100 days to go: Five reasons you can’t miss the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals
The 100-day countdown to the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals starts on 30 March, marking a great occasion to take a look at five reasons that make the tournament in Prince Albert, Canada, an unmissable event.
Scheduled from 8 to 14 July, the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals is the sport’s premier event, featuring the top eight teams from the Group Stage battling for the title of world champion.
The best teams in the world
The WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals will be the icing on the cake for a tournament that began last year with the Group Stage. A total of 18 teams competed in three groups, with the top eight nations advancing to this year's Finals.
A total of 57 games were played in the Group Stage, determining the participating teams: No. 1 Argentina, No. 2 Australia, No. 3 Japan, No. 4 Canada, No. 5 Venezuela, No. 6 USA, No. 8 New Zealand, and No. 11 Dominican Republic.
The event includes six of the top-ranked nations in the WBSC Men's Softball World Ranking, the most decorated team in the tournament’s history (New Zealand), and the Dominican Republic - the only team outside the top 10 - which won Group A.
Who will prevail in this six-day battle for the biggest prize in men's softball?
Every game counts
The teams have been split into two groups for the opening phase of the tournament:
- Group A: Argentina, Canada, New Zealand, Venezuela
- Group B: Australia, Dominican Republic, Japan, USA
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Round, scheduled for 11 and 12 July. The World Championship game, featuring the top two teams from the Super Round standings, will take place on 13 July at 14:00.
With this format, a win or a loss on Day 1 can mean the difference between playing for the world title or missing out on the Super Round.
There won’t be any easy wins in Prince Albert.
Anything can happen
Few tournaments in any sport feature a field where every participating team has a realistic chance of winning gold. That’s potentially the case for the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals 2025.
The competition in Prince Albert is expected to be one of the most exciting and closely contested in the sport's history. The Dominican Republic, the lowest-ranked team in the field, won Group A last year over defending world champions Australia and two-time medallists Venezuela - clear proof that anything can happen at Prime Ministers Ballpark.
Be ready for 22 electrifying games where every pitch could be the difference between victory and defeat.
An event with a rich history
With a 59-year history, the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup remains the most prestigious tournament in men’s softball. The inaugural edition was held in 1966 in Mexico City, where 11 national teams competed for the first-ever world championship. Since then, 44 different nations have participated in this premier event.
Seven of the eight teams in the Finals have won 48 of the 51 medals awarded in the tournament’s history, including all 19 World Championship titles:
- New Zealand (7)
- USA (5)
- Canada (4)
- Australia (2)
- Argentina (1)
(The 1976 World Cup awarded three gold medals - Canada, New Zealand, and USA - because the tournament couldn't be completed due to rain.)
Japan (two silver medals, one bronze) and Venezuela (one silver, one bronze) have also reached the podium.
The Dominican Republic will be the only team in Prince Albert yet to win a medal. Can they join the Men's Softball World Cup medal-winning club this summer?
Road to The World Games
The World Cup is not the only international event for men's softball this year. In August, the discipline will make a historic return to The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China - the only global multi-sport event that includes men's softball in its programme. The men’s softball competition will take place from 6 to 10 August.
The top six teams in the rankings have secured a spot in The World Games:
- No. 1 Argentina
- No. 2 Australia
- No. 3 Japan
- No. 4 Canada
- No. 5 Venezuela
- No. 6 USA
These teams will also be competing in the World Cup.
Two wild card entries have been awarded to No. 13 Singapore and No. 7 Czechia, ensuring continental representation.