World Cup fever hits MLB clubhouses, divides Latin American players

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, soccer talk is spilling into Major League Baseball clubhouses, with Latin American players swapping batting averages for tournament predictions. A video shared by MLB en Español captured several players discussing their favorites to win the coveted title.

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Brazil, Brazil, Brazil I think it is.

Puerto Rican pitcher Fernando Cruz of the New York Yankees confidently picked Brazil, the most successful team in World Cup history. Panamanian catcher Iván Herrera of the St. Louis Cardinals backed France, the previous runner-up, with a concise "World Cup, France." Venezuelan catcher Luis Torrens of the New York Mets admitted to a divided loyalty between Spain and Portugal, partly due to his desire to see Cristiano Ronaldo win the tournament.

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World Cup, France.

Venezuelan outfielder Wilyer Abreu of the Boston Red Sox believes Argentina will win, citing his admiration for Lionel Messi and the team's potential for a consecutive title. Another Venezuelan, Toronto Blue Jays prospect Yohendrick Piñango, favors Brazil but predicts France will ultimately lift the trophy. Panamanian infielder José Caballero of the New York Yankees offered a patriotic shout-out to his home country's team, stating, "We are Panamanians and we are going to win." Not all players were willing to share their picks, with Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andrés Giménez of Venezuela humorously responding, "No, that's private."

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I'm a little divided, I'm between Spain and obviously I also want Cristiano to win the maximum title with Portugal, so well, let's see what the cup brings.