Venezuela defeats U.S. 3-2 for first World Baseball Classic title

Eugenio Suárez hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth inning to give Venezuela a 3-2 lead, securing a victory over the United States in the World Baseball Classic final on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida. The stadium hosted the tournament's quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

Suárez, a third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks,^[1] reacted to the win by crediting his faith in a post-game interview with FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. "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.

Wilyer Abreu added a solo home run earlier in the game to help Venezuela build its lead. The night before, on March 16, Suárez hit a solo home run against Italy in the semifinals at the same venue.

The U.S. tied the score in the bottom of the eighth when Bryce Harper hit a home run off Andrés Machado. Venezuela had limited the U.S. to two hits through much of the game.

In the ninth, Javier Sanoja stole second base, setting up Suárez to drive a 3-2 changeup from Garrett Whitlock to left-center field for the game-winning RBI. Suárez pointed to the sky from second base and later explained, "I just prayed at the time. I pointed to my family out there – they were happy for me. God is good, man. God is good."^[3]

Suárez continued: "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]. The union – we are together the whole time. We’re not just teammates, we’re all family."

The win marked Venezuela's first WBC title in its sixth appearance in the tournament, surpassing previous best finishes of fourth place in 2006 and the semifinals in 2013.^[4]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic featured 20 teams in a format with four pool stage sites followed by championship rounds in Miami.^[2]

Sources

1. MLB.com, Eugenio Suárez Stats, Fantasy & News, accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/player/eugenio-suarez-608032
2. World Baseball Classic, 2026 World Baseball Classic Official Site, 2024, https://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/
3. FOX Sports, World Baseball Classic Hub, accessed October 2024, https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/world-baseball-classic-hub
4. Wikipedia, Venezuela national baseball team, accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela_national_baseball_team
5. MLB.com, loanDepot park, accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/marlins/ballpark