A Passion for the Beautiful Game

Football (or Soccer) is a great passion of Latin American culture. It could be argued that no other region of the world embraces the game with as much passion and reverance as the Latino people. This passion is evidenced by the great success its nations have enjoyed on the grandest global stage of the World Cup.

The World Cup has been contested 19 times since its creation in 1930, and Latin American nations have captured the trophy an amazing 9 times, including a record 5 times by Brazil!

List of Latin American World Cup Winners

2002  Brazil
1994  Brazil
1986  Argentina
1978  Argentina
1970  Brazil
1962  Brazil
1958  Brazil
1950  Uruguay
1930  Uruguay

Latin America also boasts the origins of arguably the two greatest players in the history of the game, Pelé and Diego Maradona. Pelé led his native Brazil to World Cup glory in 1958, 1962 and 1970, while Maradona led his Argentine side to the trophy in 1986.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) - born in Brazil October 21, 1940
Known by his nickname Pelé, widely regarded as the best football player of all time. In 1999, he was voted Football Player of the Century by the IFFHS. In 1999 the International Olympic Committee named Pelé the "Athlete of the Century". In his native Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contributions to the game of football (Wikipedia).

Diego Armando Maradona Franco - born in Argentina October 30, 1960
Many people, experts, football critics, former and current players consider Maradona the greatest football player of all time. He won FIFA Player of the Century award which was to be decided by votes on their official website, their official magazine and a grand jury (Wikipedia).