Most Americans have a relatively brief relationship with volleyball. They play it for the first time in 5th grade as part of a school team. A select few might play all the way through high school, and fewer yet will bring their love for the game to the collegiate level.
Then—crickets. It’s not necessarily for lack of effort. The opportunity goes away. Adult life leaves little room for recreational sports and there aren’t many opportunities to watch volleyball on television.
What about in Mexico? It’s no secret that soccer is king in Mexico. After all, the most popular Mexican soccer teamsoften dominate North American competitions. Mexico has featured in the World Cup more than sixteen times and has produced soccer stars that won important trophies in Europe.
However, do you know they also have a vibrant volleyball culture that people seem to have been sleeping on?
How Popular is Volleyball in Mexico?
While it would be nice to say that volleyball is the gigantic hit it deserves to be in Mexico, that’s not quite the case. Current stats put volleyball as the sixth most popular sport in the country.
For context that means it is about as popular as soccer or golf in the United States. Not obscure but also not the talk of the town.
That said, the game has been developing steadily over the last fifty years. Readers in the United States might equate the current attitude toward that of WNBA basketball. When asked about the state of the league, an American sports fan couldn’t accurately say that the W is on top of the world. They would almost certainly say that interest is on the rise.
So too with volleyball in Mexico. The sport began to gain national traction in the mid-20th century when the men’s volleyball team placed second in the 1955 Pan American Games.
It gained a little more attention in the 1968 Olympic Games, hosted in Mexico City, where volleyball made its second-ever appearance.
More recently, the women’s team won the NORCECA, defeating defending champions Puerto Rico on the final day of competition to land the win.
Amateur participation in the sport is also healthy. More than one million people report playing volleyball in Mexico.
Beach volleyball does have a slightly stronger presence. This specialized subcategory of the sport is very popular in Mexico. In fact, Mexico hosted the Beach Volleyball Championship in 2024.
Where is volleyball most popular?
Brazil is a global volleyball leader both in terms of interest and achievement. The only sport that attracts more attention is soccer.
The Brazilian men’s team ranks within the top five globally. Their women’s team sits near the top of global rankings.
Brazil’s dominance shows in Olympic medals. They’ve medaled gold five times in Olympic history. At major tournaments, Brazilian fans fill arenas and create electric atmospheres that rival soccer matches.
The country’s professional leagues attract top talent from around the world. Stars like Giba and Serginho became household names in Brazil. That’s just not the case in the United States where most people couldn’t even name anyone from the 2024 Paris team.
Every weekend, thousands pack gyms across the country to watch professional matches. Television ratings for big volleyball games often surpass other major sports.
This success stems from a strong development system. People are introduced to the game of volleyball much earlier than students in the USA or even Mexico.
Schools treat volleyball as a core sport. Youth programs operate in every major city. Brazilian coaches are sought after worldwide, and their training methods are studied globally. The sport’s accessibility and low cost help it thrive in both wealthy neighborhoods and favelas.
Context
Volleyball, like soccer, is played both domestically and in wider, international competitions. In Mexico, volleyball has a modest but growing popularity. Its beach scene is particularly promising. The country naturally has significant access to beautiful coastline and there are many destination-worthy cities that are perfect for hosting international competitions.
As for its international presence, Mexico isn’t Brazil or Puerto Rico but it is competitive. Interest is on the rise but the game has experienced only moderate growth as a spectator sport in most of the world.
Why is that? While no analyst can truly say why one sport takes off and another does not, the game does feature immutable qualities that distinguish it from other popular sports. For one thing, there is a perceived lack of dynamic movement. Where basketball, hockey, football, and soccer players are always on the move, volleyball stars stay within a relatively contained section of space.
It’s also more team-centric rather than focused on star power. Three people might touch the ball on any play. That collaborative factor can be refreshing in a world of big egos; it makes it harder to build narratives that are easy for the casual viewer to follow.
Volleyball may be due for a moment in the near future. For now, in Mexico, and indeed the rest of the world, it is experiencing slow but steady growth.