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Copa America de Beisbol Announces Groups and Confirmed Host Countries for November

 Matt Tallarini - World Baseball Network  |    May 30th, 2025 10:56am EDT
Panama team players celebrate after defeating Italy in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Pool A game at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan, Saturday, March 11, 2023.

The inaugural Copa America de Beisbol, operated by WBSC Americas and organized by Loarte Consulting—a sports marketing and event services firm based in Manhattan, N.Y.—will take place from November 13–22 in Panama and Mexico. Venues for the group stage and super round games are expected to be announced in the coming days.

According to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes, the goal for WBSC Americas and Loarte Consulting is to determine the continent’s qualifying spots for international events such as the Olympic Games and the World Baseball Classic. The 12 participating nations were selected based on the 2024 WBSC Americas rankings.

Loarte Consulting is a sports agency specializing in Hispanic marketing and events services in the United States and Latin America. 

The tournament field is divided into two groups:

Group A – Venezuela, Panama, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Curacao
Group B – Mexico, United States, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Canada

The top three teams from each group will advance to the super round, which will determine the tournament champion. Mexico is considered the leading candidate to host most of the group stage, super round, and championship game.

However, Brazilian baseball media outlet Beisbol Mundo Afora reported on May 27 that Brazil is likely to withdraw from the tournament.

Brazil is expected to opt out in order to focus on preparing for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where it will compete in Pool B at Daikin Park in Houston against the United States, Great Britain, Italy, and Mexico from March 6–11.

Argentina, currently ranked No. 13 in WBSC Americas and No. 33 globally, is expected to replace Brazil in Group A once the Confederacao Brasileira de Beisebol e Softbol officially confirms the withdrawal.

There is no word yet on player eligibility, but MLB players have only been allowed in the World Baseball Classic. Minor league players and professionals from other international leagues are expected to make up the rosters for this tournament.

The tournament will serve as a qualifier for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru—both of which affect WBSC rankings. The 2025 Copa America de Beisbol will also act as a warm-up for the 2026 World Baseball Classic and mark the start of the qualification cycle for the 2028 Olympic Games.

This year marks the first time that a baseball-only Copa America-style competition has been staged by the WBSC for the Americas region, offering a unified path to major international tournaments.

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Matt Tallarini - World Baseball Network
Matthew (Matt) Tallarini is the Founder and Chief Correspondent for the World Baseball Network.