Sport in Vatican City

An athlete helps Pope Francis to spin a basketball on a pencil
Pope Francis spinning a basketball on a pencil during a sports showcase in the Vatican

Vatican City has national teams that compete in athletics, cricket, cycling, football, padel, and taekwondo. Outside of competitive play, sport has been stated as a way of interfaith dialogue, promoting peace with other nations, diplomacy, and fraternity.

A race track was built in the 1st century where Vatican City is now located. In the 16th century, a game of calcio fiorentino was held in the Cortile del Belvedere. The 20th and 21st centuries saw the expansion of sporting activities in Vatican City, with it being encouraged after World War II by Pope Pius XII. It also saw the establishment of Vatican Athletics, the first official sporting organization of Vatican City. Vatican Athletics also handles Vatican Cycling, Vatican Taekwondo, and Vatican Padel, which are members of their sports' respective international federations.

The first athlete to officially represent Vatican City in international competition was Rien Schuurhuis, who competed in the 2022 and 2023 UCI Road World Championships. In multi-sport events, Vatican City has not competed in the Olympic Games as it does not have a National Olympic Committee. Although, Vatican City has supplied delegations for other multi-sport events, such as the Mediterranean Games and the Games of the Small States of Europe.


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