{{short description|Cuban footballer}} {{family name hatnote|Portal|Oliva|lang=Spanish}} {{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 = International FC | 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= 14 | goals10= 0 |years11 = 2026– |clubs11 = International FC |caps11 = 0 |goals11 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2015 | nationalteam1 = Cuba U20 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2015–2019 | nationalteam2 = Cuba | nationalcaps2 = 7 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | pcupdate = 19 August 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 International FC in League1 Ontario.
==Early life== Portal was born in the town of Quivicán, located south of Havana.<ref name="NFT">{{NFT player|61728}}</ref>
==Club career== Portal began his career with second-division Torneo de Ascenso side Mayabeque in 2013.<ref name="NFT" /> In 2015, he moved up to the Campeonato Nacional with Isla de La Juventud, making 27 appearances and scoring four goals over two seasons.<ref name="NFT" /> In 2017, he joined Cienfuegos, making nineteen appearances over two seasons.<ref name="NFT" /> He spent 2018 and 2019 with Pinar del Río and La Habana, respectively.<ref name="NFT" />
In 2020, he began training with League1 Ontario side Vaughan Azzurri and made his debut as a substitute against Darby on 20 August 2021.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alejandro Portal 2021 L1O Stats|url=https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/47995916?subseason=678567|publisher=League1 Ontario|access-date=2021-09-09|archive-date=2021-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909162346/https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/47995916?subseason=678567|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On 9 September 2021, Portal signed his first professional contract with Canadian Premier League side HFX Wanderers.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> He made his debut on 18 September against York United FC.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He departed the club at the end of the season.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 2022, he returned to playing for Vaughan Azzurri.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/54281303|title=Alejandro Portal Oliva 2022 L1O Stats|work=League1 Ontario|access-date=2022-06-29|archive-date=2022-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629105851/https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/54281303|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In February 2023, he signed with the Simcoe County Rovers in League1 Ontario.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/63243126?subseason=875807|title=Alejandro Portal 2023 L1O Stats|work=League1 Ontario|access-date=2023-04-18|archive-date=2023-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417143329/https://www.league1ontario.com/roster_players/63243126?subseason=875807|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2025, he played with Vaughan Azzurri.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://league1ontario.com/player/4940769-alejandro-portal/|title=Alejandro Portal L1O Stats|work=League1 Ontario}}</ref>
==International career== Portal made his debut for the Cuba national team in a 2015 friendly against Nicaragua.<ref name="NFT" /> He returned to the team four years later for a friendly against Bermuda in 2019.<ref name="NFT" /> He was later selected for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad, where he appeared in all three matches for Cuba.<ref name="NFT" />
After Cuba's 6–0 loss to Canada during CONCACAF Nations League qualifying in September, he defected into Canada along with Andy Baquero.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerway|alejandro-portal/393597}} * {{NFT player|61728}}
{{Cuba squad 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portal, Alejandro}} Category:Living people Category:1995 births Category:Cuban men's footballers Category:Cuba men's international footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:FC Mayabeque players Category:FC Isla de La Juventud players Category:FC Cienfuegos players Category:FC Pinar del Río players Category:FC La Habana players Category:HFX Wanderers FC players Category:Ontario Premier League players Category:2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup players Category:People from Quivicán Category:Cuba men's under-20 international footballers Category:Defecting Cuban footballers Category:Vaughan Azzurri players Category:Simcoe County Rovers FC players Category:Campeonato Nacional de Cuba players Category:International FC players