"After a momentous 2023, which saw us host many international events and our sport included on the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 sports programme, we now look ahead to another exciting year this year." With these words, World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) President Riccardo Fraccari anticipated in January a remarkable 2024 for softball, full of top class competition and major news and the year did not disappoint.
On the field, we saw softball action in three World Cups, including the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals and the Group Stage for the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup as well as the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup, for a total of seven events. Off the field, we witnessed the announcement of the LA28 Olympic Softball venue as well as the dates for The World Games 2025, where men's and women's softball will be featured.
The WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals was an astounding success in Italy. A sell-out crowd in Castions di Strada saw Japan claim their fourth World Title, beating USA, 6-1, in the World Championship Final.
"We are concentrating on the Los Angeles 2028 Games," Japan's head coach Reika Utsugi said after the final. "This victory will encourage the whole [Japanese] softball community to work even harder. We have a lot of young players on the roster. This world title will give them a lot of confidence."
Canada secured the bronze medal in a dramatic 11-inning game against the Netherlands, who were aiming to become the first European team to step onto the podium. This marked Canada’s fourth bronze medal in the Women’s Softball World Cup, adding to their three previous third-place finishes, as well as a silver medal in 1978.
This tournament marked the completion of the XVII WBSC Women's Softball World Cup, the first ever WBSC event to be played under the two-stage format. After the group stage played in 2023 in Ireland, Spain and Italy (all of them hosting a Softball World Cup for the first time), the tournament finished on a high note with an unforgettable finale in Castions di Strada.
The XVIII WBSC Men's Softball World Cup opened this year with the Group Stage. Group A was held in Hermosillo, Mexico; followed by Group B in Prince Albert, Canada; and Group C in Oklahoma City, USA.
After 57 games in the Group Stage, the eight teams for the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals 2025 are confirmed: 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 will compete in the Finals in Prince Albert, Canada from 8 to 13 July 2025, which is expected to be one of the most exciting and hard-fought men's softball tournaments in history.
The venues for the Group Stage had Softball World Cup history after being used for previous editions, marking a milestone in stadium usage and legacy projects for international softball.
Group A was staged in Hermosillo, Mexico, at Mundialistas Hermosillenses Stadium and Fernando Ortiz Stadium. Both venues were renovated ahead of the U-18 Men's Softball World Cup in 2023. Group B in Prince Albert, Canada, was played at Max Power Ball Parks at Prime Ministers Park, which previously hosted the U-19 Men's Softball World Cup 2018. Finally, Group C took place at the iconic Devon Park in Oklahoma City, USA, home of the U-19 Women's Softball World Cup 2015.
The WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup was played this year under the same two-stage format. Group A was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Group B in Pingtan, China; while Dallas, USA, hosted Group C. Brazil hosted a Softball World Cup for the first time in history, illustrating the opportunities the new two-stage format provides for hosts cities.
With the conclusion of the Group Stage, the eight teams advancing to the Finals have been confirmed: World No. 1 USA, No. 2 Japan, No. 3 Puerto Rico, No. 4 Chinese Taipei, No. 6 Canada, No. 8 Czechia, No. 9 Mexico, and No. 12 China.
In one of the most extraordinary individual performances in the history of the event, Morgan Reimel pitched a perfect game in Canada's 2-0 win against Australia in Group C. She went seven-innings with 14 strikeouts.
The top national women's softball programmes had an excellent opportunity in 2024 to assess their teams and players competing on the global stage at the U-18 and senior World Cups, with the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 as their main target,
Of the 90 players who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Softball competition, 46 played the WBSC U-18 Women's Softball World Cup (formerly Junior Women’s Softball World Championship) in the early stages of their career, making the global youth tournament a starting point for the international career of the world's top players.
Off the field, a big announcement was made in June, with the confirmation of Softball Park in Oklahoma City, OK as the competition venue for the LA28 softball competition, an iconic and breathtaking stadium for softball's sixth appearance at the Olympic Games.
With a capacity of 13,000 spectators, the stadium hosted the U-18 Women's Softball World Cup 2015 and the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Group C this year. It's also the home of the NCAA Women's Softball World Series, which annually draws over 190,000 people from outside Oklahoma to enjoy softball.
“Hosting the Games in Oklahoma City extends the Olympic spirit beyond Los Angeles, bringing the festivities to the heart of America’s softball community. This venue selection not only celebrates the sport’s roots but also engages a broader audience, fostering a nationwide Olympic atmosphere,” President Fraccari said on LA28's announcement.
In 2028, USA will become the first nation to host an Olympic softball competition twice, after the sport's historic debut in the Olympics in Atlanta 1996.
The International World Games Association (IWGA) confirmed this year the dates and competition venues for all 35 sports to be featured on the sports programme of The World Games 2025. Men's softball will be played from 6 to 10 August 2025, while the women's competition will be contested from 13 to 17 August.
Softball will be played at Sichuan Baseball-Softball-Hockey Centre located in Southern Chengdu.
New tie-break system
Before the tournament season started, the WBSC Executive Board approved a change in the Softball World Cup tie-breaking rules to introduce the Team Quality Balance (TQB) as a tie-breaker in case of ties involving three or more teams that the head-to-head cannot break. This represented a milestone for the WBSC and the sport, giving consistency across all WBSC disciplines (Baseball, Softball and Baseball5). The TQB is calculated using the formula runs scored/inning played at bat, minus runs allowed/innings played on defence.
