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The national team of Cuba could play two exhibition games in Arizona, United States, against the Kansas City Royals and the Cincinnati Reds on March 3 and 4, as part of the official preparation for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) 2026.
The information, published on the MLB website and by journalist Francys Romero on his social media, reveals that the matches would be part of the Major League spring training schedule, where national teams usually face MLB franchises before the main tournament.
However, the participation of the so-called "Team Asere" still depends on the approval of the visa and the license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, a process that, according to sources associated with the event, should be resolved by early December.
Cuba aims to return to the elite of international baseball in this 2026 World Baseball Classic, following its outstanding performance in the previous edition, when it reached the semifinals for the first time since 2006.
If the authorization is finally confirmed, these matches in Arizona will serve as a key evaluation of the national roster and will allow for an assessment of the team's readiness against players of the highest professional level.
Twenty teams for a crown
The teams that will compete in the 2026 edition of the tournament are:
America: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Brazil.
Europe: Italy, Great Britain, Czech Republic, and Netherlands.
Asia and Oceania: Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Israel, and Australia.
Tournament format and structure
The tournament will be divided into four groups of five teams. Each team will face the other four teams in their group once, and the top two from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
In the next stage, the qualifiers will face each other in a crossover format: the first place from one group will compete against the second place from another. The winners will advance to the semifinals, and the champion will be determined in the grand final.
Groups of the 2026 World Baseball Classic
Group A (San Juan, Puerto Rico): Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, Canada, and Colombia.
Group B (Houston, USA): United States, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, and Brazil.
Group C (Miami, USA): Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Netherlands, Israel, and Taipei, China.
Group D (Tokyo, Japan): Japan, South Korea, Czech Republic, Australia, and Nicaragua.
Key dates for the 2026 World Baseball Classic
The event will start on Thursday, March 5, 2026, and will culminate with the grand final on Tuesday, March 17.
During those 13 days, the tournament will bring together the best national teams in the world in search of the title currently held by Japan.
The World Baseball Classic is the most prestigious international competition in the sport, an event where teams seek to showcase their dominance and talent on the diamond.
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