Football in the Dominican Republic

Football in the Dominican Republic
Boys playing association football on a tournament in the Santo Domingo’s middle-class neighborhood of Altos de Arroyo Hondo.
CountryDominican Republic
Governing bodyDominican Football Federation
National team(s)men's national team
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions

The sport of football in the country of the Dominican Republic is run by the Federación Dominicana de Fútbol.[1] The association administers the national football team, as well as the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol. In the Dominican Republic, baseball is the most popular sport, followed by basketball or association football, depending on the area in the Dominican Republic.[2][3] Football is considered to be in constant growth since 2012.[4] This sport was usually played from middle to high-class high school students, especially in urban areas like Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Moca and Jarabacoa, however, in the last few years, the sport has expanded and it is played mostly everywhere in the country.[5] That the sport was first played by wealthy children created an extreme commercialization on the sport, where most of the available football courts, where children are to master their skills, have to be rented, prices often range between 40 - 50 USD an hour, nonetheless, there are futsal courts available for free.

Nowadays, football can be as popular as basketball, as interest keeps growing, Dominicans are constantly waiting for their squad to bring a Gold Cup title to the country.[6]

  1. ^ "DOMINICAN REPUBLIC". Concacaf. March 7, 2021.
  2. ^ "Baseball more popular with Dominicans, says Blatter". Reuters. 15 April 2013 – via www.reuters.com.
  3. ^ Kugel, Seth (April 21, 2002). "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: WASHINGTON HEIGHTS; Pitching World Cup Soccer? Try World Series Baseball". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ^ "Dominican Republic dreaming big". www.fifa.com.
  5. ^ "Blatter makes first stop in the Dominican Republic". FIFA.com. 15 April 2013. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019.
  6. ^ "Concacaf Nations League: The Rise Of Soccer In The Dominican Republic". www.flofc.com.