“[Brazil is] more than a soccer country,” cried MLB Network’s play-by-play announcer Gregg Caserta as Team Brazil rushed the field following a game-ending double play on Team Germany to clinch a berth in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. A group full of passion, raw talent, and most importantly hope, Brazil has climbed its way through the international baseball gauntlet, and for the first time since 2013, the country gets to return to the WBC.
Take it all in Team Brazil, you're heading to the #WorldBaseballClassic 👏 pic.twitter.com/kOWKmVIT8G
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2025
FINAL: Brazil (6) – Germany (4)
Tiago De Silva, who spent the 2023 WBC with Italy, made the start in Brazil’s win-or-go-home matchup versus Germany on Thursday night. With already high pitch counts earlier in the tournament against Colombia, De Silva lasted just 2.2 innings, giving up two early runs to a hungry German team.
Germany entered the final game with just one win in the group stage versus a winless China squad. Although the team appeared to be the weaker on paper, Germany exploded out of the gate in their matchup against Brazil. They struck first in the top of the first to open the scoring after a leadoff hit from Eric Brenk, an advancement to second, and then a perfectly placed single off the bat of Simon Baumgardt.
Brazil, however, fought right back earning a leadoff walk, and then a groundout from Leonardo Reginatto and a single from Dante Bichette Jr. would each drive in a run respectively, putting Brazil up 2-1 just an inning in. Bichette, the brother of MLB star shortstop Bo Bichette and son of former Major Leaguer Dante Bichette, had three hits on the night, driving in two and scoring one (WATCH HERE).
The hit parade would soon come to an end, though, as a looping fly ball off the bat of Luis Rojo would be caught skillfully for the play of the tournament by second baseman Baumgardt before he doubled up Bichette who got caught between bases.
Errors plagued teams throughout the totality of the tournament but one of the most devastating came in the top of the third when a lazy fly ball hit by Germany’s Lou Helmig was able to find grass in the top of the third, before Brazil allowed Helmig to advance all the way to third base on the mistake. Lucas Dunn would get the job “Dunn”, hitting a deep fly ball to center to allow Helmig to job home and make it a tie ballgame. Tiago De Silva would then be replaced by Pedro de Costa Lemos, who just needed to earn one out to gain the win on the stat sheet.
Brazil once again came back with a vengeance, and with two outs in the bottom of the third, Reginatto doubled, and once again Bichette ripped a single to center to pull Brazil ahead again.
Reginatto, 34, now a veteran of the WBC, has played on every Brazilian WBC qualifiers team in Brazil’s baseball history. Rojo, who flew out into the double play earlier on in the game, also got his revenge, mashing a ball to left-center for a triple, driving in one. A brief review wall called though to check if the hit was a home run, but according to the rules of the ballpark in Tucson, the ball must land over the chain link fence, not before it as Rojo’s hit did. Rojo quickly made good use of his position, scoring on a wild pitch to pull Brazil ahead by three for the first time. Brazil tacked on another run in the fourth, driven in by the son of Red Sox legend Manny Ramirez, Lucas Ramirez, to put Brazil ahead by four.
Image Credit: World Baseball Classic
The game went by quickly for both sides after the fourth, until the seventh when Germany began to mount a comeback. Alexander Schmidt got the parade started with a quick single, before Eric Brenk ripped a double to left, easily scoring Schmidt from first, putting Germany back within three. Helmig grounded out, but advanced Brenk to third, and another big play by Dunn, although a groundout this time, was able to score Brenk and make it just a two-run ballgame.
Unfortunately for Germany, the rally would end right there, and the team’s strong night on offense would come to a close as just two innings later a double play would seal their fate and send Brazil to the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
“It’s very important to us to qualify,” said Reginatto. “I think this is something that can change baseball down there. We had a lot of people watching and cheering for us. This is my fourth or fifth Qualifier — definitely my last one. I can’t play this game too long anymore, but I’m very glad to finish my career like this. I mean, this is a dream come true, not only for me, for a lot of guys, and we’re very happy to qualify.”
Colombia and Brazil Advance to 2026 WBC
With Colombia’s undefeated run and Brazil’s big win over Germany, both South American countries in the Tucson qualifiers have officially qualified for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Team Colombia, who came last in their group in the 2023 games, are looking to improve in a big way, and by the looks of their performance in the qualifiers, have built a team that can make a big run just next year. Now veteran Gio Urshela, a leader of the team, who had a big grand slam earlier in the week will look to capitalize on the opportunity a year from now.
Image Credit: World Baseball Classic
Brazil, who last went 0-3 in their 2013 WBC appearance, have recently won silver at the 2023 Pan-Am games and will be looking to build upon their success in the qualifiers.
Both teams will most likely be joined by MLB talent who were not available for this year’s qualifiers.
The 2026 WBC, set to be held across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Japan next year, will feature nine National teams based out of the Caribbean/Latin America and South America, one more than the 2023 WBC games — Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Colombia and Brazil.
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