Minas Gerais - Sports

Sports

As in the rest of Brazil, football is the most popular sport among locals. Belo Horizonte has two of the most successful teams in the country, and the city also has one of the biggest football stadiums in the world, the Mineirão, opened in 1965.

The older Independência Stadium hosted a legendary victory of the United States World Cup Team 1950 in a 1-0 triumph over England. See England v United States (1950) and

Mineirão and Independência Stadium are closed for renovation to 2014 World Cup, so all Belo Horizonte's teams are playing in Sete Lagoas, the stadium is called "Arena do Jacaré".

Atlético Mineiro, which is also called by its nickname and mascot "Galo" (rooster) is one of the oldest football clubs in the city and was founded in 1908. Atlético Mineiro Brazilian championship in 1971, and has also won two CONMEBOL Cups (nowadays called Copa Sudamericana) and 41 State Championships. The team has suffered through very difficult times recently and was relegated to the Brazilian Série B. However, the club won the championship in 2006 and is back to Série A in 2007.

Cruzeiro was founded in 1921 by the members of the local Italian community. Cruzeiro has been one of Brazil's most successful clubs in the 1970s, 1990s and early 2000s, winning 4 National Cups in 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2003, 2 National League in 1966 and 2003, 2 Copa Libertadores in 1976 and 1997, and 2 Supercopa Libertadores in 1991 and 1992, and 36 State Championships. Cruzeiro also was elected the most successful Brazilian team in last century by IFFHS. In 2003, Cruzeiro won the triple crown, when the team won the National League, National Cups and State Championships. Cruzeiro are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated in the National League

The city is also home to América Mineiro, which has its own playing field, the Independência Stadium. It was a major team in Brazil decades ago, but passed three years striving to leave Brazilian League Série C. Things came worse at the beginning of 2007. The team was relegated to the Módulo II of Campeonato Mineiro, for the first time in its history and did not even qualify for playing the Série C, being completely out of Campeonato Brasileiro in 2008. It was 15 times state champion (ten of then in a row), the last was in 2001, also won the National League second division in 1997 and the Sul-Minas Cup in 2000. The club is playing Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A.

Besides football, Belo Horizonte has one of the largest attendances at volleyball matches in the whole country. Crowds usually go to Mineirinho in order to watch either the Brazil national volleyball team or Minas Tênis Clube matches.

Minas Tênis Clube is a sport association with various modalities, and its volleyball team has some of the most advanced training facilities in the country. Besides Mineirinho, the clubs also plays on its own ground, the modern Vivo Arena. Both its male and female volleyball teams have already won the Brazilian Superleague of Volleyball titles.

Belo Horizonte is one of the 12 chosen cities to host games of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, that will be hosted by Brazil.

Belo Horizonte is also one of the cities chosen to co-host the Soccer Games of the 2016 Olympic Games that will be held in Rio de Janeiro. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília and Salvador are the other cities chosen to host the Soccer Games.