Historic: Venezuela Advances to World Baseball Classic Semifinals and Secures Olympic Berth
Venezuela won 8-5 and pulled off a major upset this Saturday in the 2026 World Baseball Classic by eliminating Shohei Ohtani's Japan, and will play Italy in the semifinals, who also delivered a surprise by eliminating Puerto Rico. The VI edition of the World Baseball Classic will have a new champion as the Japanese team, winners in 2023 and the tournament's most successful with three titles, has been eliminated. Venezuela returns to the semifinals for the second time, after the 2009 edition when they lost to Korea. On Saturday, they not only defeated one of the top favorites at Miami's LoanDepot Park but also secured a direct spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The other ticket for the Americas was secured by the Dominican Republic.
TL;DR
- Venezuela defeated Japan 8-5 in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
- Venezuela advanced to the semifinals and secured a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Japan, the 2023 champions and three-time winners, were eliminated.
- Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Gleyber Torres, and Wilyer Abreu all hit home runs during the game.
- Venezuela will play Italy in the semifinals, while the other semifinal features the United States and the Dominican Republic.