Read the latest positive news, breakthroughs, and inspiring stories about ancient sports, curated daily by BrightWire.
Mexico is making history as the first country to host football's biggest tournament three times. The nation claims "the ball comes home" because historians believe the world's first ball games were played there over 3,500 years ago.
Five cousins strip down to loincloths on a Pacific coast dirt field, reviving ulama, one of the world's oldest team sports that survived Spanish conquest. As Mexico prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, families are bringing this ancient hip-ball game back to life.