A dream 22 years in the making has become a reality, as Curaçao has captured its first Little League World Series title since 2004.
The tiny island nation of less than 200,000 citizens rode a dominant pitching performance and an offensive onslaught to an 11-2 victory over Nevada in the championship game.
It was the second championship in the country’s history, coming on the heels of their shutout victory over Japan in the International final.
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The Curaçao Region team from Willemstad celebrates after a 4-0 win over the Japan Region team from Tokyo during the International Championship Game of the 2026 Little League Baseball World Series at Lamade Stadium on Aug. 29, 2026, in Williamsport, Pa. (Getty Images)
Nevada was looking for its first world championship after winning the U.S. title, and even took an early two-run lead in the second before Curacao would prove to be too much for The Silver State.
Curaçao would immediately tie things up in the third before breaking the game wide open and scoring a combined nine runs in the subsequent three innings.
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The game wasn’t without its drama, though, as Nevada had the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning with a loud out to straightaway center field that carried to the warning track.
If that ball flies a little further, perhaps the Curaçao players start to sweat a bit more, but even then, a five-run gap would likely have been too large a gulf to overcome for the American team.
Players warm up before the Little League World Series Championship game between the West Region team from Honolulu, Hawaii and the Caribbean Region team from Willemstad, Curaçao at the Little League International Complex on August 28, 2022, in South Williamsport, Pa. (Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
Long viewed as a Little League World Series powerhouse, Curaçao legitimized those claims by running roughshod through the entire tournament, and, in the process, becoming only the second team in LLBWS history to win a title with the country’s name on its uniform, joining Japan.
Japan would claim a prize of their own in this tournament, taking Ohio down by a score of 4-2 to claim a victory in the consolation game.
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A general view of signage before the Little League World Series Championship Game between the Asia-Pacific Region team from Taoyuan City, Chinese Taipei and the Southeast Region team from Lake Mary, Fla., at Howard J. Lamade Stadium on Aug. 25, 2024, in South Williamsport, Pa. (Getty Images)
Curaçao has been on a historic run with regard to international sports, as their soccer team also made it to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in program history and even recorded a point in the group stage.
Congratulations to these young men for seeing their hard work come to fruition.