Puerto Rico reaches water polo final as Venezuela places fifth at CAC 2026

At the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, the Venezuelan men's water polo team secured fifth place by defeating the Dominican Republic 18-5 after a narrow 15-14 loss to Cuba. The Venezuelan women's team was also eliminated, losing 16-6 to Puerto Rico.

In the men's semifinals, Puerto Rico advanced to the gold‑medal match by edging Cuba 13-12 with a controversial last‑second goal by Alan Bayó, which stood after video review despite Cuban protests. Puerto Rico will meet Colombia for the title, while Cuba will contest the bronze medal against Mexico.