Sports of Argentina
South America
Widely played in Argentina
Aerobatics
From Russia
Aviation sport of performing acrobatic maneuvers in aircraft — loops, rolls, spins, tumbles, inverted flight. Governed by FAI CIVA (Commission Internationale de Voltige Aérienne). World Aerobatic Championships biennial since 1960; Red Bull Air Race (2003-2019) popularized. Iconic aircraft: Extra 300, Sukhoi Su-26, Pitts Special.
Air Hockey
From United States
Two-player table game invented in 1969 — players use mallets (paddles/pushers) to slide a lightweight puck across a low-friction air-cushioned table, defending their own goal and shooting into the opponent's; first to 7 goals wins.
Apex Legends
From United States
Hero-based battle royale by Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall studio) — 20 squads of 3 drop onto shrinking map; each 'Legend' has unique abilities. Innovated with SLIDE MOVEMENT + PING COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. ALGS (Apex Legends Global Series) is $5M+/year esports circuit. 100M+ players since 2019 launch.
Artistic Swimming
From Germany
Olympic aquatic sport blending swimming, dance, and gymnastics — athletes perform elaborate choreographed routines to music (solo, duet, team of 8-10) in pool with judged difficulty + artistic impression + execution. Renamed from Synchronized Swimming 2017. Historically women's-only; men added 2024.
Basketball
From United States
A five-a-side team sport in which players score by throwing an inflated ball through a 10-foot-high hoop.
BMX
From United States
Bicycle motocross — high-intensity 20-inch-wheel bike sport spanning motocross-style racing on 8-rider tracks with jumps, and freestyle disciplines (park, dirt jump, street, flatland, vert).
BMX Freestyle
From United States
Extreme cycling discipline on 20-inch BMX bikes performing tricks, spins, flips, and grinds on parks (bowls, ramps, boxes), streets (rails, ledges, stairs), dirt jumps, or flatland — judged on difficulty, style, and combination.
Bocce
From Italy
Ancient Italian outdoor precision ball game — teams roll/toss weighted resin balls toward a smaller target ball (pallino) on a long narrow court; closest team scores; first team to 12 or 13 wins.
Boxing
From United Kingdom
Two fighters in a roped square trade punches — win by knockout, technical stoppage or points over 3-12 timed rounds.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
From Brazil
Ground-based grappling martial art focused on submissions and positional control, developed by the Gracie family in Brazil from Japanese Judo and Ju-jutsu in the 1920s-30s.
Canasta
From Uruguay
Rummy-family card game invented 1939 by Segundo Santos + Alberto Serrato in Montevideo, Uruguay. Uses 2 standard decks + 4 jokers (108 cards). Players form MELDS (3+ cards same rank) — CANASTA = 7-card meld (500 pts natural, 300 mixed). Massive American craze 1948-1953. Partnership Canasta (4 players) standard. Cult classic; declining but active online.
Chess
From India
A two-player strategy game on an 8×8 board — checkmate the enemy king before your own falls.
EA Sports FC
From Canada
The world's most successful football (soccer) simulation — annual release by EA Sports. Renamed from FIFA to EA Sports FC in 2023 after EA-FIFA partnership ended. Ultimate Team mode dominates gameplay; over 150M lifetime FIFA/FC players; largest sports simulation esport.
Endurance Riding
From United States
Long-distance equestrian racing 40-160 km (25-100 mi) over 1 day; horse welfare central via mandatory vet checks. Modern sport originated Tevis Cup 1955 (100 miles / 24 hours California Sierra Nevada). FEI governs internationally. Dominant: UAE (Sheikh Mohammed patronage), USA, Australia. Arabian horses preferred for endurance.
Field Hockey
From United Kingdom
Eleven-a-side stick-and-ball team sport played on artificial turf — flick, push and hit a hard ball into a caged goal using a J-shaped stick.
Football
From United Kingdom
The world's most popular team sport — two sides of eleven aim to score more goals than the opponent using any part of the body except the arms and hands.
Formula 1
From United Kingdom
The pinnacle of open-wheel single-seater motor racing — 20 drivers, 10 teams, 24 grands prix, one world championship.
Fortnite
From United States
Free-to-play battle-royale shooter in which 100 players parachute onto a shrinking island, gather weapons and materials, build defensive structures, and fight until only one player or squad remains.
Futsal
From Uruguay
5-a-side indoor football played on a hard court with a smaller heavier ball that barely bounces — 2 halves of 20 minutes, faster tempo than football, developed in Uruguay/Brazil (1930s), core to Brazilian football technique development.
Gaelic Football
From Ireland
Irish team sport played 15-a-side with a round ball on a 130-145m pitch, combining elements of football, rugby, and Australian rules — score by kicking under the crossbar (goal, 3 points) or over (point, 1 point).
Gin Rummy
From United States
Fast 2-player card game invented in 1909 in New York — race to form sets (3-4 same rank) and runs (3+ same suit consecutive) in your 10-card hand, then 'knock' when unmatched cards total 10 or fewer, or shout 'Gin!' with all matched.
Hang Gliding
From Germany
Air sport in which a pilot flies a rigid-framed delta-wing aircraft, launched by running down a slope, controlled by shifting body weight relative to the wing while suspended in a harness underneath.
Hearthstone
From United States
Digital collectible card game by Blizzard set in Warcraft universe — 1v1 duels between 30-card decks; heroes with unique powers + game modes (Standard, Wild, Battlegrounds, Arena, Duels, Mercenaries). 100M+ players lifetime; pioneering digital CCG that inspired hundreds of imitators.
Hopscotch
From Italy
Ancient children's game found across world cultures in which players toss a marker (stone/beanbag) into numbered squares chalked on the ground, then hop through the pattern without stepping on lines or the marker.
Hurling
From Ireland
Ireland's ancient national sport — 15 vs 15 played with a wooden hurley and a small leather sliotar, described by some as 'the fastest field game in the world'.
Jai Alai
From Spain
Explosive Basque ball sport — players hurl 125g pelota at 300+ km/h against 3-walled court using curved wicker cesta strapped to arm. World's fastest ball sport by verified ball speed. Popular in Basque Country, Spain, France, Florida, Philippines.
Jet Ski Racing
From United States
High-speed motorized water sport — riders race Personal Watercraft (Jet Skis, WaveRunners) around buoyed course at 100+ km/h; disciplines include Ski (standing), Runabout (sitting), and Freestyle (aerial tricks). UIM Aquabike World Championship since 1996.
Karting
From United States
Open-wheel motorsport with small four-wheeled vehicles ('karts'). Modern karting invented 1956 by Art Ingels (California). Standard training ground for Formula 1 drivers — Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen all started karting. FIA-sanctioned World Karting Championship + amateur leagues globally.
Kho Kho
From India
Traditional Indian tag sport in which one team of 9 chasers try to tag runners from the opposing team on a rectangular field, using seated relay-style handoffs and directional running.
Kitesurfing
From France
Extreme water sport combining surfing + kite flying + wakeboarding — rider stands on small board (kiteboard or surfboard) while being pulled across water by large controllable power kite; jumps 10-30m high, back-rolls, kite-loops. Olympic sport since Paris 2024 (Formula Kite class).
Liar's Dice
From Peru
Bluffing dice game descended from South American origins in which players secretly roll dice under cups, make escalating bids on the total count of a given face across all players' dice, then challenge with 'Liar!' or higher bid.
Ludo
From India
Beloved family race game — 2-4 players race 4 tokens each around cross-shaped board from home to center goal. Derived from ancient Indian PACHISI (~6th c). British 'Ludo' patented 1896; global adaptations: Parcheesi (USA), Parchís (Spain), Mensch ärgere Dich nicht (Germany), Ludo King mobile app (2016) reignited global craze during COVID-19.
Motocross
From United Kingdom
Off-road motorcycle racing on closed dirt circuits with jumps, whoops, and berms, contested in short heats over 30-40 minutes plus 2 laps.
MotoGP
From United Kingdom
Premier class of motorcycle road racing — 1,000 cc four-stroke prototype bikes race on closed circuits worldwide at speeds exceeding 350 km/h.
Padel
From Mexico
Fast-growing racket sport played in doubles on an enclosed 20×10m glass-and-mesh court where the ball can bounce off walls — hybrid of tennis and squash.
Pandemic
From United States
Iconic COOPERATIVE modern board game by Matt Leacock (Z-Man Games, 2008) — 2-4 players work TOGETHER as disease specialists racing to cure 4 diseases before outbreaks destroy the world. Revolutionized cooperative board gaming; Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 (2015) is BoardGameGeek's #1 game of all time. 8M+ copies sold.
Pétanque
From France
French outdoor precision ball game — players throw hollow steel balls (boules) toward a small wooden target ball (cochonnet or jack) from a stationary circle; closest ball scores; first team to 13 wins.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
From Japan
World's #2 collectible card game — 2 players battle using decks of 60 Pokémon + Trainer cards. Launched Japan 1996; global explosion via Pokémon franchise; 43+ billion cards printed by 2023. Pokémon TCG World Championships since 2004; Charizard rare cards sold for $420,000+; annual sales $1B+.
Polo
From Iran
Team equestrian sport — 4 mounted players per team hit small wooden ball toward goal using long-handled mallets. Ancient origins ~600 BC Persia + Central Asia; modern rules codified 1859 by British in India (Silchar Polo Club). Field 274 × 183m — largest team sport playing field. Governed by FIP; iconic in Argentina (top players + most-decorated), UK (Cowdray Park), USA, India.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
From South Korea
The battle royale that started the genre — 100 players parachute onto shrinking island; scavenge weapons + gear; last player/squad standing wins. Brendan 'PlayerUnknown' Greene created it 2017 based on Battle Royale novel/film. Spawned Fortnite, Warzone, Apex Legends. PUBG Global Championship + PUBG Mobile Global.
Racquetball
From United States
Fast indoor court sport played with a stringed racquet and a hollow rubber ball on a fully-enclosed 40×20×20 ft court — every wall (including ceiling) is in play.
Risk
From France
Classic strategy board game of global military conquest for 2-6 players in which armies dice-battle across a stylized world map of 42 territories on 6 continents.
Roblox
From United States
Massively multiplayer online game creation and gameplay platform where users build, share, and play millions of user-generated 3D 'experiences' — from social hangouts to obstacle courses to full RPGs.
Rock Paper Scissors
From China
World's most-played hand game — 2+ players simultaneously make 1 of 3 hand shapes (Rock, Paper, or Scissors). Rock crushes Scissors; Scissors cuts Paper; Paper covers Rock. Origins in ancient China (~200 BC 'shoushiling'); modernized Japan Edo era (jan-ken); global dispute-resolution tool. World RPS Society championships since 2002; $10K+ prizes.
Rocket League
From United States
'Soccer with rocket-powered cars' — Psyonix's beloved vehicular football; 3-vs-3 teams driving cars with jumps + boost + aerial flips to hit oversized ball into goals. Massive esports scene (RLCS); simple concept + deep skill ceiling; considered greatest hybrid sports game ever.
Rugby Union
From United Kingdom
Fifteen-a-side full-contact team sport played with an oval ball — carry, pass and kick it to score tries and goals against the opposition.
Rummikub
From Israel
Tile-based rummy game for 2-4 players invented in 1930s Romania by Ephraim Hertzano; players race to be first to lay down all their tiles by forming sets (same number, different colours) and runs (consecutive numbers, same colour).
Rummy
From Mexico
Card-matching game where players draw and discard to form sets (three of a kind) and runs (three consecutive same-suit cards), aiming to shed all cards from hand.
Shot Put
From United Kingdom
Ancient throwing event in athletics — athletes 'put' (push) a metal shot (7.26 kg men / 4 kg women) as far as possible from a 2.135m diameter circle using explosive rotational or gliding technique.
Show Jumping
From Ireland
Olympic equestrian sport in which a horse-and-rider partnership navigates a course of 12-15 fences within a time limit, incurring penalties for knocked poles, refusals, and time over.
Snakes and Ladders
From India
Universal children's board game — 2-4 players race tokens from square 1 to 100 by rolling dice; ladders shortcut up, snakes drop you down. Originally ancient Indian MOKSHA PATAM (~2nd c BC) with SPIRITUAL/KARMA themes teaching virtue vs vice. British Victorian adaptation 1892; Milton Bradley 'Chutes and Ladders' 1943.
Snooker
From India
Cue sport played on a 12×6 ft green baize table with 15 red balls, 6 coloured balls, and 1 white cue ball — pot reds and colours in strict alternation to score, break of 147 is the maximum.
Tennis
From United Kingdom
One-on-one (or doubles) racket sport played over a low net — win points by making the ball bounce untouchable in the opponent's court.
Texas Hold'em Poker
From United States
World's most popular poker variant — 2-10 players receive 2 hole cards + share 5 community cards. Best 5-card poker hand wins pot. Exploded globally via 2003 WSOP Chris Moneymaker win + online poker boom + televised broadcasts. WSOP Main Event $10K buy-in draws 10,000+ players; $10M+ prizes.
Valorant
From United States
5-vs-5 tactical first-person shooter esport by Riot Games — combines CS-style bomb defusal with hero-shooter abilities (23 unique 'Agents' with signature powers), on maps designed for precise gunplay + tactical utility use.
Volleyball
From United States
6-a-side team sport where players use hands and forearms to send a ball over a high net, aiming to ground it on the opposing side within three touches.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar
From United Kingdom
Games Workshop's high-fantasy tabletop miniature wargame — successor to Warhammer Fantasy Battle after 2015 'End Times' reboot. Stormcast Eternals + Sylvaneth + Skaven + Nighthaunt + Ogor Mawtribes + 20+ factions battle across Mortal Realms. 4th Edition launched 2024. Sister game to Warhammer 40k.
Water Skiing
From United States
Water sport where rider on skis is towed behind a motorboat via handle attached to towrope; disciplines include Slalom (zigzag through buoys), Trick (rotations + flips), and Jump (ramp launches for distance). Invented 1922 USA; peak popularity 1950s-80s. Barefoot skiing + wakeboarding are related.
Wushu
From China
Modern Chinese martial art with two competition disciplines — Taolu (choreographed forms judged on technique + artistry) and Sanda (full-contact combat with punches, kicks, throws, and takedowns) — descended from thousands of years of traditional Kung Fu.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
From Japan
World's #3 collectible card game — 2 players duel with decks of 40-60 monster/spell/trap cards. Based on manga/anime by Kazuki Takahashi (1996). Launched Japan 1999; global anime boom 2001+. Guinness Record most sold TCG (2011): 25.1+ billion cards sold; Blue-Eyes White Dragon + Dark Magician iconic; Konami owns rights.