List of Cuban football players who have defected to the United States explained

Since 1999, 55 Cuban football players have defected to the United States in an attempt to further their professional career or improve their standard of living.

Under the old wet feet, dry feet policy in the United States, any Cuban player who set foot in the United States was entitled to become a US resident. Maykel Galindo, one of the earlier defectors told of the incentives to leave Cuba: "They leave Cuba because they want to make something out of their lives. They are in search of the dream of playing football at a professional level and they know that Cuba will not offer them that. They do it because they feel that their family will be proud of them if they make it to the professional level and many of those players have realized that they can achieve that goal. Thankfully, in my case, doors were being opened to me."[1] The wet feet, dry feet policy ended in January 2017.

As a general rule, Cuban players who defect are not allowed to rejoin the Cuba national team for international matches. Players who defect are generally ineligible to play for the United States team, as FIFA eligibility rules only allow a player to play for one national team during his career.

Year

1999

Rodney Valdes defected to the United States during the 1999 Pan-American Games football tournament in Winnipeg, Canada.

2002

Rey Ángel Martínez and Alberto Delgado defected during the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They told Cuba national football team minders that they were going to make a phone call in the hotel lobby but ran out of the hotel and traveled in a taxi to Martinez's uncle.

2005

Cuban international forward Maykel Galindo sought to stay in the United States after he had arrived in the country with the Cuba national team for the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

2007

Inspired by Galindo, two players defected at the following Gold Cup, two years later.

2008

Several Cuban youth players defected in 2008 following an Olympic qualifier hosted in the United States.

2010

Two players defected during a 2010 World Cup qualifier.

2011

Yosniel Mesa defected during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup

2012

Yosmel de Armas defected in 2012 during Cuba's qualifying campaign for the 2012 Olympics.

Prior to a World Cup qualifying game against Canada in Toronto, four players and the team's psychologist Ignacio Abreu Sánchez defected to the United States.[12] Cuba were not able to name any substitutes due to the defections.[13]

Two players defected during the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament which was hosted in Vancouver, Canada.

2015

Four players defected during the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[14]

Another six defected during the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship:

One player defected during a personal visit:

One player defected having visited Mexico:

2018

Twelve players defected following the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship which was hosted in Bradenton, Florida.[20]

Two players defected during the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship which was hosted in Edinburg, Texas.

2019

Four players defected during the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The following player defected after the match against Mexico

The following players defected after the match against Martinique

2023

Five players defected during the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The following players defected after the first group stage match against Guatemala:

The following player defected after the last group stage match against Canada:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Background story: Cuba missing player crisis. tropigol.com. 21 June 2012. 26 March 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20120506224403/http://www.tropigol.com/2012/03/26/background-story-cuba-missing-player-crisis/. 6 May 2012. dead.
  2. Web site: Cuba critical of Pan Am organizers. Laredo Morning Times. 29 July 2012. 3 August 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192049/http://airwolf.lmtonline.com/sports/archive/0803/pageb1.pdf. 4 March 2016. dead.
  3. Web site: Wilner. Barry. Cuban Defects at Pan Am Games. CubaNet.org. 29 July 2012. 2 August 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20051202205715/http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y99/ago99/02e3.htm. 2 December 2005. dead.
  4. Web site: Cuban defectors a first for MLS. Miami Herald. 21 June 2012. 14 June 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20060614110817/http://cubanet.org/CNews/y04/jun04/14e4.htm. 14 June 2006. dead.
  5. Web site: Cuban soccer stars Pedro Faife and Reynier Alcantara defect to America. nydailynews.com. 21 June 2012. 11 October 2008.
  6. Web site: 'Special edge' for Cuban defector Alonso. USAToday.com. 21 June 2012. 30 June 2009.
  7. Web site: Charleston Battery signs Cuban striker Lester Moré. oursportscentral.com. 21 June 2012. 7 March 2008.
  8. Web site: Five Cuban Soccer Players Defect in Florida, Miami Herald Says. Bloomberg. 13 March 2008.
  9. Web site: Cuban soccer officials stunned by desertions of up to 7 players. Ny Daily news. 21 June 2012. 13 March 2008.
  10. Web site: Cuba defender Yosmel De Armas is believed to be attempting to defect to the United States. Yahoo Sports. 21 June 2012. 26 March 2012.
  11. Web site: Laredo Heat roster (2013). USLsoccer.com. 10 July 2013.
  12. Web site: Desertaron en Canadá cuatro futbolistas del equipo cubano. Clarin.com. 18 October 2012. Spanish. 14 October 2010.
  13. Web site: Canada vs Cuba match report. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009001703/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/nccamerica/matches/round=258368/match=300181907/index.html. dead. October 9, 2012. FIFA.com. 18 October 2012. 12 October 2012.
  14. Web site: Gold Cup: Striker Ariel Martinez becomes the fourth player to defect from Cuba. MLSsoccer.com. 18 July 2015. 18 July 2015.
  15. Web site: Keilen García desertó de la selección de Cuba. futbol.univision.com. 9 July 2015. 8 July 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150710083943/http://futbol.univision.com/article/2394482/2015-07-08/copa-oro/cuba/keilen-garcia-deserto-de-la. 10 July 2015.
  16. Web site: Deserta otro jugador cubano en Chicago. Univision (Miami). 12 July 2015. Spanish. 10 July 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150713063055/http://miami.univision.com/noticias/article/2015-07-10/deserta-otro-jugador-cubano-en. 13 July 2015.
  17. Web site: 2 Cuban players believed to have defected before match at BofA stadium Dario Suarez and Arichel Hernandez were both no-shows before match. Charlotte Observer. 16 July 2015. 16 July 2015.
  18. Web site: Gold Cup: Striker Ariel Martinez becomes the fourth player to defect from Cuba. 18 July 2015. 18 July 2015.
  19. Web site: United States beat Canada in CONCACAF Olympic qualifying. ESPN. 1 October 2015.
  20. Web site: Doce futbolistas del equipo Cuba sub-20 se quedan en Estados Unidos . CiberCuba . 13 November 2018 . es . 12 November 2018.
  21. Web site: Deportes El futbolista Yasmani López escapó luego de jugar contra México en la Copa Oro . Periódico Cubano . 17 June 2019 . es . 17 June 2019.
  22. Web site: Online . La Razón . Tres cubanos más desertan de su selección en la Copa Oro . 23 June 2019 . es . 21 June 2019.
  23. News: 29 June 2023 . Cuatro futbolistas de la selección de Cuba escaparon tras el primer partido de la Copa Oro en Miami . es . . 29 June 2023.
  24. Web site: 2023-06-28 . Reportes: Cuatro futbolistas abandonaron la concentración de Cuba en Miami durante la Copa Oro . 2023-07-09 . . es.
  25. Web site: 2023-07-07 . Cinque giocatori cubani hanno abbandonato la Nazionale durante la Gold Cup, e ora sono irreperibili . 2023-07-09 . Rivista Undici . it-IT.
  26. Web site: 2023-07-05 . Sandy Sánchez, portero de Cuba y Pantoja, desertó después de Copa Oro . 2023-07-09 . . es.

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