Eugenio Suárez hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth inning to score Javier Sanoja from second base, lifting Venezuela to a 3-2 victory over the United States in the World Baseball Classic final on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida.[1][2]
The win marked Venezuela's first title in the quadrennial tournament organized by Major League Baseball and the World Baseball Softball Confederation, contested among 20 national teams in 2026.[3][4] The championship game at the Miami Marlins' home stadium followed Venezuela's semifinal victory over Italy on March 16, where Suárez hit a solo home run.[1][2]
Wilyer Abreu added a solo home run for Venezuela, while Bryce Harper hit a solo homer off Andrés Machado in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score at 2-2.[1][2] The United States managed only two hits in the game.[1][2]
Suárez, a 34-year-old third baseman from Venezuela who plays for the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball, pointed to the sky after the hit and later credited his faith in a postgame interview with Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.[1][2][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. "I just prayed at the time. God is good, man. God is good."[1][2]
"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," he added.[1][2]
loanDepot park hosted the semifinals and final of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, as it did in 2023.[3][4]
Sources
- Fox Sports, World Baseball Classic coverage, March 18, 2026 (post-game report), https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/world-baseball-classic
- Fox News Digital, "Venezuela shocks Team USA to win World Baseball Classic for first time", March 18, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- MLB.com, World Baseball Classic 2026, accessed March 18, 2026, https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic
- WBSC.org, World Baseball Classic 2026 event page, accessed March 18, 2026, https://www.wbsc.org/en/event/world-baseball-classic-2026
- MLB.com, Eugenio Suárez player profile, accessed March 18, 2026, https://www.mlb.com/player/eugenio-suarez-570889
