Cuba national football team

Cuba national football team
source
Name	Cuba
Confederation	CONCACAF
Coach	Pablo Elier Sánchez
Captain	Yénier Márquez
Home stadium	Estadio Pedro Marrero
Fifa max	46
Fifa max date	2006
Fifa min	182
Fifa min date	2017
Pattern la1	_cuba16h
Pattern b1	_cuba16h
Pattern ra1	_cuba16h
Leftarm1	0000FF
Body1	0000FF
Rightarm1	0000FF
Shorts1	FFFFFF
Socks1	FF0000

Cuba national football team is the men's international association football side representing Cuba in association football competitions under the governance of the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. The team is a member of CONCACAF and competes in regional tournaments such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF Nations League, and FIFA World Cup qualifiers overseen by FIFA. Historically influenced by regional rivals and continental developments, the squad's milestones include participation in major tournaments and notable player exports to clubs in the United States, Mexico, and Europe.

History

Cuban football traces roots to early 20th-century matches influenced by visitors from Spain, United Kingdom, and France, with the national body joining FIFA in 1932 and later affiliating to CONCACAF at its founding alongside nations such as Mexico and United States. The team achieved a landmark result at the 1938 FIFA World Cup reaching the quarter-finals in a tournament involving teams like Italy and Hungary, while post-war decades saw fixtures against regional opponents including Costa Rica, Honduras, and Jamaica. In the 1960s and 1970s Cuba contested multi-sport events such as the Pan American Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games, facing sides like Argentina and Brazil at friendlies and tournaments; Cold War-era sports diplomacy linked matches with delegations from Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. During the 1990s and 2000s, qualifiers pitted Cuba against Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, and El Salvador, while the 2010s saw Cuban internationals defect during Olympic and Gold Cup tournaments involving teams like Haiti and Guatemala, influencing squad selection and diaspora ties to clubs in Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga MX.

Team identity and kit

Cuban colours derive from the national flag of Cuba, traditionally featuring shirts in blue, white shorts, and red socks; kits have been produced by manufacturers that have supplied national teams such as Adidas, Nike, and regional suppliers linked to CONCACAF. The badge used by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba incorporates symbols associated with Havana and national emblems seen alongside other Caribbean football associations like those of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Matchday identity is reinforced by rivalries with Mexico, United States, and Honduras, with supporters attending fixtures at venues such as Estadio Pedro Marrero and tour matches against club sides from Spain, Portugal, and Argentina. Special kits have commemorated appearances in tournaments overseen by FIFA and CONCACAF, and historic portraits include players photographed against oppponents from Italy and France during international friendlies and youth tournaments.

Competitive record

Cuba's competitive history includes a World Cup appearance in 1938 amidst a tournament with teams like Sweden and Brazil, and multiple qualifications for the CONCACAF Gold Cup where fixtures have involved United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica. In regional competitions such as the Caribbean Cup and CFU Championship, Cuba has faced rivals like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago with results affecting seeding for CONCACAF tournaments. World Cup qualifying campaigns have seen ties against Suriname, Guadeloupe, and Panama as the team navigated preliminary rounds and group stages under formats administered by FIFA and CONCACAF. Cuba has also participated in multi-sport events including the Pan American Games and Olympic qualifying tournaments, encountering under-23 sides from Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Players and statistics

Squad composition has combined domestic talents developed in provincial clubs such as FC Pinar del Río and FC Villa Clara with diaspora players who have played for clubs in Major League Soccer, Liga MX, and European leagues including sides in Spain and Portugal. Notable internationals have included captains and record holders who competed against teams like Mexico and United States in high-profile qualifiers and Gold Cup fixtures. Appearance and goal records are maintained by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba and chronicled alongside CONCACAF statistics that compare Cuba to nations such as Honduras and El Salvador. Youth development pathways link to tournaments such as the CONCACAF U-20 Championship and the CONCACAF U-17 Championship, where Cuban prospects have faced peers from Canada and Panama before advancing to senior selection.

Coaching staff and management

Coaching appointments have included domestic and foreign managers drawing experience from leagues in Cuba, Spain, and Mexico, as well as assistant coaches and technical directors coordinating with the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. Administrative oversight interacts with CONCACAF competitions and FIFA-affiliated programs, and management decisions often consider player availability given historical defections during tournaments hosted in countries like the United States and Canada. Sports science and scouting connect staff to regional networks that include CONCACAF development initiatives and club academies in Cuba and abroad.

Home stadium and venues

Primary home fixtures are staged at Estadio Pedro Marrero in Havana, with occasional matches played at provincial venues such as stadiums in Pinar del Río and Santa Clara used by clubs like FC Villa Clara and FC Pinar del Río. International friendlies and qualifiers have taken place across CONCACAF venues including stadia in Mexico City, San José (Costa Rica), and Houston (Texas), where Cuban teams have confronted opponents such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and the United States during Gold Cup and World Cup qualifying matches.

Category:National association football teams in CONCACAF