TUCSON, Ariz. – Brazil defeated Germany 6-4 to clinch the final spot in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, securing its return to the tournament for the first time since 2013. The win caps off five days of competition at Kino Sports Complex at Veterans Memorial Stadium, where the Catalina Mountains provided the backdrop for a hard-fought qualifier.
The game lasted two hours and twenty-three minutes.
Brazil’s pitching staff, led by manager Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto, relied on starter Tiago Da Silva, Pedro Lemos, Oscar Nakaoshi, and Murilo Gouvea, who combined to throw nine innings, allowing eight hits, three earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts while facing 38 batters.
“We had preparation during training camp in Brazil and to have this great result is a good outlook for the future of baseball in the country especially with the group we have that grind together as a family during this week’s span and qualify into the 2026 WBC,” Matsumoto said during the postgame.
Germany’s pitching staff, under manager Jendrick Speer, turned to starter Niklas Rimmel, Tommy Sommer, and Nick Wittgren, who combined to throw eight innings, allowing nine hits, six earned runs, four walks, and two strikeouts.
Germany’s offense struggled with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-6 and stranding six runners on base.
Brazil is ranked No. 23 and Germany No. 17 in the World Baseball Rankings, published by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. China, which finished 0-3 at the 2025 WBCQ, is ranked No. 20. Nicaragua, at No. 16, Colombia, at No. 12, and Chinese Taipei, at No. 2, have all secured spots in the 2026 WBC.
Brazil is ranked No. 11 in the WBSC Americas sector, with many of its players set to return to compete in the 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro de Beisebol regular season or continue playing in global professional leagues.
The 2026 WBC will begin on March 6, with games played during spring training in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico, featuring Major League Baseball, Nippon Professional Baseball, the Korean Baseball Organization, and Liga Mexicana de Beisbol.
Game Summary
Germany struck first in the top of the first when Erick Brenk led off with a single to center field. Simon Baumgardt followed with a line-drive single to left, bringing in Brenk to put Germany ahead 1-0.
Team Germany gets on the board first in this win-or-go-home battle against Team Brazil! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/wLPCF2K2EK
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2025
Brazil answered in the bottom of the first. Leonardo Reginatto grounded out to shortstop Alexander Schmidt, scoring Gabriel Gomez to tie the game at 1-1.
Dante Bichette Jr. followed with an infield single that Schmidt was unable to barehand, scoring Lucas Ramirez to give Brazil a 2-1 lead.
Dante Bichette Jr. snatches the lead for Team Brazil 💪#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/1Qx9EJzuQH
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2025
Germany escaped the inning when Baumgardt made an over-the-shoulder-grab and fired to second base to double off Bichette.
What a play by Simon Baumgardt to turn 2! pic.twitter.com/aMMsHdsK4V
— Jeff Duda (@INTLBaseball24) March 7, 2025
Germany pulled even in the top of the third when Lou Helmig reached third after Gabriel Gomez misplayed a fly ball in the lights. Lucas Dunn followed with a sacrifice fly to center, bringing Helmig home to tie the game at 2-2.
Germany with a sac fly and it’s tied at 2 after Brazil dropped a routine fly ball in left. This game is off the rails already! pic.twitter.com/oIeH4ObY08
— Jeff Duda (@INTLBaseball24) March 7, 2025
Matsumoto went to his bullpen early, calling on Pedro Lemos to replace Tiago Da Silva.
Da Silva threw 2.2 innings, allowing three hits, one earned run, one walk, and two strikeouts on 40 pitches, 24 for strikes.
Brazil reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third when Dante Bichette Jr. poked an RBI single past the outstretched glove of Schmidt into center field, scoring Leonardo Reginatto to make it 3-2.
Dante Bichette Jr. delivers again to give Team Brazil the lead 😤#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/DUWxwgjZwz
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2025
“I didn’t think too much about the game tactics, I just knew it was a win or go home game, and putting your heart out on the field tonight helped us as a family come away with the win to enter the 2026 WBC,” Bichette said during the post game.
Lucas Rojo wasted no time adding to the lead, crushing a triple off the left-field wall to bring in Bichette and make it 4-2.
Lucas Rojo with an RBI triple and it’s 4-2 Brazil! pic.twitter.com/xLHgodk6eW
— Jeff Duda (@INTLBaseball24) March 7, 2025
Matsumoto stepped out of the third-base dugout to request a review, questioning whether Rojo’s triple had hit the railing just left of the 375-foot sign in left field. After a brief discussion, the umpires upheld the call.
Shortly after, Jendrick Speer turned to his bullpen, bringing in Tommy Sommer to replace starter Niklas Rimmel.
Rimmel exited after 2.2 innings, allowing five hits, five earned runs, and two walks on 47 pitches, 28 for strikes.
Brazil extended the lead to 5-2 later in the inning when Rojo scored on a wild pitch during Victor Mascai’s at-bat.
Brazil would score their sixth run of the game in the bottom of the fourth, when Ramirez lined a RBI single to left, scoring Gomez to extend the lead to 6-2.
Lucas Ramirez drives home another run for Team Brazil and Manny is loving it! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/1HdA725kOe
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2025
“Everybody contributed to this game and the win, it wasn’t just one person, everyone did their job to help us qualify for the 2026 WBC,” Ramirez said during the post game.
In the top of the seventh inning, Germany inched closer when Eric Brenk hit a line drive RBI double to left field, scoring Schimdt to cling the board at 6-3.
Eric Brenk with an RBI double to make it 6-3 and here comes the Germans! pic.twitter.com/IU83Y9rTEW
— Jeff Duda (@INTLBaseball24) March 7, 2025
With one out and runners on the corners, Lucas Dunn grounded out to shortstop Vitor Ito, bringing in Brenk to make it a two-run game at 6-4.
Murilo Gouvea entered in the ninth looking to close it out and, with one out, induced Brenk into a 6-4-3 double play, securing Brazil’s spot in the 2026 WBC.
Take it all in Team Brazil, you're heading to the #WorldBaseballClassic 👏 pic.twitter.com/kOWKmVIT8G
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2025
Ramirez’s father, two-time World Series champion Manny Ramirez joined Brazil on the field Thursday night to celebrate their qualification for the 2026 WBC.
Manny being Manny 😂
Of course he got in on Team Brazil's celebration! pic.twitter.com/oRtMDK78Xj
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2025
“We knew Germany had a good team and solid lineup coming into today, but I just feel like our pitching was ready to attack the zone alongside our seven guys playing solid defense behind each other,” Reginatto said during the post game.
Confederação Brasileira de Beisebol e Softbol president José Thiago Caldeira and and manager Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto will spend the next few months evaluating how to shape Brazil’s roster for the 2026 WBC and how they match up against the other four nations once their pool placement is determined.
Brazil and Germany’s Performance At 2025 WBCQ
Germany opened the 2025 WBC Qualifier with a 12-2 win over China on March 2 in a seven-inning mercy-rule victory. The team then lost 9-7 to Brazil on March 3 and fell 10-0 to Colombia in another seven-inning mercy-rule game on March 4.
Brazil began their tournament run with a 5-0 shutout loss to Colombia on March 2. The team responded with a 12-2 victory over China on March 4 in seven innings.
Through three games, Brazil’s offense has posted a .273 batting average with a .348 on-base percentage and a .374 slugging percentage. The team has recorded 21 runs, 27 hits, 10 doubles, and 18 RBIs. Brazilian hitters have drawn 23 walks and struck out 25 times.
Brazil’s pitching staff has compiled a 4.50 ERA in 24 innings. The team has recorded one save and one save opportunity. Brazilian pitchers have allowed 21 hits and 12 earned runs while issuing 21 hits, two hit batters, 22 walks, 23 strikeouts, 12 earned runs, and a 1.79 WHIP.
Germany’s offense has a .221 batting average with a .405 on-base percentage and a .337 slugging percentage in 86 at-bats. The team has scored 19 runs, recorded 19 hits, hit seven doubles and one home run, driven in 18 RBIs, stolen three bases, drawn 23 walks, and struck out 25 times.
Germany’s pitching staff has a 7.36 ERA in three games, throwing 22 innings. The team has allowed 33 hits and 18 earned runs while hitting five batters, walking six, and striking out 19.
Brazil and Germany in International Baseball Tournaments
World Baseball Network’s preview, Brazil and Germany Set for Final Showdown at WBC Qualifier in Tucson, outlined the international baseball history of both nations.
Brazil has been a dominant force in South American baseball, winning eight gold medals at the South American Championship, while Argentina follows with seven. The team finished second in both the 2024 South American Championship and the 2023 Pan American Games, losing to Argentina and Colombia in their respective finals.
Brazil last appeared in the World Baseball Classic in 2013 after going undefeated in the 2012 WBC Qualifier, but the team failed to advance past Pool A under Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. Since then, Brazil has fallen short in the 2016 and 2022 qualifiers.
Germany, still seeking its first WBC appearance, has played in the last three qualifiers. The team’s past WBCQ history is detailed in Germany Crushes China 12-2 in Seven Inning Mercy Rule Win and Germany Confirms 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers Roster. Germany reached the final qualifier round in 2012 but lost to Canada. The team was eliminated early in 2016 and won one game in 2022 before losing to Great Britain and the Czech Republic.
Brazil will now prepare for the 2026 WBC, with game schedules and broadcast details to be announced by the World Baseball Classic in the coming months.
2026 World Baseball Classic Information
Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Chinese Taipei will have to wait for the announcement of which pool they will be assigned to from the WBCI in the next months.
The United States, Italy, Mexico, Great Britain and a Qualifier nation will compete at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas from March 6-11 in Pool B.
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and a Qualifier nation will compete in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium from March 6-11 in Pool A.
Japan, Australia, South Korea, Czech Republic, and a Qualifier nation will compete at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10 in Pool C.
Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, and a Qualifier nation will compete at loanDepot Park in Miami in Pool D from March 6-11.
The Quarterfinals of the 2026 WBC will feature the Pool A runner-up facing the Pool B winner on March 13, while the Pool B runner-up will face the Pool A winner on March 14 at Daikin Park.
The other side of the Quarterfinals will be on March 13 with the Pool C runner-up playing the Pool D winner and the Pool D runner-up will play the Pool C winner on March 14 at loanDepot Park.
The 2026 WBC semifinals will be held on March 15 and 16 at loanDepot Park, with the championship game taking place on March 17.
Photo by Patrick Mulligan/Getty Images, sourced via Confederação Brasileira de Beisebol e Softbol on Facebook.
