The Cuban men's volleyball team will return to the Olympic Games after a 12-year absence, having defeated Canada 3-1 this Saturday and securing their spot for Los Angeles 2028.
The Cubans emerged victorious with set scores of 25-21, 25-23, 23-25, and 25-22 in the final of the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier, held at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, Canada, as confirmed by Volleyball World.
The victory will allow Cuba to return to the Olympic stage for the first time since Rio 2016. Los Angeles 2028 will mark the eighth participation of the Cuban men's volleyball team in the Olympic Games.
Marlon Yant led the offense in the decisive match with 25 points, consisting of 21 attacks, three service aces, and one block. Captain Miguel Ángel López was also crucial with 22 points, while Stephen Maar topped Canada’s score with another 22 points.
Cuba outperformed the hosts 62-57 in attacks and was particularly effective in serve, with nine aces compared to Canada's three. The locals had a slight edge in blocks, eight to six.
The Cuban team had reached the final after defeating the Dominican Republic 3-0 on Friday (32-30, 25-19, 25-15). Canada, for its part, eliminated Mexico also in three sets (25-21, 25-18, 25-13).
Cuba gained the right to compete in this qualifier after finishing third in the NORCECA Continental Championship 2026. The United States won the regional title, but had already secured its spot in Los Angeles 2028 as the host country.
The Olympic return also has a generational component. From the current team, only Miguel Ángel López, Osniel Melgarejo, and the libero Román García were in Rio 2016. For much of the team, it will therefore be their first experience at the Olympic Games.
The qualification comes after several challenging years for Cuban men's volleyball, characterized by the departure of numerous players from the island's sports system and failures in the attempts to qualify for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Even this season had left worrying signs: Cuba finished in 16th place out of 18 teams in the 2026 Nations League.
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