Andy Baquero

Andy Baquero Ruiz (born 17 August 1994) is a Cuban professional footballer who plays for Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario. He previously played for the Cuba national team and Cuba national futsal team until his defection in 2019. He plays as a midfielder and a right back.

Early life
In his youth, Baquero did karate and later baseball, before switching to football at age nine.

Club career
Baquero began his professional career at 18 with La Habana, where he played six seasons across two stints, while also having brief tenures with Villa Clara and Pinar del Río.

In 2019, he was granted permission to leave Cuba and go to the Dominican Republic where he went on trial with Atlántico FC, before signing with played with Delfines del Este of the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol for a half season, scoring three goals and adding two assists in nine appearances. He had previously received an offer from A.D. Chalatenango of the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador on a ten month contract, however, it was rejected by the Football Association of Cuba, due to concerns about the intermediary who sent the offer. In total, he had 4 contract offers that were rejected.

After his defection from Cuba to Canada, he began to work in construction, but also began to train with Vaughan Azzurri of League1 Ontario and was set to join them for their 2020 season, however, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of the 2021 season, he went on trial with Canadian Premier League side Valour FC. In June 2021, Baquero signed with the club. In his first season, he made 23 appearances for the side, playing the fourth-most minutes on the team. In January 2022, he re-signed with the club. Although the club had held a club option on his contract for 2022, they agreed to a new contract to retain him for 2023 as well.

International career
Baquero has played in the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games. In June 2015, he scored a goal in a friendly hosted in Cuba against North American Soccer League club team New York Cosmos.

In 2016, he was recruited to join the Cuba national futsal team.

On 7 September 2019, following a match in Toronto, Canada in the 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League against Canada, Baquero defected from Cuba along with teammate Alejandro Portal and settled in Canada. As a result of his defection, he would be banned from representing the national team and from returning to Cuba (where the rest of his family was) for eight years until 2027. In November 2023, he was able reunite with his mother, who he had been unable to see due to his defection, when she came to Canada.

Personal life
Baquero is also a musician, releasing music under his stage name AB2. In 2020, he was nominated by the Latin Awards Canada for the Breakthrough Artist of the Year in Canada. At the 2022 Latin Awards Canada, his song "Garantizo" was nominated in the Best Urban Pop Fusion Song and Best Music Video categories (winning the Best Urban Pop Fusion Song honour).

International goals

 * Scores and results list Cuba's goal tally first.