Match Preview
Cuba finally showed signs of life yesterday against Belgium and now need a few more points to avoid relegation from the Nations League 2026. Argentina, meanwhile, enter this match with no pressure after falling out of the playoff race.
Cuba Flying After Securing First Victory
Cuba have been one of the weakest teams in the Nations League 2026 so far, sitting bottom of the standings with eight defeats from nine matches and looking like the main candidates for relegation.
They opened Week 2 with a heavy 3-0 defeat to the United States before coming close to ending their losing run against France. Cuba led 2-1 in sets but failed to close out the match, eventually losing 3-2, before suffering further 3-1 defeats to Serbia and Iran.
That miserable losing streak finally came to an end yesterday as the Cubans caused a major upset by defeating Belgium 3-0. Captain Thondike was named Player of the Match.
Argentina Unpredictable
Argentina are definitely missing out on the Nations League 2026 final tournament after securing just three wins in nine matches, but they should be safe from the relegation battle.
Two of those victories came during Week 2, when the Argentinians defeated Germany 3-2 before producing an impressive straight-sets win over China. They were unable to build on that momentum, however, losing a five-set thriller to Turkey before wrapping up June with a 3-1 defeat to Poland despite winning the opening set 50-48.
Yesterday's Week 3 opener saw Argentina recover from two sets down against Canada to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory and end their losing run.