WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari’s End of Year Message to the global baseball/softball family
Dear members, dear athletes, dear fans,
As we reach the end of 2024, another exciting year for the WBSC, it is important to reflect on the tremendous growth and milestones achieved. It has been a year of historic firsts and remarkable success, which serve as a testament to the passion and dedication of our global baseball and softball family, especially our athletes.
All the participants in our sport, whether it be playing, coaching or officiating for the first time or a seasoned athlete proudly wearing their national team’s colours in a WBSC tournament, are to be applauded for their commitment to our game and bringing joy to the many others who participate.
There was no greater illustration of this than the successful third edition of the WBSC Premier12 in November. The WBSC’s flagship tournament continues to grow in stature and importance and this year’s edition reached epic levels with incredible entertainment on the field backed by outstanding crowds and atmosphere off it. Chinese Taipei’s win in the final against Japan in front of a packed Tokyo Dome was a memorable moment, especially with their impressive travelling support to help the visitors celebrate, and we are already looking forward to the 2027 edition, which will feature a record-breaking number of teams.
As we announced in October, the Premier12 2027 will expand to 20 teams, with the world ranked No. 13-20 having the chance in 2026 to chase four participating spots in addition to the top 12 teams. This increase in the number of teams makes our pinnacle event even more global, demonstrating our commitment to building a stronger presence for baseball around the world.
Another one of our most significant highlights this year was the first Finals of the Women’s Softball World Cup and the Women’s Baseball World Cup with Japan becoming the first nation to win both of these tournaments with the new two-stage format, which allows us to offer more hosting and participation opportunities to our member federations.
In addition, we saw the return of key tournaments like the U-23 Baseball World Cup and the Baseball5 World Cup to Shaoxing, China and Hong Kong, China respectively, reinforcing the country’s pivotal role in our sport’s global growth.
One of the most powerful moments this year was the celebration of the first World Baseball Softball Day on 10th May. This date marks the anniversary of the WBSC and provides us with the opportunity to recognise how far we have come as an organisation and the bright future that lies ahead. From our founding ideals to our present-day achievements, our commitment to promoting and developing baseball and softball worldwide has only strengthened.
A key tool in this process continues to be Baseball5, which we keenly support and develop. We also increased the number of participating teams in WBSC Baseball5 World Cups at senior and youth level to 16 to showcase the extensive growth of Baseball5 internationally and the outstanding success of the inaugural tournaments.
In the coming years, we are excited to continue supporting the development of Baseball5, especially emerging nations such as Senegal, which is building towards the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. Additionally, our recent trip to Bhutan demonstrated the global reach and grassroots potential of Baseball5.
I was proud to welcome a Baseball5 team from the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan to Paris to play with the French national team during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 through a joint venture with the French National Olympic Sports Committee (CNOSF). This was thanks to the support of the WBSC Legacy Club and reinforces our belief in the power of sport to unite people across borders and our determination to use it as a vehicle for positive social change.
Our commitment to innovating and modernising the WBSC has also continued with the inaugural eBaseball Series finished with the crowning of the first-ever ePremier12 champion. The final played at the Tokyo Dome ahead of the Premier12 final was a groundbreaking moment and these events represent our ongoing efforts to bring new and innovative forms of competition to the sports world, engaging younger audiences and expanding the reach of our sport into the digital realm.
We are also proud of our proposed involvement in the Olympic Esports Games, with the WBSC playing a key role and myself a proud member of the IOC Esports Commission. Our active participation and high scoring in the ASOIF Governance Review, the publication of the WBSC Member Handbook and our strong ties with our Continental Associations ensure a connected and collaborative future for Baseball/Softball across all corners of the globe.
Much of this would have not been possible thanks to the support of our strategic commercial and marketing partners. Global and significant companies that trust our mission and the promotion of our sport like Konami Digital Entertainment, Raxus, Kowa, Kao, Nippon Express, MUFG bank and Daiso, as well as our global suppliers SSK, Mizuno, Synergy sports, Corpay and Trackman. And notably to all our local and regional media and commercial partners around the world giving access to millions of people to enjoy and watch our events. Thank you for your commitment and support to the WBSC.
In 2028, baseball and softball will feature in the Olympic Games, and we are excited that Oklahoma has been confirmed as the host for the softball tournament. It is home to the best softball facilities in the world and we are confident that it will prove a fitting host for all players, coaches and fans.
Before that, 2025 promises to be another exciting year for the WBSC with the U-18 and U-12 Baseball World Cups in action followed by the World Games in Chengdu, China, which will see the best men’s and women’s softball teams go head-to-head, while we also have three Softball World Cups, the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup and the Baseball Champions League scheduled to be played in another powerful competition season ahead. Not to mention the WBSC Congress in Thailand where I'm looking forward to seeing the WBSC family again in person next year.
On behalf of the entire WBSC family, I wish you all a prosperous and joyous New Year.
Riccardo Fraccari
President, World Baseball Softball Confederation