POPULAR SPORTS IN PERU

Soccer comes close to religion in Peru. Almost everybody in the

country watches soccer, talks about soccer Kids play on the street,
adults play in the parks, and knows what Peru’s chances are to qualify
for the FIFA WORLD CUP every four years. When the national team
is playing, the country shuts down. Lima has two teams:
Alianza and Universitario. The Peruvian National Football team has
played in the FIFA World Cup 5 times, and won two Copa America
trophies. After 34 years of disappointment, Peru was in a World Cup
in Russia 2018.

Another popular sport in Peru is women’s volleyball. The national

team frequently reached World Cup and Olympic finals. Perhaps the
most memorable moment in Peru’s sporting history came at the Seoul
1988 Summer Olympics. The national team with several stars such
as Cecilia Tait, Gabriela Pérez del Solar, Natalia Málaga, etc. brought
Peru to the final against the mighty team from the former Soviet
Union. The gold medal match lasted all five sets, with the USSR
coming from behind to claim the gold and leave the Peruvian team
with the silver. But losing in the final match was not a disappointment
for the team, or for the country. In a nation where soccer dominates
the news, the women’s volleyball silver medalists were on the front
cover of every newspaper and magazine and were welcomed home
with a massive parade. By beating teams from the United States,
Brazil and China on the way to the final, Malaga and her teammates
became immortalized in Peru’s sports history.