Venezuela defeated the United States in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) championship game on March 17, 2026. Venezuela won 3-2, with an RBI double by Eugenio Suarez in the ninth inning securing their first-ever WBC title and Donald Trump wasted no time making it about himself.
Following the win, Trump posted on his platform Truth Social, repeating an idea he had shared earlier in the tournament suggesting that Venezuela could become part of the United States. He wrote, “STATEHOOD!!! President DJT.”
The previous night, after Venezuela beat Italy, Trump had made a similar post which said, “Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE? President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
US vs Venezuela: Game highlights
Venezuela took a 2-0 lead early in the World Baseball Classic final and looked in control of the game. The United States fought back when Bryce Harper hit a big home run in the eighth inning to tie the score at 2-2, bringing energy back into the stadium.
But Venezuela regained the lead 3–2 in the top of the ninth inning and held on to win the championship, sending their fans into a powerful celebration.
Venezuela kept politics out of match
Before the tournament, manager Omar Lopez made his team’s stance clear and said, “I’ve been working in baseball for 28 years and I don’t talk about political stuff, to be honest.”
“I’m here to talk about our Venezuelan team. I’m not here to talk about anything about political situations around the world, around my country,” he added.
This victory meant a lot more than just winning a game. As earlier this year, Trump ordered an operation to remove Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro which pushed the country into more political uncertainty.
