Football in Cuba

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Association football in Cuba
)
Football in Cuba
Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba
National team(s)men's national team
Club competitions
International competitions

Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba.[1] The association administers the national teams, as well as the Campeonato Nacional
.

Football has been very popular among young people and the new generations in Cuba, being among two most popular national sports.[2][3]

History

The first recorded football match in Cuba was in 1901.

2010 World Cup.[6]
Real Madrid and Barcelona are popular amongst the youth.[8][9]

Professional football

Professional sports have been forbidden by the Cuban government since 1961, but in 2016, Maikel Reyes became the first Cuban to be allowed to sign a professional contract with a foreign team when he joined Mexican third-tier side Cruz Azul Premier.[10] Until then, Cuban footballers who played professionally had done so without approval of the country's football association and after fleeing the country.[11]

League system

Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba is national top league where usually 16 clubs are split into four groups of four.[12]

2019

Level League(s)/Division(s)
1 Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba
16 clubs

National team

Cuba has only qualified for the world cup once in 1938 and were eliminated in the quarter-finals.[13] They lost 8–0 to Sweden.[14]

Traditionally one of the weaker teams in CONCACAF has seen significant improvement qualifying for the Gold Cup, and reaching the quarter-finals in 2015 and 2017.[15][16]

Cuban professional players from abroad are recruited to improve the national football team.[17]

Football stadiums

Stadium City Capacity Tenants Image
Estadio Pedro Marrero Havana 30,000 Cuba national football team

See also

References

  1. ^ Euan McTear (2015-11-13). "Cuba's route to football glory: a six-month training camp in North Korea | Football". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  2. ^ Pierce, Charles P. (20 July 2015). "Diplomatic Relations: The USMNT and Cuba Play Soccer in a Changing World".
  3. ^ Costa, Brian (9 June 2015). "Why Baseball Is Losing Its Grip on Cuba" – via Wall Street Journal.
  4. ^ "History of Cuba's football (soccer) 1907-1938". The Antique Football. 27 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Baseball in Their Veins, but a New Ball at Their Feet". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  6. ^ "Baseball is in Cuba's blood, but soccer is stealing its heart | GrindTV.com". October 2, 2016. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Soccer Wins Over New Generation Of Fans In Cuba". NPR. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  8. ^ Archibold, Randal C. (2 May 2012). "Soccer Gains in Cuba Where Baseball is King". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  9. ^ Longman, Jeré (25 December 2014). "As cuba Opens the Worlds Sport May Take Hold". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  10. ^ Cuban revolution: Cuba embraces pro soccer after years out in the cold - CNN
  11. ^ "Wind of change ready to blow through Cuba". April 30, 2016.
  12. ^ Hodges-Ramon, Luca (March 6, 2014). "The winds of change in Cuban football".
  13. ^ "Hasta la victoria? Remembering Cuba's international soccer success and fall | Goal.com". www.goal.com.
  14. ^ "Goal.com World Cup History: 1938 | Goal.com". www.goal.com.
  15. ^ "Football gradually usurping baseball in Cuba". www.fifa.com.
  16. ^ "Soccer's popularity continues to rise in Cuba". Los Angeles Times. March 13, 2016.
  17. ^ Arnold, Jon (March 23, 2021). "Cuba Is Stocking Up on Overseas Players. What's the Goal?". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.


Stub icon

This association football article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article about sports in Cuba is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Football_in_Cuba&oldid=1217423354"