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By Kang Tae-gu, Sports Today The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) final will pit Venezuela against the United States in what’s being billed as a “Maduro derby.”
Venezuela beat Italy 4-2 on March 17 (KST) in a WBC semifinal at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.
The victory sends Venezuela to its first-ever WBC final, surpassing the country’s 2009 semifinal run and marking its best finish in the tournament’s history.
Venezuela will take on the tournament favorite, the United States, which punched its ticket to the final after edging the Dominican Republic 2-1 on March 16.
The matchup has been framed as a Maduro derby between the U.S. and Venezuela.
The phrase refers to the diplomatic standoff between Nicolás Maduro’s government and the United States, which has labeled his rule dictatorial and imposed sanctions.
Relations worsened sharply in January after U.S. President Donald Trump approved a military operation to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Now, just two months after Maduro’s arrest, the U.S. and Venezuela will face off on the WBC’s biggest stage, a storyline that has drawn intense attention.
With Miami home to the largest Venezuelan immigrant community in the United States, the atmosphere inside and around the ballpark is expected to be electric.
[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu sports@stoo.com]
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