The Instituto Panameño de Deportes officials confirmed at their press conference at the Presidencia de la República Panama office in the nation’s capital that Panama will host the 2025 Copa América de Béisbol event for Group B at Estadio Mariano Rivera in La Chorrera from November 13-22.
The president of Panama, Jose Raul Mulino, made remarks on the country hosting the 2025 Copa América de Béisbol event.
¡Panamá será sede oficial de la primera Copa América de Béisbol! ⚾🇵🇦
Del 13 al 22 de noviembre, el estadio Mariano Rivera en La Chorrera será el epicentro del béisbol continental. 🏟️#ConPasoFirme #Pandeportes pic.twitter.com/ffrYbK7xYE
— Pandeportes (@Pandeportes) June 19, 2025
Panama is ranked No. 8 in the World Baseball Rankings, which are published by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
Jaime Raul Robinson Villanueva is the president of the Federación Panameña de Béisbol.
The Confederação Brasileira de Beisebol e Softbol confirmed on June 9 that they will play in the Copa América de Béisbol tournament this November, including confirmed venues with Group A at Estadio Mariano Rivera in Chorrera, Panama, and Group B at El Nido de Los Águilas in Mexicali, Mexico.
E o Brasa tem presença confirmada na Copa América de Beisebol 🇧🇷
Nossa Seleção estará na primeira edição da competição organizada pela @beisbolamericas, entres os dias 13 e 22 de Novembro, com sedes no Panamá e México 🏆#CBBS #Beisebol #Beisbol #Baseball pic.twitter.com/k2c9WZCf2v
— CBBS – Conf. Brasileira de Beisebol e Softbol (@cbbsbr) June 9, 2025
Despite previous reports, the group letters are reversed, with Group A being played at El Nido de Los Águilas and Group B being played at Estadio Mariano Rivera.
The president of the CBBS is José Thiago Caldeira.
Brazil is ranked at No. 23 in the WBR and is ranked at No. 11 in the WBSC Americas.
The two groups with 12 Participating Countries in the 2025 Copa América de Béisbol Tournament
Group A: Venezuela, Panama, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Curaçao
Group B: Mexico, United States, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Canada
The top three teams from each group will advance to the super round. Mexico will host the super round.
El Nido de Los Águilas recently hosted the 2025 Caribbean Series prior to spring training and is home to the Águilas de Mexicali of the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico.
Estadio Mariano Rivera seats 10,000 fans and officially opened on June 21, 2024, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, president Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, vice president José Gabriel Carrizo, and other government officials from Panama and the Panama Oeste province.
Estadio Mariano Rivera is home to the Panama Oeste team in the Campeonato de Béisbol Mayor de Panamá, which operates during the spring-summer season. The Panamanian national team is also a regular tenant for selective age-group events.
The first regular season games of the Campeonato de Béisbol Mayor at the stadium were held on April 5, 2025.
The Copa América de Béisbol event, operated by the World Baseball Softball Confederation Americas sector and organized by Loarte Consulting—a sports marketing firm based in Manhattan, N.Y.—will be held from November 13-22 in the host countries Panama and Mexico.
According to Fernando Rayo of 8deportivoTN8 in Nicaragua on May 27, Pool B was initially expected to include two venues from Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico franchise stadiums: Estadio Fernando Valenzuela (home of the Naranjeros de Hermosillo) and Estadio Teodoro Mariscal (home of the Venados de Mazatlán).
Mazatlán y Hermosillo serán las sedes en México para el Grupo B y las fases finales de la Copa América de Béisbol que se jugará del 13 al 22 de noviembre con las 12 MEJORES SELECCIONES del Ranking de WBSC Americas. pic.twitter.com/v620woN6XU
— Fernando Rayo (@Rayo2Fer) May 30, 2025
That will now not be the case, based on the confirmed stadiums announced by the CBBS on June 9.
According to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes on May 26, the goal for WBSC Americas and Loarte Consulting in holding the Copa América de Béisbol event is to determine qualifying spots for future events such as the Olympic Games and the World Baseball Classic.
Revelan fecha y grupos de Copa América de Beisbol – Vía @ESPN App https://t.co/dQEE42tbMo
— Enrique Rojas/ESPN (@Enrique_Rojas1) May 26, 2025
Loarte Consulting is a sports agency specializing in Hispanic marketing and event services across the United States and Latin America.
Brazil will now participate in the 2025 Copa América de Béisbol tournament and is expected to field a similar roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, when they will play in Pool B at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, against the United States, Great Britain, Italy, and Mexico from March 6-11.
Argentina, ranked No. 13 in WBSC Americas and No. 33 overall, was in line to replace Brazil in Group A if Brazil had opted out.
Panama will evaluate players for the 2026 WBC during the 2025 Copa América de Béisbol, in addition to scouting from Major League Baseball, minor league affiliates, the 2025-26 winter leagues in the Caribbean and Australia, the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan, the Korean Baseball Organization, and Nippon Professional Baseball.
There is no word yet on player eligibility, but MLB players are currently only allowed to participate in the World Baseball Classic. Minor leaguers and players from international leagues are expected to fill out the tournament rosters.
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.
It also acts as an early warm-up event for the 2026 WBC, officially marking the start of the road to the 2028 Olympics for teams from the Americas.
