As the first match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup came to a close, four Cuban players mysteriously disappeared, failing to board their return flights with their teams and suspected of seeking political asylum at their destinations. According to sources, 30 of Cuba's top athletes have chosen to seek political asylum in other countries during overseas tournaments in 2023 alone.
For this year's CONCACAF Gold Cup, Cuba was placed in Group D with Canada, Guatemala and Guadeloupe. In their first group game in Florida, Cuba was defeated by Guatemala 0-1. After the game, the team was scheduled to take a flight from Miami to Houston to prepare for their next group game against Canada. However, just as the plane was about to take off, four players mysteriously disappeared. Cuban reporters accompanying the team speculated that the four players may have been seeking political asylum in the United States. According to incomplete statistics, 55 Cuban soccer players have defected to the United States since 1999.
