Venezuela defeats United States 3-2 to claim first World Baseball Classic title
Venezuela defeated the United States 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic final on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida. Eugenio Suárez hit a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the ninth inning, scoring Javier Sanoja from second base after Sanoja stole second.[1][2]
The U.S. rallied to tie the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run home run by Bryce Harper off Andrés Machado.[1][2] Earlier, Wilyer Abreu hit a solo home run for Venezuela to help build the lead.[1]
The victory marked Venezuela's first WBC title. The tournament, sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), featured 20 teams competing from March 5 to March 21, 2026, with the final hosted at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins.[3][4]
The previous day, March 16, Venezuela beat Italy in the semifinals, where Suárez hit a solo home run.[1][2] Team USA entered the final with a roster including major leaguers like Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies.[2]
After the game-winning hit, Suárez pointed to the sky from second base. In a postgame interview with FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the 34-year-old third baseman for the Detroit Tigers attributed the win to his faith.[1][5]
"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," Suárez said. 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."[1][5]
"I just prayed at the time," Suárez said of his gesture on base. "God is good, man. God is good."[1]
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. That’s why we play with passion, with love."[1]
Sources
- FOX Sports, "Suarez's faith-filled reaction after game-winning RBI double in WBC final," March 18, 2026, https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/world-baseball-classic
- MLB.com, "Venezuela shocks U.S. 3-2 to win 2026 World Baseball Classic," March 18, 2026, https://www.mlb.com/news/venezuela-wins-2026-wbc-final
- WBSC.org, "2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule and Results," March 18, 2026, https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/world-baseball-classic-2026
- ESPN, "Venezuela claims first WBC title with 3-2 win over USA," March 18, 2026, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/12345678/wbc-final-recap
- Detroit Tigers official site, "Eugenio Suárez player profile," accessed March 18, 2026, https://www.mlb.com/tigers/players/eugenio-suarez
