Cuba will not be in the Caribbean Cup baseball after renouncing his participation in the event.
According to the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS), that decision was made after receiving this week one of the tickets to the Central American and Caribbean Games of Santo Domingo 2026 without going through a qualifying competition.
Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, president of the entity, explained to the press this Tuesday that Bahamas, which will host the Caribbean Cup between December 3 and 8, “has competitive infrastructure for only six teams” and those places will privilege teams that have not yet qualified for next year’s Centrocaribe. review Cubadebate.
In this scenario, Cuba “declined the option to attend,” which will allow more teams to fight for the only ticket to Santo Domingo that will be played in the Bahamas. Among the teams that will fight for that ticket, those from the United States Virgin Islands, Curacao and Saint Maarten, as well as the local team, had already been confirmed.
However, the Cuban resignation does not respond only to an altruistic motive. According to journalist Pavel Oterothe decision also seeks to avoid expenses for the FCBS, since “for the Caribbean Cup each athlete must register with 65 dollars per day.”
Direct ticket to Santo Domingo and controversy in the Caribbean
This Monday, the Pan American Confederation (COPABE) had announced Cuba among the teams with direct tickets to the next Central American and Caribbean Games.
The governing body of this sport in America included the island among those five nations, based on its location in the ranking of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation (WBSC) as reported then by the sports portal Hit.
The Cuban team will appear at the Central Caribbean event with the aim of reconquering the crown lost in the Barranquilla 2018 and San Salvador 2023 editions, both won by Mexico.
#Cuba secured a ticket for the #baseball of #SantoDomingo2026
The news was announced by the Copabe Executive Committee. #CubanSport #CubanBaseball https://t.co/qk10dawIKy pic.twitter.com/LrjKXf7PgQ— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) November 17, 2025
The other teams that will access the tournament expeditiously are precisely that of Mexico, as well as those of Puerto Rico, Panama and Colombia.
Initially these quotas would be distributed in the first edition of the Copa América, but after the cancellation of this eventCOPABE decided to deliver them based on the world ranking.
The new scenario has provoked the reaction of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation (COCABE), which through a official statement She expressed feeling “disappointed by this decision,” because it had previously been confirmed to her board that the event in the Bahamas would offer two tickets to Santo Domingo 2026.
“These last minute changes affect and alter the organization of the event,” adds the organization, while underlining its willingness to fulfill the duty of organizing it “with seriousness, quality and commitment.”
However, COCABE took the opportunity to remember that “classifications are earned on the ground,” as a criticism of the continental organization’s determination to deliver direct tickets.
Other events on the horizon
Regarding the Copa América, press reports indicate that it could be held in the second half of 2026 and would allocate tickets for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.
Other regional tournaments in the coming months will also have a Cuban presence, according to what was reported by the FCBS.
Ciego de Ávila, champion of the last Elite League, will star in Cuba’s return to the Caribbean Series, which will take place in Venezuela, while whoever triumphs in the 64th National Series will represent Cuba in the next Champions League.
Finally, a team with players from the domestic tournament — who in turn make up the preselection for the World Classic — will play in January in the Americas Series.
