Football in the Dominican Republic Football in the Dominican Republic The sport of football in the country of the Dominican Republic is run by the Federación Dominicana de Fútbol. The association administers the national football team, as well as the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol. In the Dominican Republic, baseball is the most popular sport, followed by basketball or association football, depending on the area in the Dominican Republic. Football is considered to be in constant growth since 2012. This sport was usually played from middle to high-class high school students, specially in urban areas like Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Moca and Jarabacoa, however, in
People of the Dominican Republic and personal achievements earned him the Juan Pablo Duarte Order of Merit and the Order of Cristóbal Colón. Baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic. After the United States, the Dominican Republic has the second-highest number of Major League Baseball (MLB) players. Some of these players have been regarded among the best in the game. Historically, the Dominican Republic has been linked to MLB since Ozzie Virgil, Sr. became the first Dominican to play in the league. Among the outstanding MLB players born in the Dominican are: Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, Pedro Martínez,