The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) proved to be one of the most thrilling things to watch in the history of international baseball. The event, which took place between Mar. 5-17, saw 20 nations compete for the trophy, which was provided by Tiffany & Co. They competed in Miami, Houston, San Juan and Tokyo. In a surprising turn of events, the Venezuelan team pulled an upset and won the WBC trophy against USA, beating them 3-2 in the final at LoanDepot Park in Miami. This win was completed with a go-ahead RBI from Eugenio Suarez in the ninth inning. Maikel Garcia was named MVP.

The most memorable part of this year’s WBC was not the high-stakes competition, but the home run celebrations, which are tied to a team’s cultural elements or festivities. The most notable celebration was Team Italy, where the players would drink an Espresso Shot and do the Italian hand signal while walking through the dugout. Venezuela broke a record with the most home runs in the WBC with 15 and performed a fun celebration with cultural dancing with a custom-made home run jacket that they put on through the dugout. Mexico also had its turn in adding to the celebrations with a big home run sombrero hat that they put on after every home run. While some teams opted for fancy props to make fun celebrations, not all teams did. Team USA’s celebrations were a lot subtler, which made them a part of the story. While people joked they were being too serious and unflashy, the members of the team clarified that they were having fun too, but in their own way.

Ultimately, the WBC in 2026 proved that there is much more to the popularity of baseball than simply winning the championship. Celebrations of the game made the fans interested and the game more engaging overall.