FIM Latin America enjoys home advantage for 2026 Goiás FIM Intercontinental Games

The biennial FIM Intercontinental Games (ICG) returns this season for its second edition, the 2026 Goiás FIM Intercontinental Games, taking place from 11–13 December at the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiânia, Brazil. Teams representing the six FIM Continental Unions (CONUs) – Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Oceania – will compete across circuit racing and motocross disciplines.

Each CONU will field twelve riders, split evenly between three categories: Supersport (SSP), Supersport 300 (SSP300) and MX2. The two circuit racing classes featured at the inaugural ICG in Jerez, Spain, two years ago, while MX2 joins the programme for 2026, extending the competition to off-road racing.

CONUs may select one ‘specialist’ riderwith a permanent place in an FIM World Championship in 2026. Each category must also include at least one female rider, who may likewise be a permanent FIM World Championship competitor this season. All other selected riders must be considered ‘rising talents’ and must not have competed as permanent riders in any FIM World Championship during 2026.

Yamaha will provide motorcycles for both circuit racing categories, with a fleet of YZF-R7 and YZF-R3 models available. Motocross competitors will race on locally supplied motorcycles matching each rider’s requested brand and model and complying with FIM regulations.

In the lead-up to the second ICG, we are taking a closer look at each CONU’s team selection. This week, the spotlight falls on host team FIM Latin America.

Team Manager duties have been split between Alan Douglas who will reprise his 2024 role overseeing the Circuit Racing effort while Gaspar Taboada will take control of the new Motocross element for FIM Latin America.

Returning for the second successive ICG, Chilean Isis Carreño will Captain the SSP300 team. The twenty-six-year-old – the first Latin American woman to compete in WorldSSP300 when she raced at Misano in 2021 – is a veteran of all three editions of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championships having placed twelfth in 2024 and sixteenth in 2025 and she currently sits fifteenth with one round remaining, despite missing the opening event of the season.

Looking to capitalise on home support, Brazil’s Leonardo Marques is showcasing his skills in the 2026 FIM R3 bLU cRU World Cup where he is ninth with one round to go, despite missing the first round. Having shown the necessary pace to take two race podiums this season, there is no doubting the speed of the sixteen-year-old who claimed the R3 Talent title in the 2025 Yamalube R3 bLU cRU Latin America Championship.

Also sixteen years old, Xarly Mendez from the Dominican Republic is enjoying a stand-out first full season in the 2026 FIM R3 bLU cRU World Cup and with just one round to go he is only one point from the lead having claimed two race wins and set the pace for the majority of the season.
 
FIM Latin America’s SSP300 team is completed by the CONU’s youngest rider, sixteen-year-old Aymon Bocanegra. Competing alongside his team-mates Marques and Mendez in the 2026 FIM R3 bLU cRU World Cup, the Brazilian prospect finished sixth in his debut season in the series in 2025 and with one round remaining sits fourth with two race wins to his name.
 
Captain of FIM Latin America’s SSP effort, Brazil’s Humberto Maier claimed a race win in the class two years ago in Spain before suffering an early retirement in race two. A points-scorer in this season’s inaugural FIM Sportbike World Championship, the twenty-one-year-old has also contested the Spanish ESBK Sportbike series and between 2022 and 2025 was a regular in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship, scoring several podium finishes and achieving a highest ranking of seventh in 2023.
 
Another veteran of the 2024 ICG, Mexico’s Astrid Madrigal boasts a wealth of experience and was the 2021 Italika Women’s International Cup champion before winning the 2023 Latin America 500cc Championship title. The twenty-six-year-old currently sits eleventh in the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship having placed eighth in 2024 and ninth last season.
 
A front-runner in the 2026 Brazilian GP600 Championship where he currently lies second, Brazil’s Mario Salles finished a very strong third in last season’s FIM R3 bLU cRU World Cup with a race win in Portugal to his name after finishing the series in seventh in 2024. The eighteen-year-old finished second in the 2023 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Superfinale to earn his full-time place in the World Cup competition.
 
The most experienced of FIM Latin America’s SSP riders, thirty-one-year-old Maximilian Scheib was Argentinian Supersport champion in 2015 and was the first Chilean to win a race in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. A points-scorer on his debut as a substitute rider in the FIM Superbike World Championship in 2018, he went on to race the full series in 2020 and has also contested the Spanish ESBK Superbike Championship and the FIM Endurance World Championship. This season he has focussed on the Brazilian Moto1000GP series, winning the GP1000 title.

Captain of the MX2 team, thirty-two-year-old Marco Antezana is an eleven-time national Motocross champion in his native Bolivia and between 2022 and 2025 was a member of Latin America’s team at the FIM Motocross of Nations. Hugely experienced, Antezana is a former Argentine MX2 and Latin American MX1 and Open champion and claimed his third Mexican title this year. Once again a contender for the Bolivian Motocross title this season, he was twenty-first at the 2026 MXGP of Argentina.
 
Juggling schoolwork with her racing activities, Brazil’s Luanna Neves was just sixteen when she made her debut in the 2026 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, scoring solid points in France and Great Britain on her way to a final ranking of twenty-sixth with a best race finish of fourteenth. The 2025 Brazilian MXF Champion, Neves is also a three-time Goiás State Championwho is looking forward to racing on her home soil.
 
Widely regarded as a rider with great potential, Brazil’s Bernardo ‘Bê’ Tiburcio made a big impact in his debut season in the EMX250 class of the 2026 FIM European Motocross Championship when despite only contesting seven of the twelve rounds he still placed fifteenth with three race podiums – including a three-two card for second overall at Montevarchi in Italy. Although aged just nineteen, Tiburcio is a seven-time national champion who won both the Brazilian MX2 Championship and the Arena Cross AX2 titles last season as well as representing his country at the FIM Motocross of Nations in the USA.
 
Pedro Suárez, from Cuenca, Ecuador, was inspired to race by his father’s passion for motorcycling. He began competing at twelve years old, progressing through national and international ranks. He won the Latin American Junior 125cc championship in Mexico in 2021 and Ecuador’s national 250cc title in 2024, and was part of the Ecuadorian team that won the 2025 FIM Latin America Motocross of Nations. In August 2026, he claimed the Latin American MX Open crown in Costa Rica. The twenty-two-year-old is now delighted to represent his CONU at the 2026 Goiás FIM Intercontinental Games, bringing continental championship experience to this international event.

Alan Douglas, Circuit Racing Team Manager, said: “We approach this new season with confidence. In 2024 we secured victories in the Supersport 300 and Supersport categories, confirming the team’s potential. Crashes and setbacks also provided valuable lessons. We are now better prepared, having identified areas for improvement and developed a more efficient strategy. Our goal is to maintain consistency, carefully analyse each race and prioritise the team’s overall performance. We aim to surpass our 2024 results, represent FIM Latin America and achieve a standout performance.”
 
Gaspar Taboada, Motocross Team Manager, stated: “The inclusion of Motocross in the FIM Intercontinental Games marks a very important step for our discipline and FIM Latin America embraces it with great enthusiasm. Having this first edition take place in Brazil, within our own region, makes it even more meaningful. Our team brings together riders from three countries who arrive committed to giving their best, working as a team and showing the level and importance of Motocross in the region.”
 
Ramón Peré, CONU Delegate, added: “For this new edition of the ICG, we hope to improve upon our CONU’s previous results. The FIM Latin America team is preparing to give its all to represent our CONU and achieve the best possible outcome at the ICG. We are confident that this second edition of the ICG will be truly incredible and will further strengthen the bonds of fellowship among all FIM CONUs.”
 
Pedro Venturo Jr, President of FIM Latin America, concluded: “This historic edition of the FIM Intercontinental Games marks a major milestone for FIM Latin America! With the integration of Motocross and Road Racing, the event establishes itself as the most important championship of 2026. 
 
“We are thrilled to welcome all six FIM Continental Unions to Goiânia. We hope everyone fully enjoys this fantastic sporting celebration and experiences the unmatched passion of our Latin American fans.
Since the inception of the Intercontinental Games in 2024, our riders have felt a special drive to compete in regional championships, as doing so opens the door to being selected for the FIM LA team. Welcome to Latin America and best of luck to everyone!”

ABOUT THE FIM (www.fim-moto.com) 
The FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) founded in 1904, is the governing body for motorcycle sport and the global advocate for motorcycling. The FIM is an independent association formed by 125 National Federations throughout the world. It is recognised as the sole competent authority in motorcycle sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 
Among its 50 FIM World Championships the main events are MotoGP, Superbike, Endurance, Motocross, SuperMoto, Supercross, Trial, Enduro, Cross-Country, Speedway and E-Bikes. Furthermore, the FIM is also active and involved in the following areas: public affairs, road safety, touring and protection of the environment. The FIM was the first international sports federation to impose an Environmental Code in 1994.