Popular Sports to Play in Uruguay

Published on January 17, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

When one thinks of Uruguay, the image is often that of a small country wedged between two giants, Brazil and Argentina, with its tranquil beaches and vast plains. But behind this peaceful image lies a sports culture of astonishing density for a country of just over three million inhabitants. Sport here is simultaneously an identity marker, a way of life, and a fantastic playground for travelers who want to move, run, cycle, swim, surf, or simply kick a ball around with the locals.

A Tiny Country, An Immense Sports Culture

Uruguay has approximately 3.5 million inhabitants, with nearly half living in Montevideo and over 95% in the southern half of the country. This doesn’t prevent it from displaying a surprising sports density: 55 registered national federations, 236,000 registered athletes at the end of 2019, an Olympic Committee comprising 34 federations, and a National Sports Confederation that brings together 52.

La Rambla in Montevideo – this coastal promenade stretching over 20 km along the Río de la Plata – perfectly embodies this culture. At any hour, you’ll see runners, cyclists, rollerbladers, beach soccer and volleyball players, or simple walkers. “Healthy spaces” have been set up there, with free outdoor exercise equipment. For a traveler, simply joining in is enough to immediately get into the local sports rhythm.

In this hyperactive setting, several sports stand out as the most popular to practice in Uruguay, each with its own culture, iconic locations, and practice circuits.

Soccer, the King of Sports and a Playground for All

It’s hard to overstate the importance of soccer in Uruguay. Approximately 90% of the population considers themselves passionate about the sport, which, according to international estimates, would make it the most “soccer-addicted” country in the world. It’s a true national obsession: the national team is nicknamed “La Celeste,” the major clubs – Peñarol and Nacional – structure the collective imagination, and hundreds of thousands of people play, watch, or discuss matches every week.

An Elite Tradition that Fuels Mass Participation

On a global scale, Uruguay has been punching above its weight for a century: two World Cups, two Olympic titles, fifteen Copa América titles, clubs with multiple wins of the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup. The Estadio Centenario, built for the 1930 World Cup and designated a FIFA historic football monument, remains the symbol of this history.

Soccer Indicator	Available Data
Registered soccer players	~160,000
Estimated total participants (all levels)	~500,000
Baby fútbol clubs	> 600
Children involved in baby fútbol	> 60,000

Baby fútbol – soccer for 6–13 year-olds – is one of the country’s most powerful institutions. Over 600 clubs form a pyramid encompassing more than 60,000 children, often on dirt fields with sometimes basic conditions but incredible passion. Press articles have estimated that about 85% of boys aged 6 to 13 who play a sport are involved in baby fútbol. Most of Uruguay’s big stars started there.

For adults, soccer takes the form of local leagues, corporate tournaments, informal matches on vacant lots or the beach, and countless amateur clubs. Uruguay even holds a record: it’s the country with the highest number of teams registered with its national federation relative to its population.

Where and How to Play Soccer When Passing Through

The best entry point remains the neighborhood club. In Montevideo, in coastal cities like Punta del Este, La Paloma, or Piriápolis, it’s often enough to walk past a field, watch a practice or an amateur match, to be invited to join a session. Uruguayans are used to mixing locals and foreigners in pick-up games.

For expatriate children or those on an extended stay, the National Children’s Football Organization (ONFI) structures a huge network of baby fútbol competitions. It’s both a sports school and a powerful vehicle for family integration.

Basketball, the Second National Passion and the Quintessential Urban Sport

While soccer occupies center stage, basketball has established itself as the second most popular sport in Uruguay, both in terms of participants and audience. Approximately 80,000 people play it regularly, an impressive number given the country’s size.

An Old Federation, a Modern and Spectacular League

Uruguayan basketball is overseen by the Uruguayan Basketball Federation (FUBB), founded in 1915, and a founding member of FIBA. The men’s national team, also nicknamed “La Celeste,” was long a regional and even world power. Bronze medals at the 1952 (Helsinki) and 1956 (Melbourne) Olympic Games, multiple podium finishes in the South American Championship (including twelve continental titles) have anchored this sport in the national DNA.

On the domestic front, the major transformation came in 2003 with the creation of the Liga Uruguaya de Básquetbol (LUB), a professional league that finally unified clubs from Montevideo and the interior. Before that, the venerable Federal Championship, also created in 1915, only involved the capital, while the rest of the country played separate regional tournaments.

Today, the LUB has established itself as a highly attractive sports product, also attracting foreign players, notably from Argentina and Brazil. The season – typically spanning several months starting in October – fills small neighborhood gyms and fuels local rivalries as intense as those in soccer.

To give an idea of the vitality of this league:

LUB Key Element	Detail
LUB Launch	2003
Sports Format	Regular season, Championship/Relegation phase, play-in, playoffs
Playoff Format	Quarterfinals best of 5, Finals best of 7
Access to Continental Cups	Finalists in BCL Americas, semi-finalists in South American League
Estimated Number of Registered Basketball Players	~80,000

Historic clubs like Defensor Sporting, Aguada, Biguá, Hebraica Macabi, or Malvín dominate the record books, but the promotion/relegation format allows for team turnover and maintains suspense. League stars like Leandro García Morales (record holder for MVP titles) or point guards like Bruno Fitipaldo have helped raise the LUB’s profile beyond borders.

A Network of Neighborhood Clubs to Play Year-Round

On the ground, participation is extremely accessible. Montevideo is literally dotted with gimnasios, these small covered gyms attached to an omnisports club: Aguada, Goes, Biguá, Defensor Sporting, Cordón, Welcome, Malvín, Nacional, Peñarol and many others all have youth academies and time slots for adult amateurs.

For a visitor, two options naturally emerge: go play and go watch.

Basketball Experience	What You Can Do in Uruguay
Recreational Play	Join a neighborhood club, participate in outdoor pick-up games, sign up for a corporate or university league (on an extended stay)
Youth Play	Join a club’s basketball academy, follow summer camps or short clinics
Spectator	Attend an LUB match (especially playoffs), see a national team game when they play in Montevideo

Uruguay has even produced an NBA player: Esteban Batista, a center who played for the Atlanta Hawks, a guiding figure for many young basketball players dreaming of following in his footsteps.

Rugby, the Third Pillar and Symbol of “Garra Charrúa”

Behind the soccer-basketball duo comes a third highly distinctive sport: rugby union. Its geographical spread is more limited – heavily concentrated around Montevideo – but its visibility is high, propelled by the exploits of the national team, “Los Teros,” and by a history both glorious and tragic, linked to the famous crash of the Uruguayan Air Force plane in the Andes in 1972.

A Prestigious Sport, Rooted in Historic Clubs

Introduced in the 19th century by the British, rugby took root via clubs like the Montevideo Cricket Club or educational institutions run by Irish brothers. The creation of the first club championship dates to 1950 and led the following year to the founding of the Uruguay Rugby Union (URU), now affiliated with World Rugby and Sudamérica Rugby.

Internationally, Los Teros have managed to qualify for several Rugby World Cups (1999, 2003, 2015, 2019, 2023 and already qualified for 2027). Their victory against Fiji in 2019, with a score of 30–27, made a global impact and strengthened rugby’s appeal in the country. They are now the second-highest ranked team in the Americas behind Argentina, with a world ranking around the top 15.

Practicing Rugby in Uruguay: A Concentrate of Intensity

Rugby enjoys a certain prestige in Uruguayan society: it is associated with values of discipline, commitment, and solidarity, often linked to the idea of “garra Charrúa,” that legendary combativeness attributed to the national teams.

Rugby in Uruguay	Key Benchmarks
Estimated number of players	~10,000
Governing Body	Unión de Rugby del Uruguay (URU)
Main Venue	Estadio Charrúa (Montevideo, ~14,000 seats)
Professional Experience	Peñarol Rugby franchise in the South American league

To play, clubs like Carrasco Polo, Old Christians, Old Boys, or Trébol offer youth categories, senior teams, and sometimes women’s rugby sevens sections. University tournaments and sevens circuits, notably the Punta del Este Sevens, also give players of all levels the chance to experience a very festive style of rugby.

Cycling: A Lifestyle, Mass Sport, and Exploration Playground

Bicycles hold a special place in Uruguay. They are simultaneously a daily mode of transport, a popular endurance sport, and a fantastic tool for discovering the country. An estimated 200,000 enthusiasts engage in sport cycling, a huge number for such a small country.

Ideal Terrain for Pedaling

Uruguay offers a very gentle geographical profile: plains, barely marked hills, highest point just over 500 m. Roads are generally well-maintained, with light traffic and decent shoulders. Drivers are described as fairly respectful towards cyclists, which makes a big difference in terms of comfort.

Around Montevideo, a large part of the activity is concentrated along the Rambla, which serves as an XXL bike path with views of the Río de la Plata. But on a national scale, several regions are perfectly suited for sport rides or bikepacking:

Road cyclists are particularly visible around Punta del Este, where morning pelotons are common. Inland, many gravel paths allow for trying out gravel riding in peaceful countryside scenery.

A Tradition of Races and a Highly Structured Practice

On the competitive front, Uruguay hosts two major stage races: the Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay and Rutas de América. These events, which pit local clubs against invited teams from the region, have become major fixtures on the South American calendar.

Riders like Milton Wynants, silver medalist in the points race at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, or Mauricio Moreira, winner of the Tour of Portugal in 2022, have helped put Uruguayan cycling on the world map. Once again, the elite nourishes the dreams of amateurs, whether they are children in clubs or weekend warriors.

Uruguayan Cycling

For a visitor, the practice is made easier by the presence of many “bicicleterías” (bike shops) in medium-sized towns, particularly along the coast, and by rental services like “Rent a Bike”, sometimes with the possibility of picking up and dropping off a bike in different regions of the country.

Cycling in Uruguay	Data and Benchmarks
Estimated Enthusiasts	~200,000
Major National Races	Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay, Rutas de América
Major Urban Infrastructure	Rambla de Montevideo (>20 km)
Road Conditions	Generally flat, well-maintained roads, moderate traffic

For those who want to go further, gran fondo type events exist, like the GFNY Colonia (160 km and 80 km starting from Colonia del Sacramento) or the GFNY Punta del Este (146 km and 86 km along the Atlantic). They combine a competitive spirit, camaraderie, and landscape discovery.

Athletics, Running, and Endurance Sports

Athletics is considered the foundation for many sports in Uruguay, and approximately 100,000 people describe themselves as enthusiasts. But beyond stadiums, it’s especially road running that structures popular participation, with a proliferation of 10Ks, half-marathons, and marathons across the country.

A Running Scene in Full Bloom

Montevideo, Piriápolis, Punta del Este, or Maldonado host iconic events: the San Fernando, the Double San Antonio, the San Felipe y Santiago, brand-sponsored 10Ks, and triathlons like the Half Iron Punta or Iron Punta. The Nike 10K Montevideo race, launched in 2000 with 4,000 participants, saw its field double in less than ten years.

In a more organized context, the Athletics Confederation manages a network of clubs and the main stadium, the Pista Darwin Piñeyrúa in Montevideo. The country has won a few medals at the Pan American Games thanks to athletes like Estrella Puente, Ricardo Vera, or Darwin Piñeyrúa.

For a traveler, participating in a local race is an excellent way to immerse oneself in this culture: registration fees remain moderate, courses are often spectacular (crossing the Rambla, hill climbs in Piriápolis, seaside in Punta del Este), and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

Water and Beach Sports: A Playground Along 600 km of Coastline

With over 600 km of coastline on the Atlantic and the Río de la Plata, Uruguay is a discreet paradise for those who love mixing sport and sea. Surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing, open-water swimming, sport fishing: the menu is extensive, without the tourist density of some Brazilian or Argentine spots.

Surf, Windsurf, Kitesurf: The Atlantic as an Experimentation Ground

Surfing took root in the 1950s and now has approximately 30,000 practitioners. The best spots are concentrated on the Atlantic coast: La Paloma, La Pedrera, Cabo Polonio, Punta del Diablo, but also some areas of Punta del Este and José Ignacio. National championships structure the discipline, and surfers like Marco Giorgi give it international visibility.

Windsurfing and kitesurfing follow a comparable trajectory, with an estimated 20,000 and 10,000 enthusiasts respectively. Punta del Este, La Pedrera, or La Barra become playgrounds merging wind, waves, and sun. Competitions like the Punta del Este Windsurfing Open or the Kite Fest bring together the communities of practitioners.

Water Sport	Estimated Number of Enthusiasts	Key Spots
Kayaking	~50,000	Inland rivers, lagoons, sheltered coasts
Surfing	~30,000	La Paloma, La Pedrera, Punta del Diablo, Cabo Polonio
Windsurfing	~20,000	Punta del Este, lagoons, Rocha
Kitesurfing	~10,000	Punta del Este, La Pedrera, La Paloma

In parallel, stand-up paddleboarding is developing in calmer bays, and kayaking enjoys particular success with those who prefer exploring lagoons and estuaries over chasing waves. National kayaking championships also testify to a real competitive level.

Beaches, Swimming, Beach Volley, and the Ultra-Active Coastal Life

Beyond technical disciplines, Uruguay is a country where people spend a lot of time outdoors. The beaches of Montevideo, Canelones department, Maldonado, or Rocha serve as playgrounds for swimming, beach soccer, beach volleyball – the men’s national team has even participated in continental competitions – but also for more relaxed activities like power walking or sunrise yoga.

Sport fishing, on the other hand, comes in freshwater (in rivers like the Río Negro or Río Uruguay) and saltwater (sea bass, corvina, sargo, etc.) varieties, widely practiced by locals but easily accessible to visitors, often through organized trips from fishing ports.

Tennis, Golf, Equestrian, Indoor Sports: The “Club” Offer, Uruguayan-Style

The landscape obviously isn’t limited to the soccer-basketball-rugby trio and endurance sports. Uruguay inherits a tradition of European-style sports clubs, especially in Montevideo, where you’ll find tennis, gymnastics, swimming, paddle tennis, golf, martial arts, fitness, CrossFit, etc.

Tennis and Racket Sports

Tennis is described as “moderately popular” but well-represented in Montevideo and major cities: clubs like the Círculo de Tenis de Montevideo or the Lawn Tennis Club de Carrasco offer courts, youth academies, internal tournaments. Players like Marcelo Filippini or Pablo Cuevas, who reached the world top 30, have served as role models for new generations.

Golf and Equestrian

Golf is developing around courses like those in Montevideo or along the coast, while the Uruguay Open attracts good-level players. The country has produced an internationally renowned golfer like Fay Crocker.

Fitness, Gyms, and Club Life

Montevideo, like the main coastal cities, has a dense network of gyms: weight training, cardio, group classes (Zumba, step, Pilates), CrossFit, boxing, martial arts… Prices can seem high (some gyms advertise memberships between 50 and 100 USD per month, often with a minimum commitment of several months), but the offering is vast.

Family-friendly omnisports clubs, sometimes with a pool and summer camps for children, complement this landscape. They offer an ideal environment for those who want to combine sports practice, socialization, and neighborhood life.

A Very Sporty Youth… But Not Active Enough

On the surface, Uruguay is a country where children play soccer in the street, where teenagers go to basketball or rugby practice several times a week, and where school sports are well-established. Yet, national assessments on youth physical activity paint a more nuanced picture.

The 2018 and then 2022 “Report Cards,” which grade ten key indicators of physical activity in children and adolescents (from A to F), delivered mixed results.

Indicator (Uruguayan Youth)	2022 Grade	Key Data
Overall Physical Activity	F	13.8% of 13–17 year-olds meet the recommended 60 min/day (18.8% boys, 9.5% girls)
Participation in Organized Sports	F	16% of 6–19 year-olds enrolled in a federated sport (27% boys, 4.6% girls)
Active Transportation	C	50.5% of 13–15 year-olds walk or bike to school ≥4 days/week
Sedentary Behaviors	D+	37.1% meet screen time recommendations
School Environment	B+	Mandatory physical education, 73–75% class attendance
Community and Environment	C-	42.4% play sports in public facilities
Government	C	Seven national laws mention physical activity, five targeting childhood

In short, despite a strong sports culture, a significant proportion of youth does not move enough and remains too sedentary, particularly girls and adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds. Access to federated clubs, sometimes costly and geographically concentrated, plays a role, as does increased competition from screens.

For a traveler, this reality isn’t necessarily apparent: one mostly perceives the intensity of the most visible sports. But it explains why Uruguay invests so much in open infrastructure, events accessible to all, and communication around the benefits of physical activity.

How to Enjoy This Sports Culture When Visiting Uruguay?

For those who love to move, Uruguay is a particularly pleasant playground, with a few characteristics that make the difference: relative safety, density of clubs, reasonable cost of many activities, favorable climate, and constant proximity to the sea or wide-open spaces.

Without providing an exhaustive list, the possibilities can be summarized as follows:

One of Uruguay’s strengths also lies in the fact that you can very quickly switch from one discipline to another: on the same weekend, it’s possible to run a road race, play an indoor basketball game, then go surfing or join a bike ride along the coast.

A Small Country, A Big Sports Field

In a country where most national teams play in sky blue, sport is much more than mere entertainment. It serves as a social cement, a symbolic elevator, and sometimes an economic springboard. From the improvised field of a baby fútbol club to the lights of the Liga Uruguaya de Básquetbol gyms, from cycling pelotons speeding along coastal roads to the rugby players of Los Teros challenging world giants, Uruguay offers a sporting palette of unexpected richness.