This past spring, Miami had its moment under the brightest lights in international baseball. loanDepot Park hosted a huge share of the 2026 World Baseball Classic — from first-round Pool D games March 6–11, through the quarterfinals and semifinals, all the way to a championship game that came down to the final inning.
A Championship Worth Remembering
On March 17, 2026, Venezuela beat the United States 3–2 in the World Baseball Classic final at loanDepot Park, capturing the country’s first-ever WBC title in front of a sellout-level crowd of 36,190 fans. Shortstop Maikel García was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and Eugenio Suárez delivered the go-ahead double in the ninth inning to seal the win.
It was a back-and-forth finish: Venezuela led 2–0 into the eighth, Bryce Harper’s two-run home run tied it for Team USA, and Venezuela answered right back in the ninth. The kind of game that reminds you Miami isn’t just a baseball market tucked between the beach and the Everglades — it’s a true global sports stage.
Miami’s Home Field Advantage, For Guests Too
loanDepot Park is about a 35-minute drive from Kismet Getaways here in Hollywood — close enough that when the Marlins play a home game, or the next major international tournament rolls through town, our guests can be in their seats without planning around hotel shuttles or convention rates. It’s one of the perks of being based where we are: South Florida doesn’t go long without hosting something big, from the World Baseball Classic to the F1 Miami Grand Prix, the Miami Open, and Inter Miami CF at Nu Stadium.
What’s Next for the World Baseball Classic
This wasn’t loanDepot Park’s first turn in the WBC spotlight — the ballpark (then Marlins Park) hosted first-round games back in 2017 as well — but 2026 marked the first time the championship game itself was played in Miami. MLB officials have said they’re aiming to get the tournament back on a regular four-year schedule, with the next World Baseball Classic targeted for 2030. No host city has been announced yet, so there’s no guarantee the Classic returns to Miami, but loanDepot Park has now shown it belongs in that conversation.
Whether it’s a future World Baseball Classic, a Marlins game, or any of the other big events South Florida hosts throughout the year, Kismet Getaways makes a comfortable, convenient home base for catching the action — check out our Things to Do page for more on what’s nearby.