Orlendis Benítez

Orlendis Carlos Benítez Hernández (born 26 November 1996) is a Cuban professional footballer who plays for International FC in League1 Ontario.

Playing career He began his career in his native Cuba with FC La Habana. During the 2018–19 season, he was named the Best Player of the Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol de Cuba.

In 2021 and 2022, he played for Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario. In June 2022, he joined Canadian Premier League club Forge FC on a short-term loan. He made his debut for Forge on 12 June against Pacific FC. He then returned to Vaughan, helping them win the league title.

In February 2023, he signed with the Simcoe County Rovers in League1 Ontario. He was named the L1O Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-Star in 2023, after helping Simcoe win the league title.

In September 2024, he signed with Forge FC for the remainder of the 2024 season. After the season, the club picked up his option for 2025. However, he instead returned to League1 Ontario and joined Scrosoppi FC.

International career In late August 2019, he received his first call-up to the Cuba national football team for their 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League matches against Canada in September. However, ahead of the match, he defected from the squad to settle in Canada and not return to Cuba, with the help of his uncle (whom he had never met) who was a baseball player who had also defected while in Canada.

Career statistics