Havana, Feb 10 - Cuba defeated El Salvador in a memorable CONCACAF qualifier held at the Cementos Progreso stadium in the Guatemalan capital, putting one foot firmly in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026.
The victory took on epic dimensions because both teams knew they were playing for a World Cup ticket, although the mathematics and the inexplicable tiebreak criteria postpone the official confirmation until the last matchday.
That’s why the Cubans celebrated the end of the match as one celebrates glory, while the Salvadorans lay scattered across the field in frustration at being unable to decode the Cuban deep defensive block during the second half.
In the first half, La Selecta had taken a deserved lead with a shot from Mayson Barillas, following an error by the Cuban defense that made every possible mistake, giving the visitors the advantage in the 27th minute.
The Central Americans even had the merit to score another goal when Yankarlos Iglesias fired a low shot, tight to the post from the edge of the area, assisted by Fabián Bernabé in the 34th minute.
The Cubans had previously warned without luck, and this time their opponents realized the threat was serious. So much so that they froze, and two minutes later Iglesias sped down the right flank of the opposing area, elegantly beat two defenders, and unleashed a cross missile that sealed the comeback.
The team would have to endure the entire second half because Sandro Sevillano, Cuba’s head coach, planned to defend the lead with a compact block and look for counterattack opportunities.
The performance showed virtues sometimes undervalued in football, such as defensive sacrifice and the determination to endure: everyone ran to cover spaces and turned their goal into an impregnable fortress.
Cuba gave up possession, and El Salvador did not know what to do with the ball because as the minutes passed, their strength and ideas wore out; and whenever something failed, the contingency plan worked: goalkeeper Yulio Noslén Godínez twice silenced the opposing team’s goal celebrations.
There was no formula to unlock the Cuban lock, as bold and risky as it was effective, causing the rival coach’s desperation, who sent his goalkeeper forward to join set pieces as a last-ditch effort.
On February 11, the Cubans will face Belize, a team eliminated after losing their first match, precisely to El Salvador, and drawing with Curaçao.
That will be the formality for World Cup qualification because from the moment the referee blows the whistle, a 0-0 would favor the Cubans (leaders of Group F) with a point bringing their total to seven, more than El Salvador could reach.
Even a loss would mathematically secure their spot in Qatar, but no one predicts a Belize victory based on their tournament performance nor expects the Cubans to rely on calculations at this stage, especially after showing so much commitment.
