Cuban national soccer team / world championships

Cuba
República de Cuba

World Cup record goalscorer:	Héctor Socorro (3)
World Cup record players:	8 players (3 each)
Rank :	57
Balance sheet
3 World Cup games 1 win 1 draw 1 loss 5:12 goals
statistics
First World Cup game Cuba 3: 3 n.V. Romania Toulouse ( FRA ); June 5, 1938
Biggest World Cup victory Cuba 2: 1 Romania Toulouse ( FRA ); June 6, 1938
Biggest World Cup defeat Cuba 0: 8 Sweden Antibes ( FRA ); June 12, 1938
successes
World Championship
Participation in the finals	1 ( first : 1938 )
Best results	Quarterfinals 1938
Best placements in the countries that host the FIFA World Cup
(As of July 2018 )

The article contains a detailed description of the Cuban national soccer team at soccer world championships . So far, Cuba has only participated in a World Cup finals and is the first of four teams from the Caribbean to take part in the World Cup. In the all-time table , Cuba is the best Caribbean team in 57th place. However, Cuba has never qualified for a World Cup tournament in a sporting way. The only participation in 1938 was possible because Cuba was ultimately the only remaining applicant from North and Central America.

overview

year	Host country	Participation until ...	Last opponent	Result	Trainer	Comments and special features
1930	Uruguay	not participated				Not a FIFA member
1934	Italy	not qualified				In the qualification in the second round at Mexico failed.
1938	France	Quarter finals	Sweden	8th.	José Tapia	The 8-0 win against Sweden is Cuba's biggest international defeat.
1950	Brazil	not qualified				In the qualification of Mexico and the United States failed.
1954	Switzerland	Registration refused by FIFA
1958	Sweden	not participated
1962	Chile	not participated
1966	England	not qualified				In the qualifiers in the first round of Jamaica failed, which also could not qualify.
1970	Mexico	Registration refused by FIFA
1974	Germany	not participated
1978	Argentina	not qualified				In the qualification in the 2nd round of the Caribbean zone, Haiti failed, which also failed to qualify.
1982	Spain	not qualified				In the qualification in the final tournament of Honduras and El Salvador failed.
1986	Mexico	not participated
1990	Italy	not qualified				In the qualifying in the preliminary round of Guatemala failed, which also could not qualify.
1994	United States	withdrawn				Cuba withdrew after the draw, so their opponents St. Vincent and the Grenadines advanced one round without a fight, but were eliminated in the next round.
1998	France	not qualified				In qualifying in the semi-finals, Canada and El Salvador failed, who also failed to qualify.
2002	South Korea / Japan	not qualified				In the qualification in the Caribbean zone 1 in the final on penalties against Barbados , which could not qualify either.
2006	Germany	not qualified				In the qualification in the 2nd round after 2 draws due to fewer goals scored away from Costa Rica failed.
2010	South Africa	not qualified				The USA and Trinidad and Tobago failed in qualifying in the 3rd round , of which only the USA could qualify.
2014	Brazil	not qualified				In the qualifying in the third round of Panama , Honduras and Canada failed.
2018	Russia	not qualified				In the qualification , the team failed in the second round to Curaçao .
2022	Qatar

Statistics (data including 2018: 21 World Championships; percentages are rounded)

• Athletic qualification: 0 × (0%)
• Participation waiver / withdrawn: 6 × (29%; 1930, 1958, 1962, 1974, 1986 and 1994)
• Not permitted: 2 × (10%; 1954 and 1970)
• Unqualified: 12 × (57%; 1934, 1950, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018)
• Participation without qualification: 1 × (5%; 1938)
  • Quarterfinals: 1 × (5%; 1938)

1930 World Cup in Uruguay

The Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba was founded in 1824, but was not accepted into FIFA until 1932 . Therefore, Cuba could not take part in the first World Cup.

World Championship 1934 in Italy

While no qualifying games were necessary for 1930 and FIFA was happy that 13 participants were found, four years later all participating teams had to qualify . Cuba was officially introduced in the first of his World Cup qualifiers on January 28, 1934 in Port-au-Prince on Haiti and won with 3: 1. Four days later a 1: 1 followed at the same place and again three days later a 6: 1 there. Thus Cuba was qualified for the second round, scoring in Mexico City in Mexico . In three more games within 14 days, they lost three times: 2: 3, 0: 5 and 1: 4. Cuba was eliminated and the Mexicans traveled to Italy believing that they were qualified for the World Cup. But since the USA had also registered their team - albeit too late - and had traveled to Italy, a qualifying game between the two of them was scheduled in Rome at short notice , which the USA won 4-2. For Mexico the World Cup was over before it had really started, but the USA also had to leave shortly afterwards, because they lost 7-1 in the first game against hosts Italy .

World Championship 1938 in France

→ Main article : Football World Cup 1938 / Cuba

Four years later, seven teams from North, Central and South America applied for a starting place. Cuba was supposed to play against the USA, which, like the other five teams, renounced. So Cuba was qualified for the finals without a qualifier.

In France, the Cubans faced Romania in their first World Cup match and went 3-3 after extra time, with Hector Socorro scoring Cuba's first World Cup goal. With no penalty shoot-outs yet, a replay was scheduled four days later. Cuba won this 2-1 and made it to the quarter-finals. There the Cubans met Sweden, who had reached the quarter-finals without a fight due to the annexation of Austria to the German Reich. With 0: 8 the Cubans got under the wheels, whereby Gustav Wetterström managed a "flawless" hat trick . After the replay against Romania, Cuba had only a two-day break and had to travel from Toulouse to Antibes . The 8-0 win is still one of the Cubans' two biggest defeats. Sweden then failed in the semi-finals to Hungary and also lost the game for third place against Brazil . After that, Cuba was never able to qualify for a World Cup finals again.

World Cup in Brazil in 1950

To qualify for the first World Cup after World War II , Cuba had to play two games each against Mexico and the USA and, all of which took place in Mexico City . Cuba only scored 1-1 against the US and lost the other three games. Mexico used the home and height advantage and won all four games and was able to travel to the World Cup.

1954 World Cup in Switzerland

For the qualification for World Cup in Switzerland , Cuba had signed up too late and therefore was not approved as several other organizations.

1958 World Cup in Sweden

For the qualification for the World Cup in Sweden, Cuba had not logged on.

World Championship in Chile in 1962

Cuba did not register for the World Cup in Chile either.

1966 World Cup in England

Nine teams from Central and North America had already registered for the World Cup in England , including Cuba again. In the first qualifying round , Cuba first had to play against Jamaica and the Netherlands Antilles in Kingston and then again against both in Havana a week later . Cuba only won the last game against Jamaica, when Jamaica had already qualified for the next round, and were eliminated as bottom of the group. Jamaica then failed in the final round to Mexico.

1970 World Cup in Mexico

Mexico and Argentina had applied to host the 1970 World Cup and in the vote on October 8, 1964, Mexico won 56:32 against their competitors. Mexico was thus automatically qualified as host and CONCACAF received another starting place. Thirteen teams competed for this, but since FIFA did not accept the registration from Cuba , only 12 teams played for this starting place, which ultimately went to El Salvador .

World Cup 1974 in Germany

On the qualification for the first World Cup in Germany Cuba did not participate. With Haiti, a team from the Caribbean qualified for the World Cup finals for the second time.

1978 World Cup in Argentina

Cuba then wanted to qualify for the World Cup in Argentina . In the first round Jamaica was eliminated with two wins (3: 1 and 2: 0), but Cuba had to set sail in the second round after three games (1: 1, 1: 1 and 0: 2) against Haiti to brush.

1982 World Cup in Spain

By increasing the field of participants for the World Cup in Spain to 24 teams, CONCACAF received another starting place. In the first round of qualification , Suriname and Guiana were eliminated with three wins and one draw. In the final tournament, however, Cuba finished behind Honduras , which qualified for the first time, and El Salvador , which also qualified, Mexico and Canada only fifth. Only Haiti, against which they won their only victory, was even worse.

1986 World Cup in Mexico

The Cubans did not register for the second World Cup in Mexico .

1990 World Cup in Italy

In qualifying for the second World Cup in Italy , Cuba failed in the preliminary round to Guatemala. After a 0: 1 defeat at home, it was only enough to score 1: 1 in the away game. But Guatemala ultimately failed in the CONCACAF finals.

1994 World Cup in the United States

In qualifying for the World Cup in the USA , Cuba was supposed to play against the Vincentian national soccer team, but withdrew. St. Vincent and the Grenadines then failed in the second round.

1998 World Cup in France

With the increase to 32 teams for the second World Cup in France , the CONCACAF teams were now entitled to three starting places. Cuba had to play against the national soccer team of the Cayman Islands in the qualifying round and won both games in the Cayman Islands (1-0 and 5-0). After that, Haiti was eliminated 6: 1 and 1: 1. In the semi-finals, however , only the last place was occupied behind Canada , El Salvador and Panama . In the CONCACAF finals, none of the group opponents could qualify. Instead, Jamaica managed to become the third team from the Caribbean to qualify for the World Cup.

World Championship 2002 in Japan and South Korea

The qualification for the first World Cup in Asia was similar. In the preliminary round, the Cayman Islands were the opponents again and were eliminated 4-0 and 0-0. Then Suriname could be eliminated with 1-0 and 0-0. In the final, however, the penalty shoot-out was lost 4-5 after two 1-1 draws against Barbados . Barbados then failed in the CONCACAF second round.

World Cup 2006 in Germany

Also in the qualification for the second World Cup in Germany it was first against the Cayman Islands and with two wins (2: 1 and 3: 0) the second round against Costa Rica was reached. After a 2-2 home game and a 1-1 away game, Cuba was eliminated due to the away goals rule . Costa Rica finally reached the World Cup finals in the further course of qualification and was allowed to play against hosts Germany in the opening game.

World Cup 2010 in South Africa

For the first World Cup in Africa , Cuba did not have to qualify until the second round and met the national soccer team of Antigua and Barbuda . The third round was reached with 4: 3 and 4: 0. In this the USA, Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala were the opponents. Cuba only won one game but lost five and was eliminated from the bottom of the group. Of the group opponents, only the USA could qualify for the World Cup.

2014 World Cup in Brazil

Cuba was also unable to qualify for the second World Cup in Brazil . Cuba did not have to compete until the third round , but then came in last behind Honduras, Panama and Canada, with only one draw against Panama. Of the group opponents, only Honduras could qualify for the World Cup.

World Cup 2018 in Russia

In qualifying for the World Cup in Russia , Cuba only had to intervene in the second round and failed there against Curaçao . After a 0-0 away game, the third round was missed by a 1-1 home game due to the away goals rule . This made Cuba the first former World Cup participant to be eliminated from the tournament by sporting means.

Ranking of the Cuban World Cup players with the most appearances

01. Joaquín Arias , Jacinto Barquín , Pedro Berges , Manuel Chorens , Tomás Fernández , José Antonio Rodríguez , Héctor Socorro , Juan Tuñas - 3 appearances in one tournament

Ranking of the Cuban World Cup players with the most World Cup goals

01. Héctor Socorro - 3 goals

02. José Magriñá and Tomás Fernández - each goal

Players banned from World Championships

In the only final round participation so far, no Cuban was banned.

Share of players playing abroad in the World Cup squad

In the only final round participation so far, only players who played in Cuba were used.

Games

• So far, Cuba has played three World Cup games against two opponents. One of them was won and one lost and one ended in a draw. The draw game could be extended because a winner had to be determined. Since no decision was made in the extension either, it was repeated. The victory is the only and therefore the highest against Romania, the defeat the only and therefore the highest against Sweden.

All World Cup games
No.	date	opponent	Result	occasion	venue	comment
1	June 5, 1938	Romania	3: 3 a.d.	Round of 16	Toulouse ( FRA )	First international match against Romania
2	June 9, 1938	Romania	2: 1	Round of 16 replay	Toulouse ( FRA )
3	June 12, 1938	Sweden	0: 8	Quarter finals	Antibes ( FRA )	First international match against Sweden

Negative records

Most tournament goals conceded:

• 1938: Cuba - 12 in 3 games

Biggest loss in a tournament:

• 1938 Cuba 0-8 Sweden

Biggest defeat in a quarter-finals after a round of 16:

• 1938 Cuba 0-8 Sweden

See also

• Football World - Statistics - Cuba on fifa.com
• fifa.com: "Statistical overview: records and milestones"

References and footnotes

1. ↑ The placements from 5th place onwards were determined by FIFA without any placement games. See: All-time FIFA World Cup Ranking 1930-2010 (PDF; 200 kB)
2. ↑ fifa.com: History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year) (PDF; 325 kB), p. 10
3. ↑ ^{a b} fifa.com: History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year) (PDF; 325 kB), p. 19