The Most Popular Sports in Argentina (Top 22 Ranked)

Running / Jogging leads Argentina with 50.3 share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since march 2020 and named the sport am

This page ranks the sports of Argentina by one number that is collected the same way for all of them: Argentina’s Observatorio Social del Deporte, created between the Ministerio de Turismo y Deportes and UNSAM, ran a nationally representative household survey (ENAFYD 2021) that asked everyone who had done any sport or physical activity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 to name every activity practiced. It is the only source found that reports one comparable percentage across many individually named sports for Argentina as a whole. The figures come from Observatorio Social del Deporte (Ministerio de Turismo y Deportes / UNSAM), Encuesta Nacional sobre Actividad Física y Deporte (ENAFYD) 2021.

Running / Jogging is on top, followed by Football (Soccer) and Strength Training (Musculación). The full table below covers 22 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.

The Most Popular Sports in Argentina

The table counts share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since march 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed), not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable. The listed sports account for 2,547 of the 5,002 people surveyed nationally (50.9%) reported practicing sport or physical activity between March 2020 and July/August 2021. The percentages in this file are the share of these 2,547 practitioners who named each activity, multiple responses allowed. in total. The reference year is 2021.

#	Sport	Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed)	Governing body
1	Running / Jogging	50.3	Confederación Argentina de Atletismo (CADA)
2	Football (Soccer)	37.2	Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA)
3	Strength Training (Musculación)	15.0	Federación Argentina de Powerlifting
4	Volleyball	9.8	Federación del Voleibol Argentino (FeVA)
5	Swimming	9.3	Confederación Argentina de Deportes Acuáticos (CADDA)
6	Boxing	8.8	Federación Argentina de Box (FAB)
7	Padel	7.8	Federación Argentina de Pádel (FAP)
8	Basketball	6.8	Confederación Argentina de Básquetbol (CABB)
9	Tennis	6.2	Asociación Argentina de Tenis (AAT)
10	Handball	4.4	Confederación Argentina de Handball (CAH)
11	Taekwondo	4.0	Federación Argentina de Taekwondo (FAT)
12	Karate	4.0	Confederación Argentina de Karate
13	Table Tennis	3.9	Federación Argentina de Tenis de Mesa (FATeM)
14	Rugby	3.8	Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR)
15	Field Hockey	3.6	Confederación Argentina de Hockey (CAH)
16	Pelota Paleta (Basque Paddleball)	2.4	Federación Argentina de Pelota
17	Surfing	2.1	Confederación Argentina de Surf (CAS)
18	Diving	2.1	Confederación Argentina de Actividades Subacuáticas (CADAS)
19	Squash	1.9	Asociación Argentina de Squash (AAS)
20	Golf	1.8	Asociación Argentina de Golf (AAG)
21	Kitesurfing	1.4	Confederación Argentina de Surf (CAS)
22	Sailing	1.1	Federación Argentina de Yachting (FAY)

One caveat applies to every ranking of this kind: someone who plays two sports is counted twice, once in each federation, and sports people mostly do on their own, such as running or hiking, barely show up at all.

Most Played and Most Watched Are Not the Same Sport

Membership and license numbers tell you what people do. Audience figures tell you what they watch, and the two lists rarely have the same sport on top.

Sport	Figure	What it measures
Football	63.77	The 2022 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France set an all time domestic television audience record in Argentina.

Is There a National Sport of Argentina?

• El Pato. El Pato has been Argentina’s legally designated national sport since 1953, a status reaffirmed by national law in 2017.
• Football. Football is widely treated as Argentina’s de facto national sport based on participation data, even though it holds no separate legal designation as such.

Sports That Were Invented in Argentina

• El Pato. El Pato originated among the gauchos of Argentina’s pampas and was already played in colonial Buenos Aires by the early seventeenth century.

#1 Running / Jogging

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 50.3 (Confederación Argentina de Atletismo (CADA), 2021)

Running was named by 50.3 percent of Argentines who practiced sport or physical activity in the 2021 national survey, the single highest share of any activity tracked individually in the report.

The survey’s own text describes running as chiefly a recreational activity done outside organized competition, distinct from the federated sports also covered in the same table, such as football and rugby.

#2 Football (Soccer)

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 37.2 (Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA), 2021)
• Top national league: Copa de la Liga Profesional de Fútbol (Primera División)
• Best known athlete: Lionel Messi. Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, the country’s third, and became the first player to win the tournament’s Golden Ball award twice, in 2014 and 2022

Football was named by 37.2 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, and the report itself states that football is clearly the most practiced sport in Argentina, ahead of every other organized discipline it tracks.

Lionel Messi captained the national team to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, Argentina’s third and its first since 1986, and became the first player to win the tournament’s Golden Ball award twice, first in 2014 and again in 2022.

#3 Strength Training (Musculación)

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 15.0 (Federación Argentina de Powerlifting, 2021)

Strength training was named by 15.0 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the third highest share of any activity in the report and the highest among activities usually done in gyms.

No individually sourced and quote verified competitive record for this discipline in Argentina could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#4 Volleyball

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 9.8 (Federación del Voleibol Argentino (FeVA), 2021)
• Top national league: Liga Argentina de Voleibol (LAV)
• Best known athlete: Facundo Conte. Conte led Argentina’s scoring in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where the men’s team beat Brazil 3-2 for the country’s second Olympic volleyball medal

Volleyball is the most practiced team sport in Argentina after football, named by 9.8 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, ahead of basketball, handball, rugby and hockey.

Facundo Conte led Argentina’s scoring in the men’s bronze medal match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where the team beat Brazil 3-2 at the Ariake Arena to win the country’s second Olympic volleyball medal, its first since Seoul 1988.

#5 Swimming

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 9.3 (Confederación Argentina de Deportes Acuáticos (CADDA), 2021)

Swimming was named by 9.3 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, close behind volleyball among individually tracked disciplines.

No individually sourced and quote verified international swimming result for Argentina could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#6 Boxing

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 8.8 (Federación Argentina de Box (FAB), 2021)
• Best known athlete: Carlos Monzón. Monzón, world middleweight champion from 1970, had what a boxing historian described as a career spanning 15 years and 100 bouts, scoring a then record 14 defenses of his title before retiring in 1977

Boxing was named by 8.8 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the most practiced individual combat sport in the report, ahead of taekwondo and karate.

Carlos Monzón is the sport’s best known Argentine champion. He held the world middleweight title from 1970, and a boxing historian credits him with a then record 14 title defenses over a career of 100 bouts before he retired in 1977.

#7 Padel

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 7.8 (Federación Argentina de Pádel (FAP), 2021)

Padel was named by 7.8 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the most practiced racquet or paddle sport in the report, ahead of tennis and table tennis.

No individually sourced and quote verified record for an Argentine padel player could be confirmed against a working primary or non-forbidden source in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#8 Basketball

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 6.8 (Confederación Argentina de Básquetbol (CABB), 2021)
• Top national league: Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB)
• Best known athlete: Manu Ginóbili. Ginóbili led Argentina to gold at the Athens 2004 Olympics, the country’s only Olympic basketball title, and won four NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014

Basketball was named by 6.8 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the second most practiced team sport with a ball after football and volleyball.

Manu Ginóbili led Argentina to gold at the Athens 2004 Olympics, the country’s only Olympic basketball title, and won four NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs, in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.

#9 Tennis

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 6.2 (Asociación Argentina de Tenis (AAT), 2021)

Tennis was named by 6.2 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the second most practiced racquet sport after padel.

No individually sourced and quote verified fact about a specific Argentine tennis player could be confirmed against a working source in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#10 Handball

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 4.4 (Confederación Argentina de Handball (CAH), 2021)

Handball was named by 4.4 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, placing it just ahead of taekwondo, karate, table tennis, rugby and hockey among team and combat sports tracked individually.

No individually sourced and quote verified competitive record for Argentine handball could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#11 Taekwondo

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 4.0 (Federación Argentina de Taekwondo (FAT), 2021)

Taekwondo was named by 4.0 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the second most practiced combat sport in the report after boxing.

No individually sourced and quote verified international taekwondo result for Argentina could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#12 Karate

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 4.0 (Confederación Argentina de Karate, 2021)

Karate was named by 4.0 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, level with taekwondo in the report’s table of individually tracked activities.

No individually sourced and quote verified international karate result for Argentina could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#13 Table Tennis

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 3.9 (Federación Argentina de Tenis de Mesa (FATeM), 2021)

Table tennis was named by 3.9 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the third most practiced racquet or paddle sport after padel and tennis.

No individually sourced and quote verified competitive record for Argentine table tennis could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#14 Rugby

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 3.8 (Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR), 2021)
• Best known athlete: Agustín Pichot. Pichot captained Los Pumas to the bronze medal at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, the team’s best finish to date, and was later inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame

Rugby was named by 3.8 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, placing it just ahead of hockey among the report’s individually tracked team sports.

Agustín Pichot captained Los Pumas to the bronze medal at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, still the national team’s best finish, and was later inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

#15 Field Hockey

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 3.6 (Confederación Argentina de Hockey (CAH), 2021)

Field hockey was named by 3.6 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the least practiced of the team sports with a ball tracked individually in the report.

No individually sourced and quote verified fact about a specific Argentine field hockey player could be confirmed against a working source in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#16 Pelota Paleta (Basque Paddleball)

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 2.4 (Federación Argentina de Pelota, 2021)

Pelota paleta was named by 2.4 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the fourth most practiced racquet or paddle sport in the report.

No individually sourced and quote verified competitive record for the sport in Argentina could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#17 Surfing

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 2.1 (Confederación Argentina de Surf (CAS), 2021)

Surfing was named by 2.1 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, level with diving and ahead of squash, golf, kitesurfing and sailing among the water and racquet sports listed individually.

No individually sourced and quote verified competitive record for Argentine surfing could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#18 Diving

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 2.1 (Confederación Argentina de Actividades Subacuáticas (CADAS), 2021)

Diving was named by 2.1 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, level with surfing among the report’s individually listed water sports.

No individually sourced and quote verified competitive record for Argentine diving could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#19 Squash

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 1.9 (Asociación Argentina de Squash (AAS), 2021)

Squash was named by 1.9 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, placing it between diving and golf among the report’s individually listed sports.

No individually sourced and quote verified competitive record for Argentine squash could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#20 Golf

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 1.8 (Asociación Argentina de Golf (AAG), 2021)

Golf was named by 1.8 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, one of the less commonly named individual sports in the report.

No individually sourced and quote verified fact about a specific Argentine golf player could be confirmed against a working source in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#21 Kitesurfing

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 1.4 (Confederación Argentina de Surf (CAS), 2021)

Kitesurfing was named by 1.4 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, one of the least practiced sports individually tracked in the report.

No individually sourced and quote verified competitive record for Argentine kitesurfing could be confirmed in time for this file, so no athlete is listed here.

#22 Sailing

• Share of survey respondents who practiced sport or physical activity since March 2020 and named the sport among the activities they did (multiple responses allowed): 1.1 (Federación Argentina de Yachting (FAY), 2021)
• Best known athlete: Santiago Lange. Lange won Nacra 17 mixed multihull gold with Cecilia Carranza Saroli at the Rio 2016 Olympics, a year after losing a lung to cancer, and at 54 was the oldest competitor in Olympic sailing that year

Sailing was named by 1.1 percent of the people who practiced sport in the 2021 national survey, the least practiced sport listed individually in the report.

Santiago Lange won Nacra 17 mixed multihull gold with Cecilia Carranza Saroli at the Rio 2016 Olympics, a year after losing a lung to cancer, and at 54 was the oldest competitor in Olympic sailing that year.

Sources

• Observatorio Social del Deporte (Ministerio de Turismo y Deportes / UNSAM), Encuesta Nacional sobre Actividad Física y Deporte (ENAFYD) 2021
• El Destape, citing Argentine television ratings for the World Cup final broadcast
• Honorable Congreso de la Nación Argentina, Ley 27.368
• Argentina.gob.ar, official government page on El Pato
• Observatorio Social del Deporte, ENAFYD 2021
• Observatorio Social del Deporte, ENAFYD 2021
• Observatorio Social del Deporte, ENAFYD 2021
• Observatorio Social del Deporte, ENAFYD 2021
• Observatorio Social del Deporte, ENAFYD 2021
• Observatorio Social del Deporte, ENAFYD 2021

Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.

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