Alejandro Portal

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Alejandro Portal

| fullname = Alejandro Miguel Portal Oliva

| image = File:Alejandro Portal, HFX Wanderers (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Portal with HFX Wanderers in 2021

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|10|21|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Quivicán, Cuba

| height = 1.76 m

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Vaughan Azzurri

| clubnumber =

| years1 = 2013–2015 | clubs1 = Mayabeque | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 2016–2017 | clubs2 = Isla de La Juventud | caps2 = 27 | goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2017–2018 | clubs3 = Cienfuegos | caps3 = 19 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2018 | clubs4 = Pinar del Río | caps4 = | goals4 =

| years5 = 2019 | clubs5 = La Habana | caps5 = | goals5 =

| years6 = 2021 | clubs6 = Vaughan Azzurri | caps6 = 1 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2021 | clubs7 = HFX Wanderers | caps7 = 10 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2022 | clubs8 = Vaughan Azzurri | caps8 = 16 | goals8 = 1

| years9 = 2023–2024 | clubs9 = Simcoe County Rovers | caps9 = 39 | goals9 = 0

| years10= 2025– | clubs10= Vaughan Azzurri | caps10= 1 | goals10= 0

| nationalyears1 = 2015 | nationalteam1 = Cuba U20 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2015–2019 | nationalteam2 = Cuba | nationalcaps2 = 7 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| pcupdate = 19 April 2025

| ntupdate = 9 September 2021

}}

Alejandro Miguel Portal Oliva (born 21 October 1995) is a Cuban professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario.

Early life

Portal was born in the town of Quivicán, located south of Havana.{{NFT player|61728}}

Club career

Portal began his career with second-division Torneo de Ascenso side Mayabeque in 2013. In 2015, he moved up to the Campeonato Nacional with Isla de La Juventud, making 27 appearances and scoring four goals over two seasons. In 2017, he joined Cienfuegos, making nineteen appearances over two seasons. He spent 2018 and 2019 with Pinar del Río and La Habana, respectively.

In 2020, he began training with League1 Ontario side Vaughan Azzurri and made his debut as a substitute against Darby on 20 August 2021.{{cite web |title=Alejandro Portal 2021 L1O Stats|url=https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/47995916?subseason=678567 |publisher=League1 Ontario}}

On 9 September 2021, Portal signed his first professional contract with Canadian Premier League side HFX Wanderers.{{cite web |first=Dylan|last=Lawrence |title=Halifax Wanderers signs Cuban Canadian Midfielder Alejandro Portal |url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/halifax-wanderers-signs-cuban-canadian-midfielder-alejandro-portal |publisher=HFX Wanderers FC |access-date=9 September 2021 |date=9 September 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/wanderers-add-cuban-international-alejandro-portal/|title=Wanderers Add Cuban International Alejandro Portal|date=September 9, 2021|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}} He made his debut on 18 September against York United FC.{{Cite web|url=https://hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca/article/alejandro-portal-late-addition-brings-heart-and-international-experience|title=Alejandro Portal: Late Addition Brings Heart and International Experience|date=November 3, 2021|work=HFX Wanderers FC|first=Jonathan|last=Briggins}} He departed the club at the end of the season.{{Cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/halifax-wanderers-2021-player-release/|title=Halifax Wanderers Announce Six Player Departures|date=November 22, 2021|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}

In 2022, he returned to playing for Vaughan Azzurri.{{Cite web|url=https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/54281303|title=Alejandro Portal Oliva 2022 L1O Stats|work=League1 Ontario}}

In February 2023, he signed with the Simcoe County Rovers in League1 Ontario.{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/simcoe-county-rovers-cuban-internationals-benitez-portal/|title=Simcoe County Rovers Add Former Cuban Internationals Benitez And Portal|date=February 14, 2023|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}{{cite web|url=https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/63243126?subseason=875807|title=Alejandro Portal 2023 L1O Stats|work=League1 Ontario}}

International career

Portal made his debut for the Cuba national team in a 2015 friendly against Nicaragua. He returned to the team four years later for a friendly against Bermuda in 2019. He was later selected for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad, where he appeared in all three matches for Cuba.

After Cuba's 6–0 loss to Canada during CONCACAF Nations League qualifying in September, he defected into Canada along with Andy Baquero.{{cite news|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/09/09/report-three-cuba-national-team-players-defect-after-canada-loss|title=Report: Five Cuba national team players defect during Nations League|publisher=Major League Soccer|first=Alicia|last=Rodriguez|date=9 September 2019|access-date=30 October 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/cuban-internationals-return-bmo-field-defect-2024/|title=Former Cuba Internationals Set To Face Toronto FC In Stadium Where 'New Life' Began|date=April 24, 2024|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}