Cuban Baseball Team Arrives in Panama for U-23 World Cup Qualifier

The Cuban national baseball team arrived today in Panama to participate in the regional qualifying tournament for the U-23 category, aiming for the 2026 WBSC World Cup. Under the direction of manager Danny Miranda, the roster includes rising talents from across the Caribbean nation, some of whom have international experience in leagues such as those in Japan and Italy.

Manager's Confidence and Team Strengths

During pre-tournament training sessions, the manager expressed to the specialized press that he was happy to have a team with quality and stated that the primary objective in the tournament is to secure one of the three available spots for the World Championship. Miranda added that the strength of this squad lies in its offensive power and pitching, bolstered by hurlers who have competed in foreign leagues.

Tournament Format and Venues

Panama will host the games at the Mariano Rivera and Justino Salinas stadiums in the district of La Chorrera, Panama Oeste. The teams have been divided into two groups: Cuba will integrate Group B alongside Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and Aruba; Group A will consist of Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and the host nation. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals will obtain the first two direct tickets to next year's World Cup, while the winner of the bronze medal game will claim the third and final slot.

Participants and Schedule

The tournament in Panama will feature 10 national teams, including regional powerhouses like Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Nicaragua, and will define the three American representatives to the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-23 World Cup.

According to the tournament schedule, the preliminary phase will be held from Sunday, September 28th, to Thursday, October 2nd, with the semifinals scheduled for Friday, October 3rd. The matches for third place and the championship will take place on Saturday, October 4th. As per the programming, the Caribbean team begins competition on Sunday when they face their counterparts from the U.S. Virgin Islands, while the host Panamanians will receive Costa Rica.

About the Tournament

The U-23 Baseball World Cup Qualifier, organized by the Pan American Baseball Confederation (WBSC Americas), is an official tournament for national teams with players under 23 years of age and serves as a qualifier for the WBSC U-23 World Cup. A second WBSC Americas Qualifying Tournament, involving countries or territories from South America, is scheduled for October 20th-25th in Peru.