Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sport (aka Futból)
If there's one thing that unites almost all Guatemalans, it is their passion and enthusiasm
for football (soccer). If you'd like a universal talking point, you could do worse than brush
up on your soccer teams. Many Guatemalans keep a keen eye on their local team, the
Guatemalan national team and at least one European team (Barcelona being by far the most
popular Spanish side). Although Guatemalan teams always flop in international competi-
tion, the 10-club Liga Mayor (Major League) national competition is keenly followed by
reasonably large crowds. Two seasons are played each year: the Torneo de Apertura (Open-
ing Tournament) from July to November, and the Torneo de Clausura (Closing Tourna-
ment) from January to May. The two big clubs are Municipal and Comunicaciones, both
from Guatemala City. The 'Classico Gringo' is when teams from Quetzaltenango and An-
tigua (the two big tourist towns) play.
For up-to-the-minute news on the football scene in Guatemala, log on to
www.guatefutbol.com
.
