A petrified Cuban team, without rhythm and without attitude succumbed at the beginning of the Male Volleyball World Cup in Manila, the Philippines, where they fell into four sets (25-20, 22-25 and double 19-25) against Portugal, 29 of the global ranking.
After a month and a half convicted only to training, without making a friendly match after the final of the League of Nations, the boys of Jesús Cruz accused the lack of filming and wreck throughout the line against an inspired Portuguese cast. The Europeans, who did not play a World Cup since 2002, detected all the Antillean gaps and simply took the opportunity despite the considerable qualitative difference between the two squads.
#Philippines2025: Portugal Stuns Cuba
Back on The World Championship Stage for the First Time Since 2002, Portugal Made A Statement with a Massive Upset Over Cuba.
Nuno Marques Led The Way With 19 Points To Power Their Trumphant Return After 23 Years! ✨
️ … pic.twitter.com/pjqsmsyagd
– Volleyball World (@volleyballworld) SEPTEMBER 13, 2025
Cuba suffered again the same evils. The receipt was totally disjointed in front of a serve without excessive power, which put in the fastest than normal to the pins, the lowest point of the team. As if that were not enough, they made 31 uninforced mistakes, 18 serves failed and were below in the NET defense numbers.
The other evil already too recurring is the total disconnection of a bipolar set, which passes from ecstasy to the abyss in minutes. In the Duel of Marras, they achieved a solid victory in the first set, with good performance in attack by the Marlon and Miguel Ángel López Auxiliary, limiting the failures in the service and working well in the NET to generate contracts.
However, everything collapsed in the blink of an eye. The squad lost motivation, the faces were extended and deflations began to emerge on all fronts. Given this situation, the other big problem of the selection was then noticed: his coaching staff. Without a real contingency plan, without clear ideas and appealing to a book of strategies full of obvious phrases and without depth, all were drifting.
From the abyss to ecstasy or vice versa: the infinite cycle of Cuban volleyball
“The receipt was not the best and we had many problems in the serve,” said coach Jesús Cruz at the end of the meeting. “The message is now the same, going to fight every game and achieve victory,” added the coach without many spirits to speak.
For his part, Central David Fiel said they were disappointed. “They did better than us in everything. We told the fans that we feel a lot, things did not get the best. We are going to keep our heads up and keep fighting,” he said.
Fiel played little time as a substitute for Javier Concepción, who did not live his best day and left with only five units. Nor was Robertland Simón fine, without effective blockages and just four points in attack. For his part, the opposite José Massó and Captain Miguel Ángel López finished with 12 and 11 cartons, respectively.
The offensive spark plug was Marlon Yant again, who marked 19 goals, divided into 15 effective attacks, two blocks and a couple of ACES from the service line. However, he made seven mistakes with his serve.
Without making firewood from the fallen tree, this defeat has dramatic dyes for Cuba, which loses 17.1 units in the world ranking in front of a rival that is not even among the 25 best on the planet. In addition, the stumbling leaves the selection with minimal possibilities of advancing to the round of 16, forced to sweep Colombia and to overcome the United States, the key of the key.
Nightmare in debuts
Of the last six World Cup editions held from 2006 to date, Cuba has lost five times in its debut, which no longer seems to be a mere chance. Regardless of the opponent’s poster, the Antillian casts have cost them to start carbon, mortal sin in a short tournament and without much margin for recovery.
In 2006, 1-3 fell against Brazil, Verdugo also in 2022, although on that occasion they were about to clarify in a fought party that extended to five sets. Also in Tie Break they lost in 2014 in front of Finland, opponent who was not in the elite, although, valid to remember, at that time Cuba lived an almost total reconstruction process after the exit of stars from the caliber of Wilfredo León, Yoandy Leal or Robertland Simon.
The other Caribbean defeat at the World Cup premiere was in 2018, when they lost in front of Poland in four sleeves. That year, by the way, Europeans ended up climbing at the top of the podium.
The only Antillean victory in the first World Cup game during the last 20 years arrived in 2010 against Spain, which fell in five partial. That triumph gave wings to Cuba, who ended up undefeated the classification and then surpassed pitfalls until he got into a historic final against Brazil. That silver medal today seems very distant …
