Mesoamerican ballgame

Ancient game

The Mesoamerican ballgame (Classical Nahuatl: ōllamalīztli, Nahuatl pronunciation: [oːlːamaˈlist͡ɬi], Epigraphic Mayan: pitz; Spanish: Juego de pelota mesoamericano), also called pok-ta-pok, was a sport with ritual associations played since at least 1650 BCE (the middle Mesoamerican Preclassic period of the pre-Columbian era) by the people of Ancient Mesoamerica. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has formally recognized the Mesoamerican ballgame as the oldest historical precursors to modern football. The sport had different versions in different places during the millennia, and a modernized version of the game, ulama, is still played by the indigenous peoples of Mexico in some places.

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