Cuba hopes for World Cup respite from US sabre-rattling – but prepares for the worst

A man sells used items on the street in Havana, Cuba, on 6 May 2026. Photograph: Norlys Perez/Reuters

As Cuba crumbles under a nearly five-month-long US oil blockade, many on the island hope that the World Cup might save the island from US attack – or at least offer a respite until the competition ends on 19 July.

“The beginning of the World Cup will make it more difficult for the United States to carry out a military action in Cuba,” said Carlos Alzugaray, Cuba’s former ambassador to the EU. “Cuba is very close to the US, and can hit many targets inside the US, especially in south Florida, with drones or other weapons.”