The collaborator from El Chiringuito de Jugones, Cristóbal Soria, visited the studio of Los Pichy Boys in Miami on Saturday and recorded a special podcast about the 2026 World Cup, which ended with an emotional exchange about Cuba, the dictatorship, and the dream of seeing the island in a soccer World Cup.
At the end of the program, the Cuban duo publicly thanked him for his support: "I want to thank you on behalf of all Cubans, every time you support our activism for the freedom of our country, how you help us denounce the dictatorship, how you are always attentive." Soria responded without hesitation: "It's mutual. I have a special affection for the Cuban people. I know what the Cuban people continue to suffer with the ongoing repression there on the islands."
The Sevillian went further and expressed his desire to see the fall of the Cuban dictatorship with the same hope with which he celebrated the end of the Venezuelan regime: "I hope that sooner rather than later we can witness the end of that Cuban dictatorship, just as we have recently seen the end of the Venezuelan dictatorship, and you know that I always wish good things for the entire Cuban people."
The most viral moment, however, came through social media. Soria posted on his official Facebook profile an 11-second reel alongside the Pichy Boys with the text "Long live free Cuba...!!! My brothers The PichyBoys...!!!", which garnered over 365,000 views, 18,000 likes, and more than 1,100 comments from the Cuban community. The famous collaborator from El Chiringuito says in the video: "Long live Cuba... and if it can be free, even better."
During the episode, which lasted nearly an hour and a half, the three also voiced their dreams of seeing Cuba qualify for the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. The Pichy Boys recalled that Cuba participated in a World Cup in 1938 and defeated France, and that the island once had players in Real Madrid. "There is nothing I would like more in the World Cup in Spain than for Cuba to return to the football World Cup," Soria responded.
The relationship between the Spanish commentator and the Cuban duo goes back many years. In July 2021, during the protests of July 11th, Soria published a message of support for the Cuban people with the hashtag #SOSCuba, which was widely appreciated both on the island and abroad.
Regarding football, Soria identified France as the top favorite for the tournament, citing that they have "three of the five best players in the world": Mbappé, Olisé, and Dembélé. However, he warned of their weak point: "France doesn't have a goalkeeper, and the goalkeeper is a very, very important position on the field." His four predicted semifinalists were Argentina, Spain, France, and Morocco.
Regarding the Spanish national team, he defended the squad despite the draw against Cape Verde and placed Pedri at the center of it all: "He is the best midfielder in the world, the one who sets the guidelines, the one who dictates the team's play." Regarding Pochettino and the United States, he was direct: "Winning a World Cup is for those over 18. It requires two warning signs. The United States is still in its adolescence."
He also questioned Neymar's call-up to Brazil, describing it as "populism, a signing for the stands," and commented on Florentino Pérez's recent decisions at Real Madrid, asserting that "the solution to Real Madrid's problems does not lie in hiring Mourinho, far from it."
The episode concluded with the unspoken toast that captured the spirit of the gathering: a free Cuba playing against the United States in the World Cup in Spain. "Hopefully that's the issue in the next World Cup, and that we can experience it together," Soria said.
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