The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international event that occurs every four years and attracts baseball fans around the world.

The tournament took place from March 5-17 this year, featuring 20 international teams in the first round of pool play, which is where teams are divided into “pools” that guarantee games for all teams. Since teams are from all around the world, the games were held in Tokyo, San Juan, Miami and Houston. 

With teams closing in, the quarterfinals took place in Miami and Houston. For the grand finale, the semifinals and championship concluded in Miami. 

One student believes that the WBC is a significant tournament for baseball fans to watch because of the community aspect, with fans gathering from around the world to support their favorite teams.

“I like watching the WBC because it’s a showcase of the best players from every country,” said Emma Brady, a junior business major. “It’s fun to see fans be patriotic and cheer for America.”

This year’s championship ended with a game between the U.S. and Venezuela that surprised many American fans. The game made history when Venezuela defeated the U.S. by one run with a final score of 3-2.

“I was not surprised that Venezuela won, but I was a little sad that they beat the U.S. in the championship,” Brady said. “There were some standout teams with Italy making it farther than I thought they would and Japan getting eliminated earlier than I thought.”

When asked about why she initially wanted to watch the U.S. team, Brady shared a moment that went viral across social media.

“I started watching the U.S. team after getting sent a meme about team Italy’s espresso machine that they carried from game to game and wanted to see how the U.S. was doing,” Brady said.

The U.S. team lineup gave Brady hope for a strong run throughout the whole tournament.

“I don’t know if this was the best, but it was a really good lineup,” Brady said. “From pitching to the infield to the outfield, there were all-stars everywhere that were able to work very well together.”

Finishing as the runner-up in the WBC this year, the 2026 U.S. team roster aimed to win after their initial victory in 2017, which was their first and only time winning overall.

In Japan, the WBC became the most-watched title ever on Netflix. The streaming platform held a live event of the Japan vs. Australia game, which made history for the most streamed baseball game on all platforms.

According to Netflix, the total viewership for the WBC games is 31.4 million, with 17.9 million viewers for the Japan vs. Australia game only.

“Netflix’s exclusive streaming of the global baseball tournament in Japan this year delivered the largest-ever streaming audience across all platforms worldwide and marked the most streamed baseball game ever,” Netflix said.

Another first in the WBC was when Christopher Sanchez, a player on the Dominican Republic team, became the first pitcher to strike out four batters in an inning. 

According to the MLB, this occurred when the Dominican Republic played against Nicaragua. The final score that gave the Dominican Republic its victory was 12-3.

In the grand finale, Venezuela celebrated its win on the field as the crowd erupted with cheer. The FOX broadcast recorded a moment of triumph for the winning team.

“We are family here,” said Eugenio Suárez on the FOX broadcast, who scored the winning run for Venezuela. “That’s why we play with passion, with love. Because we feel that jersey, we feel our country in front of us. That’s why this is a lot for us as players, as people, as human beings and as Venezuelans. Now, we are the champions.”

For students interested in learning more about the highs and lows of the WBC tournament this year, go to netflix.com, mlb.com and FOX news for more information.