Venezuela beat the United States in a thrilling final to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time.
Tuesday’s 3-2 victory in Miami shocked a star-studded U.S. side, which had been hoping for victory after missing out in the 2023 final.
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“Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now we won the championship today,” Venezuelan third baseman Eugenio Suarez said.
“This is a celebration for the entire country of Venezuela,” he added.
The victory comes amid political turmoil in the country after the U.S. government captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military raid in January.
When Suarez scored the winner in the top of the ninth, the crowd cheered loudly and players quickly ran onto the field to celebrate.
Some players and spectators in the stands were draped in Venezuelan flags.
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The United States has won just one of six titles since the WBC event’s inception in 2006.
This year’s tournament is the first for the WBC to feature winners of four of Major League Baseball’s most prestigious awards – Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.
