Intense Battle Ahead in the Third Edition
of
the AFECAVOL Men's Final Four
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."