Cuba wrap up first phase of Baseball5 World Cup preparations

Cuba completed the first stage of its preparations for the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2026 with the conclusion of the Cardín Cup in Havana, where coaches assessed players from an expanded national squad featuring both senior and youth world champions.

The Cardín Cup capped a six-month training cycle and provided Cuba's technical staff with an opportunity to evaluate players as preparations continue for this year's World Cup, which will take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico from 9-13 December.

The event brought to a close the programme launched earlier this month at the Giraldo Córdova Cardín Superior School for High Performance Athletes, where 15 players were assembled for training, evaluation and a series of competitive matches designed to test athletes in game conditions. The expanded roster was divided into Cuba White and Cuba Red as part of preparations for the World Cup and the Baseball5 competition at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

As announced at the start of the camp, Cuba White featured seven members of Cuba's senior world championship-winning team, while Cuba Red included eight reigning youth world champions. The competition allowed players from both groups to face each other across four matchdays in a series designed to challenge the entire expanded squad.

Cuba White recovered from two early defeats to secure the title on set differential over Cuba Red.

Cuba Red made the stronger start, winning the opening two matchdays. Yoel Blanco and Adis Yudith Espinel were among the standout performers in the first encounter, while Alexander Ortiz impressed in the second as the youth world champions demonstrated their quality against more experienced opposition.

Cuba White responded by sweeping the final two matchdays to draw level in victories. Orlando Amador and Lietis Arcia were among the key performers as the senior world champions used their experience to turn the series around. The final standings showed both teams with two victories, but Cuba White claimed the Cardín Cup after finishing with an 8-4 set record, compared to Cuba Red's 4-8 mark.

With the Cardín Cup complete, Cuba has now concluded the first six-month cycle of its World Cup preparations. The programme will resume in September with a second and final session ahead of the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2026.