Will Cuba Be Allowed In 2026 World Baseball Classic? Federacion Cubana de Beisbol y Softbol Says Participation In Peril

A statement issued by the Federacion Cubana de Beisbol y Softbol, the sport’s governing body in the island nation, indicated that Cuba has not been formally invited to play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Cuba’s statement came five days after teams were required to submit their 50-man preliminary rosters for the event, which will be held in March 2026 at three sites in the United States and at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The statement claimed that the FCBS has not been formally invited by Major League Baseball to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic because MLB has not received approval from the U.S. government to have Cuba participate.

American businesses seeking to engage with Cuba must receive permission from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which is in charge of enforcing the trade embargo against the Communist government that dates back to the Eisenhower administration. Without permission from the OFAC, Major League Baseball, which organizes the World Baseball Classic, cannot work with the FCBS on Cuba’s entry in the event.

Major League Baseball has several scenarios, including adding a substitute country to the event, should Cuba not be able to participate, Yusseff Diaz of PelotaCubanaUSA said in a post on X.

In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Cuba reached the semifinals at Miami’s loanDepot Park, where they lost 14-2 to the United States in a game marred by field incursions and protests.

Cuba has been assigned to Group A at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a territory of the U.S., along with Canada, Colombia, Panama, and Puerto Rico.

The island nation has been under a trade embargo by the U.S. for more than 60 years. Relations between the two countries had thawed under the administration of Barack Obama between 2008-16, and at one point, MLB had reached an agreement by which players from Cuba could sign with MLB organizations without having to defect from Cuba. During Donald Trump’s first term, his administration voided that agreement, and since the start of his second term, which began on Jan. 20, 2025, relations between the U.S. Government and Cuba have cooled. Reports have indicated that Cuban expatriates would not be permitted by the OFAC from playing for Cuba in the 2026 WBC, and that players of Cuban origin seeking to play professional baseball in the U.S. would be required to sign documentation indicating they have no intention of returning to the island.

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The entire FCBS statement, translated from Spanish, is below.

“This Monday, September 1, the teams qualified for the VI World Baseball Classic were required to submit their preliminary 50-player rosters.

The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) has not been officially summoned by Major League Baseball (MLB) to complete this process.

The event organizers have stated that, despite requesting it well in advance, they have not received approval from the U.S. government to allow Cuba to participate. The FCBS denounces the discriminatory policy against Cuban baseball players.

The U.S. regulations preventing our athletes from attending this event are contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship. The entire process has been characterized by unjustified delays, creating uncertainty and affecting the technical process of compiling our roster.

Our country has been the victim of unfair, unequal, and politically motivated treatment, which is incompatible with the principles of respect, fairness, and transparency that must govern any international competition.

Cuba doesn’t ask for privileges. Cuban baseball players earned, on the field, their right to participate in the Sixth World Baseball Classic. Our sporting history, marked by Olympic feats, world championships, and a globally admired pool of athletes, gives us competitive legitimacy.

Cuba’s talent, passion, and commitment to sports will not be thwarted by bureaucratic maneuvers or political exclusions. We will continue to defend the right of our athletes to represent Cuba on equal terms.” – Federacion Cubana Beisbol y Softbol

Photo: A overview as United States players and Cuba players stand on the baselines during the playing of the United States national anthem prior to the game at loanDepot park on March 19, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images)