Baseball and soccer are two of the most famous sports in Latin America. Players who are Latinos and Hispanics have a greater chance to excel in these sports as seen in Major League Baseball and Copa America.

Aside from these two, other sports famous or synonymous with being a favorite for South Americans are boxing and basketball.

According to Hispanicmama, soccer is treated as a religion in South America while baseball is very popular among those living in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. This can be attributed to the great players who inspired the next generation of athletes and players. Kids grow up idolizing the star players and acknowledge the fact that it can be their chance to get out of poverty.

As Bleacher Report states in their 2015 column, Latin American countries produce the most players in the MLB. The Dominican Republic can parade its own All-Star roster. The country has produced superstars such as Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Robinson Cano, Bartolo Colon and Adrian Beltre. Venezuela, on the other hand, is proud of Miguel Cabrera, Pablo Sandoval, Victor Martinez and Felix Hernandez.

Cuba has also produced notable names such as Yasiel Puig, Jose Abreu and Jose Fernandez. What many can actually derive from the list of baseball players is that most of them are hard-hitters or sluggers who have broken the record books in their time playing professional baseball.

Why are South Americans and Hispanic Islanders better at baseball? Tread Athletics reports that being good at baseball is a necessity for them. It is more of a need than a want. Growing up struggling could be a factor and kids see baseball as a means to get a better life.

On the other hand, soccer is another sport Latinos and Hispanics are making their mark in. Copa America is one of the biggest tournaments for South Americans. Each player wants to fight for the honor and pride of their country. Ranker notes that a lot of legends of soccer, past or present, come from South America. The list of greatest soccer players is not complete without Maradona, Pele, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Alfredo Di Stefano, Romario, Zico, Cafu, Rivaldo and Kaka. Present stars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Sergio Agüero all came from Brazil, Uruguay or Argentina.

The rivalry of Pele and Maradona can be considered one of the best of all time. It is synonymous to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson rivalry in the NBA. In a sense, Pele and Maradona kept the sport alive in their time. Each of them won a World Cup for their country which not many players can say for themselves. 

When someone mentions baseball and soccer, South Americans always come to mind when best players are mentioned. The diet, culture and lifestyle are more suitable to these sports. Unlike in the NBA, South Americans enjoy moments of fame but never really reach the legendary status. For basketball, there is Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola and Andres Nocioni from Argentina whie Brazil has Nene, Thiago Splitter and Leandro Barbosa.

Latin Americans like not only to watch sports matches but also to bet on the victory of their favorite teams. You will find the rating of the best bookmakers on Meta.reviews.