SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 11, 2026. – Everything is set for the start of the third edition of the AFECAVOL Central American Men’s Final Four, where Nicaragua, Panama, Belize, and host Costa Rica will battle for the regional title.
Nicaragua, champions of the inaugural 2023 edition, will aim to become the first team to win two Final Four titles. Belize, runners-up in the 2024 edition, will look to take the final step toward the championship.
Costa Rica and Panama will make their tournament debuts with their sights set on the title. The Costa Ricans also enter the competition riding the momentum of their gold medal victory at the 2025 Central American Games in Guatemala.
As part of the activities prior to the start of competition, all delegations completed the accreditation process during the preliminary inquiry, where they were also briefed on the tournament’s new competition format.
Under this year’s format, the four teams will first compete in a single round-robin. At the end of the preliminary phase, the third- and fourth-place teams will contest the bronze medal match, while the top two teams will meet in the final for the championship.
Álbum Flickr Entrevistas Preliminares
Regarding Costa Rica’s participation, host team head coach César Salas said: “We are happy to compete on our home court, and one of our main goals is to win this event. We definitely have the talent and the team to compete against the strong squads participating in this tournament.”
Belize head coach Albert Humes stated: “We came to show that we are a competitive team that should always be taken into account. We believe we can compete well in this Final Four and have what it takes to finish first in the preliminary round and advance in pursuit of a medal.”
Meanwhile, Nicaragua head coach Jorge Mena commented: “Our objective is to bring home a medal for our country. This new competition format gives us another opportunity to reach the final, even if we have a setback along the way.”
Panama head coach Alexis Flores added: “Our main objective is to win the tournament. We know it won’t be easy because all the participating teams have prepared very well, but we have also trained hard to compete at our best in this event.”
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