Pánfilo accepts the challenge: He names more than 20 football players in a brawl in Centro Habana

PánfiloPhoto © Facebook video capture / Luis Silva Pánfilo

Luis Silva, the Cuban comedian who brings Pánfilo to life, published a monologue of less than two minutes on Facebook, in which he mentions over 20 soccer players within a coherent story: he narrates a street altercation in Centro Habana on the day of the World Cup final.

The clip surpassed 1.1 million views and garnered nearly 74,000 "likes" in just a few hours, confirming that Pánfilo remains a Cuban cultural phenomenon even from Miami, where Silva has been residing since late 2024.

The monologue begins with nephew Harry arriving with blood on his face after arguing with a neighbor who "has an Ancelotti physique" and claims Argentina is the best team in the world. "He tells me, 'that fat guy, the one with the Ancelotti physique, told me Argentina was the best team, and I brought up Lewandowski,'" Pánfilo narrates, using the Polish forward's surname as a Cuban expression to respond assertively.

The fat one doesn't keep quiet: "What fat one are you talking about, my Upamecano in your Madrid!" and things escalate without brakes.

Pánfilo tries to calm the situation, but the scene isn't helping: "Look at how many bottles of Ronaldo have been downed, and now they're drinking a bottle of Vinícius Tinto, which at three in the afternoon sits heavy in your stomach and all it does is shut down the megawatts in your brain."

The names of drinks are joined by those of drugs: "They might be slipping in some Kimmich, some Porro," while a huge speaker blasted "Roberto Carlos" at full volume.

The nephew, far from calming down, shouts at the fat man: "You’re a real Camavinga," and Pánfilo ends up in the middle of the scuffle with a bruised shoulder. "I’m like Mbappé, what a fight in Centro Habana on the day of the World Cup final," he concludes, sneakily throwing Mbappé into the story.

When the tension eases, a neighbor brings a television outside to watch the game. Three minutes later, the power goes out.

Here comes the sharpest blow of the monologue: "Gentlemen, La Guiteras is a utopia. You take two steps toward La Guiteras, and it retreats ten toward the horizon. And when the utopia merges with the horizon, La Guiteras has three more exits in the fire."

The reference to the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, a recurring symbol of the Cuban electricity crisis in Pánfilo's humor, sparks the patriotic rallying cry of comecandela, which concludes with "Benzema" instead of "Venceremos."

The closing line is the resigned phrase that sums everything up: "Dude, just look at how hard it is to live on Iniesta Island."

The video is published days after the final of the , where Spain triumphed over Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

Silva, who arrived in the United States in December 2024 after the cancellation of "Vivir del Cuento" on Cubavisión, continues to engage actively on social media from exile, blending Pánfilo's humor with direct criticisms of the regime.

In June, Silva accused Díaz-Canel's government of being "the real obstacle to the prosperity of Cubans."

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CiberCuba Editorial Team

A team of journalists committed to reporting on Cuban current affairs and topics of global interest. At CiberCuba, we work to deliver truthful news and critical analysis.