León de los Aldama

León de los Aldama spreads across the fertile Bajío plain in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, at an elevation of 1,884 meters above sea level. With 1,579,803 inhabitants recorded in the 2020 census, it is the fourth most populous city in Mexico and the economic heart of the region. Its industrial development — centered for more than a century on footwear manufacturing and leather goods — has earned it the nickname World Shoe Capital.

Founded on January 20, 1576 by Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almansa as Villa de León, the city was established to protect trade routes between Guanajuato and Zacatecas. In 1830 it adopted its current name in honor of the insurgents Juan and Ignacio Aldama, heroes of Mexican independence. Among its architectural landmarks are the Triumphal Arch on Calzada de los Héroes, crowned by a bronze lion, the Cathedral Basilica of Nuestra Madre Santísima de la Luz, and the Teatro del Bicentenario, considered one of the finest performing arts venues in Latin America.

The sporting tradition of León revolves around Club León, founded in 1944 and eight-time champion of Liga MX, as well as winner of the CONCACAF Champions League in 2023. Estadio León, inaugurated in 1967 with a capacity of 31,297 spectators, hosted matches at the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups. The León Marathon, certified by World Athletics, draws more than 6,000 runners annually. In 2023 the city hosted the World Company Sport Games, cementing its profile as a venue for major international multi-sport events.

León was certified as American Capital of Sport 2023 by ACES América, becoming the third city on the continent and the second in Mexico to receive this recognition. Within the ACES Activa platform, León has recorded 288 events across the SAD and Month of Physical Activity campaigns, with an estimated participation of more than 518,000 people, making it one of the most active cities in the American network.