Sports in Argentina

Since the days of the gaucho, horse racing has been the great national spectator sport of Argentina. Soccer is the national competitive sport, played in both small and large venues such as the River Plata Stadium in Buenos Aires, which seats 100,000 people. The Argentine national soccer team has won many international competitions, including the World Cup championships in 1978 and 1986. Diego Maradona is the most famous of Argentina’s soccer stars.

Polo is a popular pastime, and Argentine horses bred especially for this sport are among the finest in the world. The Argentine Open is an important polo event.

In recent years tennis and golf have gained in national importance, and several Argentine players have excelled in international competitions. Guillermo Vilas won four Grand Slam titles in tennis in the late 1970s. Argentine golfer Roberto de Vicenzo won the British Open in 1967.

Rugby is also a major sport in Argentina, and field hockey is popular among females. Encarta