There was plenty of fun and excitement last weekend in Playa del Carmen at Mamitas Beach where the 8th Annual “Mundialito de Playa” was held. The Mundialito, or mini world cup if you will, was a special soccer tournament for locals and expats from all over the globe who are living here and like to play. Check out this slide show with some of our pictures:
We visited all three days of the tournament to watch, take photos and cheer on our own home countries. It was really quite an event! Teams included were from Mexico, USA, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Spain, Uruguay, France and Switzerland. Each team was made of expats from each country!
Here’s the women’s soccer:
The event was a lot of fun and we even saw some visitors from some of the professional teams come out to cheer for their own. In addition to the soccer tournament, the event also included a men’s and women’s rugby expedition. There were plenty of fans and some vibrant cheerleaders who came out to cheer on their team as well.
I’ve never seen rugby on a beach before, but it’s something else:
The tournament included two full days of matches between the 10 teams followed by the finals in the last day. Who won? While each country did a fantastic job we must give our congratulations to the Mexican team for taking 1st place in the tournament! The most important thing, however, is that all participants from every team had fun and played great!
This event was great for any age group and families as well. It was so nice to see so many people from all over the world get together to play together. While there are many expats who love Mexico and love living in Playa it is always important to show pride for the place you came from. This was clearly and event that showcased that kind of pride.
While we were there we got to talking with some of the fans who were watching the games. There were definitely plenty of locals that came to cheer on their family and friends but also there was a nice tourist crowd. For those who love soccer and love the beach this was a special treat! This event is held yearly so if you didn’t get the chance to make it out this time it’s definitely worth it to mark it down for next year!
-by Thomas Lloyd
