Mongolia - Scott Groult — Football Case Study

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Exploration: is a photo series dedicated to the spirit of following one’s whim. Our members will let curiosity lead the way in searching for unique football cultures.

11 MONGOLIA

FCS-ID: 011/SG10624—976

PHOTOGRAPHER: SCOTT GROULT
LOCATION: ULAANBAATAR, TSETSERLEG, MONGOLIA
DATE: JUNE 2024
FCS-ID:011/SG10624—976

“I try and explore the football culture of every country I visit. While in Ulaanbaatar, I was lucky to spend some time watching football. On a pitch between big communist era apartment blocks, I spent two hours watching a youth team train. The level was good and the young guys, who shouted “Mbappé!, Mbappé!” when they found out I was from France, wore different shirts from European clubs. I saw Mbappé and Ronaldo shirts as well as Man United jerseys.

Ulaanbaatar is a special city. The first thing that impressed me was the traffic! There are traffic jams at all times of the day. It’s a very polluted city due to the traffic as well as the coal factories located in the heart of the city. Downtown Ulaanbaatar meanwhile is quite modern. I enjoyed spending time in the city, which in my opinion is very photogenic.

On a trip to the city of Tsetserleg, I came across a football field where locals were playing. They weren’t part of a club, rather just a group of friends playing together. The guys looked more like wrestlers than footballers! My guide noted that this was the first time she had seen people play football!

In Mongolia, a country of only 3 million, the most popular sports are wrestling and volleyball and as a result, I found it difficult to find football pitches. Football is not massively popular in Mongolia with many of the sports that people take part in, like archery, horse racing and wrestling, originating from Mongolian nomadic culture. It must also be said that the climate of the country does make it easy to play football- winter is long and very cold. The country’s professional championship is made up of 10 teams, with the majority being located in Ulaanbaatar. Most of the people I met in Mongolia lead nomadic lives, leaving little time for leisure. And while I don’t think many Mongolians watch foreign football on TV, with the development of social media, there are more and more young people starting to play football.”

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