Sport is at the heart of Finnish culture and for a nation of just over five million people, they have punched above their weight on the global stage.
The Finns have amassed 175 medals at the Winter Olympics and fans were thrilled when their ice hockey team finally struck gold at the 2020 Games in Beijing.
But it’s not just on snow and ice that Finnish athletes have excelled and they have produced three Formula One world champions in Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg and Mika Häkkinen.
The likes of Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyypia have also played at the highest level in European football and the national team made history by qualifying for Euro 2020.
With such a proud record, it’s no surprise that Finns are crazy about sport and there are so many options for punters who fancy a bet. By searching your favourite search engine for Finnish-related betting, websites such as vedonlyontisivustoni.com offer amazing information for bettors in Finland.
- Pesäpallo: The national sport is their own version of baseball, with Lauri Pihkala inventing the sport in the 1920s after returning from his travels in America. The main difference is that the ball is pitched vertically and it must also bounce in the field of play, making a home run into the stands a foul. The Superpesis is the top professional league, with 12 teams taking part.
- Ice Hockey: Olympic gold at Beijing 2022 cemented Finland’s status as a global power after four world championship triumphs. The Liiga is the top domestic competition, with Tappara the reigning champion. Finnish clubs also compete in the Champions Hockey League against Europe’s top teams. Taparra were runners-up last season but JYP won the tournament in season 2017-18.
- Football: HJK Helsinki are the dominant force in Finnish football, having won four of the last five Veikkausliiga titles. There are 12 clubs in the top flight but the Finnish game extends from the second tier Ykkönen to the Seiska at tier eight. The Kansallinen Liiga is the top women’s division with five further leagues below that. Both the men’s and women’s game have a national cup.
- Motorsport: Having produced three world champions, Finland retains a huge interest in Formula One. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas is the current hero. Other forms of motorsport are also popular, including WRC rally races and the world superbikes.
- Winter Sports: There’s a huge market of winter sports to bet on in Finland, including skiing, figure skating, biathlon, snowboarding and curling. Cross-country skier Iivo Niskanen is the biggest star in Finnish winter sports, having struck gold at the last three Olympics.
