A story circulating online claims Venezuela defeated the United States 3-2 in the World Baseball Classic final on March 17, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, prompting former U.S. President Donald Trump to post "STATEHOOD!!!" on Truth Social.[1]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled for February 6 to March 19, 2026, with the championship round, including semifinals and final, at loanDepot park in Miami. As of October 2024, no matches have been played, and no official results confirm a Venezuela-U.S. final or Venezuela's first WBC title.[1][2]

A review of Donald Trump's Truth Social profile shows no post matching the described "STATEHOOD!!!" or a prior semifinal message referencing statehood after a purported Venezuela-Italy game on March 16, 2026.[3]

The story includes unconfirmed details such as Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez declaring a national holiday, quotes from players including Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves and captain Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals, and a solo home run by Wilyer Abreu. These players have represented Venezuela in prior WBC tournaments, but no 2026 match reports exist.[4]

Political context in the story, including a U.S. military operation capturing Nicolás Maduro in early 2026 and a U.S. flag raised at the Caracas embassy, is unverified. Maduro was sworn in for a third term on January 10, 2024, following a disputed July 2024 election, and the U.S. embassy remains closed to the public since 2019.[5][6]

Venezuela reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 WBC before losing 9-7 to the U.S.; Japan won the title 3-2 over the U.S.[4]

Sources

1. World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), "World Baseball Classic 2026", Accessed October 10, 2024, https://www.wbsc.org/en/event/world-baseball-classic-2026
2. MLB.com, "World Baseball Classic 2026: Dates, venues announced", August 12, 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-dates-venues-announced
3. Truth Social, "Donald J. Trump Profile", Accessed October 10, 2024, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump
4. Wikipedia, "World Baseball Classic", Accessed October 10, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic
5. Reuters, "Venezuela's Maduro sworn in as president after disputed vote", January 10, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuelas-maduro-sworn-president-after-disputed-vote-2024-01-10/