Cuba was already on track to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic

Similar to the situation two decades ago with the debut of the World Baseball Classic, the United States Department of State, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has once more attempted to block Cuba from taking part in the upcoming international tournament. They suspended Cuba's authorization to participate, thereby preventing Cuba from submitting its preliminary 50-player roster by the deadline.

As in 2006, thanks largely to Paul Archey, Vice President of Baseball for International Affairs at that time, the situation changed again for Cuba. This time it was announced by the president of the World Baseball Classic himself, and also one of the masterminds behind that first edition and its subsequent global image, Jim Small, who last October made it clear that "Cuba will be on the field in March," assuring the Puerto Rican media that the Cuban team would receive its visa in time to play in the event in March.

Several media outlets have recently covered Cuba's return to the World Baseball Classic, even though the announcement was made months ago and the official statement from the Cuban authorities is still awaited.

The reality is that, up to this point, only the participation of players from foreign leagues, including MLB, for the island's team is confirmed. Because of the delay in confirming Cuba's involvement, they missed the deadline to submit their preliminary roster of 50 players. As a result, they now need to quickly trim the roster down to 35 players, following the tournament's established selection process.

It is evident that this roster must remain confidential until MLB grants permission for its release. After authorization, it will be trimmed down to the 30 players who will form the final roster. As per tournament regulations, these 30 players must be submitted to MLB along with the final roster by February 3, 2026.