achieving a rank of No. 30 in 1990. The Uruguay Davis Cup team currently competes in Group I of the Americas regional Zone, and the Uruguay Fed Cup team competes in Group I as well. Pablo Cuevas is currently the second highest-ranked Uruguayan male player. [5]
The Uruguayan Athletics Confederation is the organizing body for track and field competitions. The main venue is the Pista de Atletismo Darwin Piñeyrúa in Montevideo, named after hammer thrower Darwin Piñeyrúa. The main annual international event is the Grand Prix Darwin Piñeyrúa and Estrella Puente. [6]
Club Atlético Peñarol, more commonly referred to as Peñarol and also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros, and (familiarly) Manyas, is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. The name "Peñarol" comes from the Peñarol neighbourhood on the outskirts of Montevideo. Throughout its history the club has also participated in other sports, such as basketball and cycling. Its focus has always been on football, a sport in which the club excels, having never been relegated from the top division. The club traditionally plays in yellow and black-striped shirts.
The Uruguay national football team, nicknamed La Celeste, represents Uruguay in international men's football, and is administered by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay.
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan professional sports club based in Montevideo.
The practice of sports in Argentina is varied due to the population's diverse European origins and the mostly mild climate. Association football is the most popular discipline and other sports played both professionally and recreatively athletics, auto racing, basketball, boxing, cycling, field hockey, fishing, golf, handball, mountaineering, mountain biking, padel tennis, polo, roller hockey, rowing, rugby union, sailing, skiing, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. Argentine achievements can be found in team sports such as association football, basketball, field hockey and rugby union, and individual sports such as boxing, golf, tennis and rowing. Pato, the national sport, is not very popular.
The Paraguay national rugby team is governed by the Paraguayan Rugby Union. They compete regularly in the South American Rugby Championship, but have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup.
Rugby union in Uruguay is considered a popular sport. The Uruguay national team, commonly known as Los Teros, have been playing international rugby since the late 1940s and have made appearances in five Rugby World Cups: 1999, 2003, 2015, 2019 and 2023.
The Uruguayan Basketball Federation is the governing body of basketball in Uruguay. It was founded in 1915, and is in charge of the senior Uruguayan national basketball team and the Liga Uruguaya de Básquetbol (LUB).
Víctor Pablo Rodríguez Andrade was an Uruguayan footballer. He was the left halfback of the Uruguay national team that won the 1950 World Cup tournament, after defeating Brazil in the decisive match.
Association football is the most popular sport in almost all South American countries. There are a wide range of sports played in the continent of South America. Popular sports include rugby union, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, volleyball, hockey, beach volleyball, motorsports and cricket. South America held its first Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. Two years prior to this, major cities in Brazil hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Football in Uruguay stands as the most popular sport. The Uruguay national football team has won two FIFA World Cup titles in addition to a record 15 Copa América titles, making them one of the most successful teams in South America. The national team won the first edition of the tournament in 1930, and won it again in 1950.
Isabelino Gradín was a Uruguayan footballer and athlete. He was considered to be one of the greatest footballers in the early era of Uruguayan football and is regarded as one of the greatest Uruguayan players before the Uruguayan win at the 1930 FIFA World Cup.
Sports in Chile are performed at both amateur and professional levels, practiced both at home and abroad to develop and improve, or simply represent the country. Association football is the most popular sport in Chile, and is played for a range of reasons. However, the country's most successful sport is tennis. In rural areas, Chilean rodeo is the most practiced sport in Chile, which is the national sport. Chile has achieved great international success in other sports, and there have been important figures, however, such exploits are not known to the general population because they are not sports that have been popular throughout the country.
Club Gimnasia y Esgrima de Rosario is an Argentine multi-sports club from Rosario, Santa Fe. Water polo is the section that has won the most titles for the institution, with 21 championships as of 2012.
Sport in Paraguay is an important part of national culture. Association football is the most popular sport, while basketball is also very popular. Other sports such as padel, volleyball, futsal, swimming and tennis are popular as well. Other Paraguayan sports and pastimes are rugby union, chess, motorsport, golf and rowing.
Albion Football Club is a Uruguayan football club located in Montevideo that currently plays in the Uruguayan Segunda División, the second highest division of the Uruguayan football league system.
The Uruguayan Athletics Confederation is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Uruguay. As of 2019, Its president is Marcos Melazzi.
Pista de Atletismo Darwin Piñeyrúa is a running track in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is a major venue for events organized by the Uruguayan Athletics Confederation. It is situated in the Parque Batlle near Estadio Centenario. It is named after Uruguayan athlete Darwin Piñeyrúa.
The 2005 South American Cross Country Championships took place on February 19–20, 2005. The races were held at the Club de Golf del Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay. A detailed report of the event was given for the IAAF.
The 6th South American Under-23 Championships in Athletics were held in Montevideo, Uruguay at Pista de Atletismo Darwin Piñeyrúa on October 3–5, 2014.
Club Trouville is a multi-sport club based in Montevideo, Uruguay. The club is mainly known for its professional basketball section, which plays in the Liga Uruguaya de Básquetbol, the first level of Uruguayan basketball. Other sports practiced are rugby union and association football.
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