The final stage of qualification for the 2nd edition of the SSL Gold Cup, the “Football World Cup in Sailing,” will take place just before the finals in Rio de Janeiro (12–15 November 2026). The Pan American qualification series will determine the last nations to secure their place on the starting line and complete the full line-up for the SSL Gold Cup.
Group H: Uruguay, Venezuela, and Cuba
Group H brings together SSL Team Uruguay, SSL Team Venezuela, and SSL Team Cuba. Cuba is the only nation to have participated in the final stages of the SSL Gold Cup. The team qualified for the Gran Canaria 2023 edition, finishing the regatta in 36th position overall.
In the current SSL Nations Ranking, Uruguay ranks highest in the group, at 46th.
SSL Team Uruguay - La Celeste
SSL Team Venezuela - Los Caciques
SSL Team Cuba - Pirates of the Caribbean
Group I: Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, and Guatemala
Group I features three teams representing the Caribbean Sea and the western Atlantic: SSL Team Bermuda, SSL Team Antigua and Barbuda, and SSL Team Guatemala.
Bermuda currently sits 47th in the SSL Nations Ranking and enters the group as its highest-ranked nation. Both Bermuda and Antigua previously competed in the knockout stages of the SSL Gold Cup qualification rounds. The two teams raced in the same 1/32 final group and successfully advanced to the 1/16 finals. Their campaigns concluded with Antigua finishing 26th and Bermuda 31st overall.
Guatemala completed the qualification series in the previous edition but did not advance to the finals.
SSL Team Bermuda - The Privateers
SSL Team Antigua and Barbuda - The Rum Runners
SSL Team Guatemala - Guatemalan Jaguars
Group J: Mexico, Puerto Rico, and El Salvador
The group J includes SSL Team Mexico, SSL Team Puerto Rico, and SSL Team El Salvador.
Both Mexico and Puerto Rico competed in the 2022 SSL Gold Cup qualification series but did not manage to reach the final stage. The two nations are closely matched in the SSL Nations Ranking, currently occupying 49th and 50th positions
El Salvador represents an exciting new chapter. The SSL Team was established this year and is led by Olympic sailor Enrique José Arathoon Pacas. The team completed a full training session in the SSL training base in Grandson, Switzerland.
SSL Team México - Las Catrinas
SSL Team Puerto Rico - Los Boricuas
SSL Team El Salvador - The Torogoz
Final Countdown to Rio
The Pan American qualification will take place at the official SSL Gold Cup venue in Rio, immediately before the finals begin. Once completed, the full list of qualified nations for the 2nd edition of the SSL Gold Cup, Football World Cup in Sailing, will be confirmed.
With national teams racing identical SSL 47 yachts and representing their countries in a format inspired by football’s World Cup, the stage is set for high-intensity competition and dramatic qualification battles.