Andy Baquero

Andy Baquero Ruiz (born 17 August 1994) is a Cuban professional footballer who plays for Scarborough SC in the Canadian Soccer League. 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

Early 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 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.

Canada 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.

In 2024, he began playing with Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario.

In 2025, he joined Scarborough SC in the Canadian Soccer League. Baquero helped Scarborough secure a playoff berth by winning the regular season title. In the first round of the playoffs, he scored a goal against Aeem Canada FC, and the team advanced to the finals. In the championship finals, he scored the winning goal against the Serbian White Eagles.

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 the 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.

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).

Baquero is a Canadian permanent resident.

Career statistics International goals Scores and results list Cuba's goal tally first.

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 29 August 2018 Wildey Astro Turf, Bridgetown, Barbados 2–0 2–0 Friendly 2. 8 September 2018 Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba 3–0 11–0 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification 3. 5–0 4. 29 September 2018 Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba ?–0 5–0 Friendly 5. 25 February 2019 Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba ?–? 2–2 Friendly Honors Scarborough SC

CSL Championship: 2025 Canadian Soccer League Regular Season: 2025