page_title: List of Cuban football players who have defected to the United States
hierarchical_section_title: List of Cuban football players who have defected to the United States
caption_attribution_description: SSFC v Toronto_005
context_page_description: Since 1999, several Cuban football players have defected to the United States in an attempt to further their professional career or improve their standard of living.
  Under the old wet feet, dry feet policy in the United States, any Cuban player who set foot in the United States was entitled to become a US resident. Maykel Galindo, one of the earlier defectors told of the incentives to leave Cuba: "They leave Cuba because they want to make something out of their lives. They are in search of the dream of playing football at a professional level and they know that Cuba will not offer them that. They do it because they feel that their family will be proud of them if they make it to the professional level and many of those players have realized that they can achieve that goal. Thankfully, in my case, doors were being opened to me." The wet feet, dry feet policy ended in January 2017.
  As a general rule, Cuban players who defect are not allowed to rejoin the Cuban national team for international matches. Players who defect are generally ineligible to play for the United States team, as FIFA eligibility rules only allow a player to play for one national team during his career.
context_section_description: Since 1999, several Cuban football players have defected to the United States in an attempt to further their professional career or improve their standard of living.
  Under the old wet feet, dry feet policy in the United States, any Cuban player who set foot in the United States was entitled to become a US resident. Maykel Galindo, one of the earlier defectors told of the incentives to leave Cuba: "They leave Cuba because they want to make something out of their lives.  They are in search of the dream of playing football at a professional level and they know that Cuba will not offer them that. They do it because they feel that their family will be proud of them if they make it to the professional level and many of those players have realized that they can achieve that goal. Thankfully, in my case, doors were being opened to me." The wet feet, dry feet policy ended in January 2017.
  As a general rule, Cuban players who defect are not allowed to rejoin the Cuban national team for international matches. Players who defect are generally ineligible to play for the  United States team, as FIFA eligibility rules only allow a player to play for one national team during his career.
caption: Osvaldo Alonso defected from Cuba in 2007 to pursue a professional football career.
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