Venezuela wins first World Baseball Classic title with 3-2 victory over United States
Miami, Florida - Venezuela defeated the United States 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic final on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park, securing the country's first title in the tournament's history.[1][2]
Eugenio Suárez, a 34-year-old third baseman from Venezuela who plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball, hit an RBI double to left-center field off a 3-2 changeup from Garrett Whitlock in the top of the ninth inning, scoring Javier Sanoja from second base after his steal.[3][4] Suárez looked skyward from second base and later explained he had prayed during the at-bat.[3]
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies hit a solo home run off Andrés Machado in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score at 2-2.[3] Earlier, Wilyer Abreu, a Venezuelan outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, hit a solo home run to help Venezuela take the lead.[3]
The United States managed only two hits through eight innings.[3] Venezuela advanced past Italy in the semifinals on March 16 at the same venue, where Suárez hit a solo home run.[3]
LoanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins, hosted the semifinals and final for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.[1] Venezuela had previously reached the quarterfinals in 2009, 2013, and 2017, losing to the United States 9-7 in the 2017 quarterfinals in Los Angeles.[2][5]
In a post-game interview with FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Suárez credited his faith: "I mean, what can I say about this? It’s amazing. God is good, all the glory is for the Lord Jesus. He was with us the whole time."[3] He added, "We have to glorify, put his name in front of everything. Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now we [won] the championship today. This is a celebration for all [of Venezuela]."
Suárez described his teammates as family: "The union – we are together the whole time. We’re not just teammates, we’re all family. This team is awesome – we are family here. That’s why we play with passion, with love because we feel that on our jersey. We feel our country on the front of us."[3]
- Key moments: Abreu solo HR; Harper solo HR to tie; Sanoja steal, Suárez RBI double.
- Final score: Venezuela 3, United States 2.
Players from both teams return to Major League Baseball clubs ahead of the 2026 regular season start in late March.[4]
Sources
- MLB.com
2026 World Baseball Classic venues announced
November 15, 2024
https://www.mlb.com/news/2026-world-baseball-classic-venues-announced - World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)
World Baseball Classic
Accessed March 2026
https://www.wbsc.org/en/world-baseball-classic - FOX Sports
World Baseball Classic
Accessed March 2026
https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/world-baseball-classic - MLB.com
Eugenio Suárez player page
Accessed March 2026
https://www.mlb.com/player/eugenio-suarez-608031 - Wikipedia
World Baseball Classic
Accessed March 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic
