The unthinkable nearly happened—Chinese Taipei, the No. 2-ranked team in the world, was on the brink of missing the 2026 World Baseball Classic. After a crushing 12-5 loss to Spain in its opener, the team rebounded against South Africa but suffered a 6-0 shutout to Nicaragua. That set up a do-or-die rematch against Spain on Tuesday, where Chinese Taipei secured its spot with a 6-3 victory.
BALLGAME!
Team Chinese Taipei is heading back to the #WorldBaseballClassic 😤 pic.twitter.com/6udpIEHd9Y
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) February 25, 2025
Nicaragua, meanwhile, dominated the Qualifier, finishing undefeated after its 6-0 win over the hosts. Both teams have now punched their tickets to the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Chinese Taipei, Nicaragua Clinch 2026 World Baseball Classic Bid
It will be Nicaragua’s second appearance at the tournament after first qualifying in 2022. Chinese Taipei, on the other hand, has played in every edition since the Classic began in 2006.
Many expected Chinese Taipei to cruise through the Qualifier, especially after winning its first-ever Premier12 gold medal in November. Instead, the hosts found themselves in an unexpected battle for survival. A Spanish victory would have been one of the biggest upsets in tournament history, considering Chinese Taipei were the host team of the Qualifier.
Nicaragua, meanwhile, earned its spot with back-to-back, 10-inning, walk-off wins against South Africa and Spain before securing a statement victory over Chinese Taipei.
Of the 20 teams competing in 2026, 16 had already secured their place by finishing in the top four of their pool in 2023, including first-time qualifiers Czechia and Great Britain. With Chinese Taipei and Nicaragua now in, 18 of 20 teams are set. The final two spots will be decided at the upcoming Qualifier in Tucson, Ariz., where Brazil, China, Colombia, and Germany will battle for a place in the tournament. Germany is the only one of those four to have never qualified for the World Baseball Classic.
20 teams will play across four locations: Tokyo, Japan, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Houston, Texas; and Miami, Florida from March 5 to 17.
Main Photo: Gene Wang/Getty Images
