Competitive and Spectator Sports in Madeira

Open any paper and you will find that sports play a significant role in Madeiran everyday life, from the prestigious Primeira Liga (Premier League) to school and junior club. Clearly the range of sporting activities available is wide, varied and accessible, from football, trail running, surfing, paragliding, mountain biking, enduro and so much more.

With sport being so important to the islanders, Madeira is home to a wide variety of clubs and sports centres, many being run by the islands professional teams such as Club Sport Marítimo (C.S Marítimo), Clube Desportivo Nacional (C.D. Nacional) and Clube Naval, who diversify offering opportunities to play and compete in Judo, Karate, Fencing and Athletics to name but a few.

Although small, the island has produced a wealth of talent including Cristiano Ronaldo (football), Ricardo Santos (football), Marcos Freitas (table tennis), João Rodrigues (windsurfing), Emanuel Pombo (mountain bike riding) and Luís Fernandes (Ultra Trail/Sky runner), who have all excelled in their chosen fields.

Madeira is and has been home to several international events including the Madeira Open Golf Championship, Madeira Wine Car Rally, Madeira Island Ultra Trail, Extreme Sailing Series Madeira 2016/2017, Volta à Cidade do Funchal (Funchal Road Race) and the 2001 World Surfing Championships and in turn has competed in many of the world’s most celebrated events such as the 2012 London Olympics.