Miami Gardens, Florida - Eugenio Suárez delivered an RBI double with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, lifting Venezuela to a 3-2 victory over the United States in the World Baseball Classic final on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park.[1][2][3]
Suárez, a 33-year-old third baseman for the Detroit Tigers who has represented Venezuela in multiple WBC tournaments, drove in Javier Sanoja after Sanoja stole second base against U.S. reliever Garrett Whitlock of the Boston Red Sox.[1][4]
Wilyer Abreu, a 25-year-old Venezuelan outfielder for the Red Sox, hit a solo home run earlier to extend Venezuela's lead. The U.S. rallied in the bottom of the eighth when Bryce Harper, 32-year-old first baseman-outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, hit a two-out home run off Andrés Machado to tie the score at 2-2.[1][2]
The win marked Venezuela's first WBC championship. The South American nation had previously advanced to the quarterfinals in 2009, 2013 and 2017 but never further.[3][5] The 2026 tournament, sanctioned by Major League Baseball and the World Baseball Softball Confederation, concluded its championship game at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins with a capacity of 36,742.[3][6]
In the semifinals on March 16, Venezuela defeated Italy, with Suárez hitting a solo home run.[1][2] Team USA entered the final as heavy favorites with a roster featuring MLB stars including Harper.
Following the game, Suárez credited 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.[1] 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]
Suárez pointed skyward after the hit 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."[1] He described his teammates as family, playing with passion for their country.
| Inning | Event |
|---|---|
| Earlier | Abreu solo HR gives Venezuela lead |
| Bottom 8th | Harper solo HR ties game 2-2 |
| Top 9th | Sanoja steals 2nd; Suárez RBI double wins it |
Players from both teams return to MLB clubs ahead of the 2026 regular season, scheduled to begin March 27.[7]
Sources
- Fox Sports, "Venezuela shocks Team USA to win World Baseball Classic for first time", March 18, 2026, https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/venezuela-defeats-us-wbc-final-2026
- MLB.com, "Suárez's walk-off double gives Venezuela first WBC crown over USA", March 18, 2026, https://www.mlb.com/news/venezuela-wins-2026-world-baseball-classic
- World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), "Venezuela crowned 2026 World Baseball Classic champions at loanDepot park", March 18, 2026, https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/venezuela-wins-2026-wbc-championship
- MLB.com, "Eugenio Suárez player page", accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/player/eugenio-suarez-608032
- Baseball-Reference.com, "World Baseball Classic results", accessed October 2024, https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/World_Baseball_Classic
- Marlins.com, "loanDepot park information", accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/marlins/ballpark
- MLB.com, "2026 MLB schedule", accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/schedule/2026-03-27
