Top 5 Mexican Sports Venues

Keeping in the spirit of our resource pages at borderbeat.net, I have compiled a list of the top five sports venues you absolutely have to see during your next visit to Mexico.

No. 5 - Estadio Olympico Universitario
American Football is actually played south of the border, which may come as a surprise to some. The most popular team is the Pumas Dorados from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, as they have won 22 national championships and play in the Estadio Olimpico Universitario - the host site for the 1968 Olympic Games.

No. 4 - Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey
Estadio Monterrey is the largest baseball stadium in Mexico and the third largest in Latin America. It is renowned in the United States for hosting a three-game series between the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets in 1996, but is the current home of the Sultanes Monterrey.

No. 3 - Plaza Monumental de Tijuana
This bullfighting ring is located just 60 meters from the U.S.-Mexico border, and holds over 21,000 crazed toro fans. Despite the sport's slipping popularity, the ring still sells out boxing matches and concerts, while at the same time living up to its strong bullfighting traditions.

No. 2 - Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
This racetrack hosts a NASCAR Nationwide Series race every year that is broadcast on ESPN, which brought attention to the mainstream American sports market, and it more than satisfies the country's need for speed. It covers such a large area that the late Pope John Paul II gave a mass to 2 million people at the track in 1999.

No. 1 - Estadio Azteca
The fifth largest stadium in the world has played host to some incredible matches, including the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cup. In addition to Mexico Soccer's unblemished mark against the U.S. in the stadium, an NFL-record 103,467 watched the Cardinals play the 49ers in 2005.