The 2023 World Championships, which will be held on 11–13 August 2023, are hosted in Japan for the first time! In these articles, we will take a look at the best players that are qualified to compete in the biggest event of the year.
Here we have Latin America! Let’s meet the 8 players with a Day 2 invite, and take a look at the other 28 Day 1 invitees this region brings.
Table of Contents
Latin America at Worlds
The World Championships is the stage in which Latin American players have surprised everyone time after time, and this may be the case again as they are still considered underdogs.
The best ambassador for Latin America VGC scene has been Ecuadorian Paul Ruiz, that won the 2018 World Championships not only for himself or his country, but for all of Latin America.
The second best result at Worlds for a Latin American player is also Paul‘s top 4 at 2017. Other big results of players from this region are the top 8 finishes achieved by Argentinian Sebastián Escalante (2017), Salvadorian René Alvarenga (2017), Peruvian Dorian Quiñonez (2017) and fellow Argentinian Federico Turano (2018).
The 2022 World Championships was a poor edition for Latin American players: all of them were already eliminated by the time the last Swiss round pairings were posted. Will they come back to the top this year?
Requirements for a Worlds invite
As per the Latin America system, all players that have achieved at least 200 CP (or Championship Points) in the 2023 season receive an invite to Day 1. Additionally, the top 8 players achieve a direct pass to Day 2 and a Travel Award.
Day 2 players
At 1196 CP, Gabriel will play his fourth Worlds after participating as a Day 1 player in 2018 and as a Day 2 player in 2019 and 2022. His best result came in 2019, where he made it to top cut and finished in top 16.
The Brazilian started the season in Pokémon Sword & Pokémon Shield as he reached semifinals of the Worlds side-event, the London Open. After the season hiatus and the release of Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet, Gabriel performed modestly at OCIC, but went back home to the first-ever Regionals in Brazil and got the victory in Natal. It was time to travel again, this time to the United Kingdom, where he finished second at EUIC, becoming a 2-time International finalist in the process. Gabriel then won the Global Challenge II in unprecedented fashion, with basically the same team he had used in Europe the week before. His first place in the Latin America leaderboards was far from disputed, and with the final points at NAIC the regular season was over for him.
Gabriel has been manager and player of the Brazilian team at the World Cup since 2021. Last year, they achieved a back-to-back top 16 finish!
2. 
Juan Salerno
At 780 CP, Juan has qualified for his fifth World Championships, second as a Masters player. Juan had participated in the Senior division in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and already as a Master he played in Day 2 in 2022.
Juan’s season started with a top 32 finish in the London Open, back in August 2022. When the season came back, he placed second in Natal, followed by a Day 2 finish at EUIC. He came back to Brazil for a top 16 in São Paulo, which he then followed by some good results in the spring Special Events: he made top cut for the second time this season and reached semifinals at his hometown event in Buenos Aires, and finished in top 16 in Lima.
Outside the official circuit, Juan won an online Rose Tower Clash with the team he would use one week later in Natal. Additionally, he has been a manager and player for Team Argentina in the World Cup since 2021; last season, they made it to top 16.
At 650 CP, Joaquín has followed his twin brother Juan’s footsteps and has secured a spot in what will be his forth Worlds and second as a Masters player. The Argentinian had made Day 2 appearances in the Senior division in 2018 and 2019, and also Day 2 as a Master in 2022.
Although he earned fewer CP than Juan, it can be said that Joaquín’s season has been more successful. He earned back-to-back victories with an Orthworm team in São Paulo and Buenos Aires, and reached semifinals in Santiago.
Joaquín has been a player in the Argentinian roster for the World Cup since 2021; last season, they made it to top 16.
4. 
Paul Ruiz
At 640 CP, Paul has received his fifth invite for Worlds. The Ecuadorian has made it to Day 2 the four previous times, reaching semifinals in 2017 and culminating the path with the World Champion crown in 2018. As a fun fact, he is the only former World Champion with a guaranteed spot in this year’s Worlds Day 2!
Paul’s most notorious result this season came in Europe, where he made top cut and finished in the top 8 at EUIC. After that, he made another top cut to finish second in São Paulo and made it to Day 2 at NAIC without improving his previous result.
As a content creator in Spanish, he continues to be the co-host of Zoom Competitivo, a weekly VGC podcast, alongside Javier Valdés. Paul has also been a player-manager of Team Ecuador in the World Cup since 2021.
At 540 CP, Javier will be playing his seventh straight Worlds, since 2015, and fifth at Day 2. His best result so far happened in 2018, when he reached top cut.
Javier’s best results were achieved in his continent. First, he finished in top 16 in São Paulo. Then, he made top cut and finished second in Lima. And finally, with the same team, he got the victory in Santiago, his home country’s event.
Being the founder of Desafío Latam and hosting Zoom Competitivo, a very popular weekly podcast about VGC in Spanish alongside Paul Ruiz, Javier is one of the most influential figures in the LatAm VGC scene. He has also been managing Team Chile in the World Cup since 2021.
Watch Javier’s win in Santiago!
At 450 CP, Renzo has qualified to his sixth World Championships. He had qualified with Day 1 invites in 2016, 2019 and 2022 (although he didn’t attend the latter), and with direct Day 2 invites in 2017 and 2018. He repeats a guaranteed Day 2 spot this year!
The Peruvian’s season comprised just three events in which he made top cut: he reached semifinals in São Paulo; got a top 8 finish in Lima, his home country’s event; and repeated with a new top 8 finish in Santiago.
Renzo has been part of Team Peru in the World Cup since 2021. Last year, they achieved a top 16 finish!
Also at 450 CP, Dorian has qualified to his sixth World Championships too. He had qualified with Day 1 invites in 2016, 2017 and 2022 (although he didn’t attend the latter), and with direct Day 2 invites in 2018 and 2019. However, his best result came in 2017, when he went all the way through Day 1 into Day 2 and into top cut for a top 8 finish!
Dorian has not played much this season, but it was enough. He made top cut and reached semifinals in Lima, his home country’s event; finished in top 16 in Santiago; and secured his invite with a trip to the United States, where he made it all the way to top 32 at NAIC after an undefeated Day 1.
Dorian has been part of the Peruvian roster in the World Cup since 2021. Last year, they achieved a top 16 finish!
8. Galo Orbea
At 394 CP, this will be Galo’s first World Championships!
The Ecuadorian’s season has been one of travelling here and there, frequently taking points from overseas, especially in North America. His best results came with a top 32 in Fort Wayne and another top 32 in Fresno. These, alongside the points farmed elsewhere, were enough for the last Day 2 spot in Latin America!
Galo has been part of Team Ecuador in the World Cup since 2021.
Day 1 players
Latin America has 28 representatives in Day 1 of Worlds, some of which are big names in the scene. These include former National Champion Javier Ponce, 2017 Worlds top 16 finisher Sebastián Bisbal, Lima Special Event Champion Matías Díaz, Bogotá Special Event Champion Juan Camilo Restrepo, or 2-time VR tournament winner Thiago Lattanzi.
The following list comprises all other players with 200 or more CP in the Latin America rating zone, and is based on the official Play! Pokémon leaderboard.
Matías Díaz (370 CP)
Thiago Lattanzi (346 CP)- Hugo Nascimento (340 CP)
Daniel Núñez (310 CP)
- Luciano Muñoz (291 CP)
Juan M. Santizo (290 CP)- João Henrique Gonçalves (280 CP)
- Omar Acuña (280 CP)
- Xavier Méndez (280 CP)
Sebastián Bisbal (272 CP)- Arath Vera (270 CP)
- Javier Ponce (262 CP)
- Raul Gioielli (254 CP)
- Aldo Loyola (245 CP)
- César Reyes (230 CP)
Juan Camilo Restrepo (223 CP)
Giovanni Araníbar (222 CP)- Óscar Castillo (220 CP)
- Estephan Valdebenito (220 CP)
- Alejandro Díaz (218 CP)
- Mariano Hernández (212 CP)
- Leandro Ferreira (210 CP)
- Jefferson Camelo (208 CP)
- Diego Gutiérrez (204 CP)
- André Fumis (201 CP)
- Juan Mejía (200 CP)
- Giorgio Falconi (200 CP)
- Camilo Liberona (200 CP)
Closing words
Congratulations to all Latin American players having qualified for the World Championships! They were the least successful region in 2022, but that can change this year for the better. We wish you all the best of luck.
If you’re not attending, you can follow their battles from home. Check all info about the Pokémon World Championships here!
