The major sports in Venezuela are baseball, basketball and football/soccer. Baseball in Venezuela originates with the early 20th century cultural influence of the United States oil companies. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League was established in 1945. Football in Venezuela lags behind baseball, but its popularity in recent years has grown. Basketball and volleyball are also popular sports; there has been a national basketball league since 1974. The Vuelta a Venezuela is one of six cycling events in the UCI America Tour. The polo club Lechuza Caracas has had some success in North American polo competitions.
In international competitions, Venezuela has participated in the Olympics since 1948, and the Winter Olympic Games since 1998. It won its first Olympic medal in 1952 when Asnoldo Devonish won bronze in the Men's Triple Jump, and its first Olympic gold in 1968 (Francisco Rodríguez, light flyweight boxing). Venezuela first competed in the Paralympics in 1984 and won its first Paralympic gold in 2008 (Naomi Soazo, judo).
Venezuela participates in the Pan American Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games, with Caracas hosting these games in 1959 and 1983, respectively. Venezuela has had a Davis Cup team since 1957.
Though golf is a minor sport in Venezuela, the emergence of Jhonattan (Johnny) Vegas on the PGA Tour in 2011 and his strong showing as a rookie there has raised its profile.
Baseball
History
On October 22, 1941, the Venezuela national baseball team defeated Cuba in the IV Amateur World Series. Since the victory was unexpected because Cuba was heavily favored, it sent the country into a craze. A week later when the team returned to Venezuela over one hundred thousand people lined up along a twenty-mile road from La Guaira to the capital to welcome them back at the time that was more than a third of the country's population. Another fact to show the magnitude of the celebration is that government offices, businesses, and schools closed down to celebrate. The players were even greeted by President Gen at the Isaías Medina Angrita and many other high power people. The defeat of Cuba was recognized as a Hazaña at the time, which means a heroic feat. Later in the year 2000, the country's association sports writers established the defeat as the country's most important sporting event of the twentieth century. Since that “heroic” moment, the major spark of the sport of baseball escalated itself to be Venezuela's dominant sport. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League was established in 1945, with Leones del Caracas the leading team; another leading club is Valencia's Navegantes del Magallanes, established in 1917. There is a Venezuelan Summer League (established in 1997) and winter league (Liga Paralela). Venezuelan teams have won the Caribbean Series a number of times.
The Venezuela national baseball team won the Baseball World Cup several times in the 1940s, and the Baseball tournament at the Pan American Games in 1959. Venezuela has also participated in every edition of the World Baseball Classic since the inaugural event in 2006, and reached the bronze medal in 2009. By far their biggest success to date was in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where they defeated Japan, Italy and the United States in the knockout stage en route to their first WBC title.
Venezuelan players in US-Canadian Major League Baseball number over 200 since 1939. The Luis Aparicio Award was established in 2004, in honor of Luis Aparicio, the only Venezuelan ballplayer to have been introduced into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan player who recorded the best individual performance in Major League Baseball, as voted on by sports journalists in Venezuela.
Baseball stadiums in Venezuela with a capacity of at least 10,000
Football
Football in Venezuela has gradually become popular and a mainstream sport with baseball, but baseball is still known as the country's sport.Nichols, Elizabeth Gackstetter., and Kimberly J. Morse. Venezuela. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2010. Print. This is believed because of how mainstream baseball is played and the success of Venezuelan players in the MLB (Major League Baseball). Also, it's believed that the failure for football to become as popular as baseball in the country is because the national team has not done so well at international level. Venezuela is the only team to not have qualified for a World Cup in South America, excluding Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana, who, although a part of continental South America, participate in the CONCACAF qualifying region. Even though they have never qualified for the World Cup, they do play in one of the hardest brackets with some of the top football countries in the world, such as Brazil and Argentina.
History
Venezuela football has had a rough history throughout the years, especially with its national team, and have been looked at as pushovers. The team is known as "La Vinotinto" (The Red Wine) due to their dark burgundy jerseys showcasing the same dark color as red wine (shown in the adjacent picture). The Federación Venezolana de Fútbol was established in 1926 following the creation of the Liga Venezolana in 1921.Ferguson, Alex. "Venezuelan Football: A Brief History." http://www.worldsoccer.com. N.p., 2 July 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.worldsoccer.com/blogs/venezuelan-football-a-brief-history> The Venezuela national football team played their first game in 1938. Professionalism was not established until 1957 with the Copa de Venezuela arriving two years later. The Vinotinto have struggled ever since the beginning of the national team competing for The World Cup in England in 1966.Ferguson, Alex. "Venezuela's Football Revolution." In Bed With Maradona. In Bed With Maradona, 3 July 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. <http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2011/7/3/venezuelas-football-revolution.html> From then to the 1994, attempting to qualify for The World Cup series in America, the team was known as the "whipping boys," for how badly they lost to other teams. Within this time span they competed in seven qualifying campaigns, playing a total of sixty five matches consisting a record of seven wins, seven draws, and fifty-one losses. Along with a poor of record, their goal difference was negative ninety-nine, meaning that they were scored on ninety-nine more times than they scored on opponents. Two years later, 1998, a new rule changed to the format of the qualifying process gave a little hope for the Venezuela team to compete for a World Cup because it was now easier for them to qualify. It was made easier for the team to qualify because of the new point system and matches against weaker teams. The expectations of Venezuela to have a chance to qualify were quickly shot down after the team actually started to play worse. The team play better in their previous campaigns with the harder qualifying rules than with the new.
The next season, a new head coach was chosen by the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF). The new coach was Richard Páez, he was a former Venezuelan football player. He coached the Vinotinto until the beginning of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers where he unexpectedly resigned. In his time as head coach he revolutionized the team with the help of a younger and newer players, helping them become a winning team instead of being known as the "whipping boys." He led the team to its first ever victory over Uruguay, who then fired their head coach for the loss. After the famous 3–0 win, Páez said that "as a country, we have earned the right to savor this triumph after thirty six years of humiliation". In 2007 the Copa América tournament was held in Venezuela where the Vinotinto won its second ever match in the tournament. They went on to be undefeated, winning their bracket, until losing the quarter-finals to Uruguay 4–1. The tournament was a huge success in bringing the country closer to the National Team. It is said for, a brief moment, football the nations favorite sport. This new enthusiasm towards the team also brought higher expectations of the team as well. When coach Páez resigned, he was replaced with César Farías where he continued Páez's revolution of the National team. He currently is coaching the team and has also helped the youth of Venezuela football players increasing the intensity of play at each level which produces better players for the Vinotinto. Some experts felt that the 2014 World Cup would bring the best and closest chance for the "Vinotinto" to become prominent again at that level.
An under-20 team, an under-17 team, and a women's team also compete.
The Venezuela national under-20 football team was able to qualify for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup after finishing fourth in the hexagonal final, beating teams such as Colombia and Argentina, champions of previous editions of the tournament. In 2017 the Venezuelan team became runners-up in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Football stadiums in Venezuela with a capacity of at least 30,000 StadiumCapacityCityHome teamEstadio Monumental de Maturín52,000MaturínMonagas Sport ClubEstadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara47,913BarquisimetoUnión LaraEstadio Metropolitano de Mérida42,200MéridaEstudiantes de Mérida FCPolideportivo Cachamay41,600Ciudad GuayanaAtlético Club Mineros de GuayanaEstadio José Pachencho Romero40,800MaracaiboUnión Atlético MaracaiboEstadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo38,755San CristóbalDeportivo Táchira Fútbol ClubEstadio José Antonio Anzoátegui37,485Puerto la CruzDeportivo Anzoátegui
Basketball
Behind baseball, the most popular sport in Venezuela was basketball in 2012.Most Popular Sports in Venezuela, mostpopularsports.net, accessed 25 January 2012. Traditionally, the national team has been one of the three elite teams in South America.FIBA Ranking for Men, fiba.com, accessed 25 January 2013 The country hosted the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying tournament and the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship. The (English: Venezuelan Basketball Federation) controls the men's and women's basketball teams. Venezuela has been home to several elite basketball players who have competed in the world's top basketball tournaments and leagues throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. These players include Óscar Torres, Richard Lugo, Carl Herrera and most notably Greivis Vásquez.
The Liga Professional de Baloncesto is the main Venezuelan Basketball League, which features 14 teams.
Arenas
Venezuelan basketball venues with a capacity of at least 10,000:
Attendances
The average attendance per top-flight basketball league season and the club with the highest average attendance:
Season League average Best club Best club average 2017 795 Guaros de Lara 2,285
Source: League page on Wikipedia
Beach volleyball Venezuela featured national teams in beach volleyball that competed at the 2018–2020 CSV Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in both the women's and the men's sections.
Boxing Boxing is a popular sport in Venezuela, with the country having produced several Olympic medalists and professional world champions. Well-known boxers include Betulio González, Rafael Orono, Antonio Cermeño, Antonio Esparragoza, Bernardo Piñango and Edwin Valero. In addition, although not a Venezuelan himself, Colombian Antonio "Kid Pambele" Cervantes, was popular in Venezuela and fought there many times.
Bullfighting