Chihuahua

Chihuahua is the capital of Mexico's largest state, a city whose DNA carries both the epic scale of the Chihuahuan Desert and the energy of a community deeply committed to sport and active living. Founded in 1709 by Antonio de Deza y Ulloa, the city forged its character through centuries of frontier life, independence, and revolution: it was here that Miguel Hidalgo was executed in 1811, and here that Benito Juárez governed when the republic resisted French intervention. That capacity for resistance and resilience has today been transformed into civic pride and a top-tier sports culture.

Chihuahua's sports infrastructure has no equal in northern Mexico. The Ciudad Deportiva Universitaria, inaugurated in 1947, covers 29 hectares in the urban core and welcomes around 10,000 people every day. The Complejo Deportivo Sur adds another 59 hectares with a 20,000-seat stadium, a velodrome, and specialized facilities for more than twenty disciplines. This network of venues sustains inclusive programs ranging from schoolchildren to senior citizens and athletes with disabilities.

In December 2024, during the gala marking ACES Europe's 25th anniversary in partnership with UNESCO, Chihuahua was named American Capital of Sport 2025 — a distinction that recognizes cities across the hemisphere for the quality of their public sports policies, their capacity to organize international events, and their genuine commitment to inclusion. Chihuahua competed against cities from across the Americas, and the title confirmed what its citizens already knew: that behind every mile of mountain range and every athletics track, there is a city that keeps moving forward.