Czech Republic and Germany will represent Europe in the WBSC Under-12 Baseball World Cup, now in its eighth edition. Czechia, which has appeared in more U12 World Cups than any other European country (five). No European country has ever finished higher than the Czech’s two eighth-place finishes. Deutschland makes its third appearance and second consecutively. Meanwhile, South Africa will play for its continent, making its fourth appearance. The event has always been hosted by Taipei City, Taiwan, with all editions since 2019 held at the Asia Pacific International Baseball Stadium.
Czech baseball finished in eighth place in both 2017 and 2019, improving from 11 of 14 in 2013. In its last two appearances, it dropped one place in 2021 and another in 2023, finishing tenth. Its path to qualification was a convincing one, as the young Czech baseballers outscored European powerhouse the Netherlands in the semifinals of the 2025 Under-12 European Championship, 20-0. It then defeated Italy in the final, 18-1, finishing an unbeaten run through the tournament, hosted in the Czech Republic.
“I think we can improve that,” noted Czech Baseball’s manager Marian Krasny, commenting on the team’s high-water mark of eighth. “But I don’t think we are strong enough to aim for a medal.“
Germany placed twelfth in its first appearance in 2017, improving to ninth two years ago. It finished fourth in the 2025 U12 Baseball Euros, losing to the Netherlands in the bronze medal game, 7-6.
The African champions return for the fourth time after missing the tournament in 2023. South Africafinished 11 out of 11 in 2021 and 11 of 12 in 2017 and 2019.
“The expectations have always been there,” remarked South Africa’s manager Shawn Schwartz. “We learned a lot of lessons from the past. We learned we can pay more attention to details. The team is in good spirits and looking forward to the opportunity.“
Only two countries have ever won the U12 Baseball World Cup to date. The U.S. has participated six times and collected the winner’s trophy on five occasions. Its opponent in four of those finals has been Taiwan, which last won the title in 2019, also taking the inaugural edition in 2011. Both countries return, headlining Groups B and A, respectively.
“Part of the identification process is finding the right 18 kids,” added USA manager Bryan Madsen. “We talk about them being uncommon. They had to hold themself to a higher standard than ordinary 12-year-old kids. You’ve got to give them credit.“
Joining Taiwan in Group A are Australia, Cuba, Germany, Japan, and Mexico. The second group includes Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Panamá, South Africa, and South Korea. Only four nations have participated in every edition: Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan, while all but Cuba and South Africa return from 2023. Placement in the tournament affects the number of points added to one’s world ranking, so every win has significant ramifications beyond just the tournament.
Each team has a roster of 18 players. Games last only six innings. The Asia Pacific International Baseball Stadium (ASPAC) cost $130 million and was completed in 2019 and can seat 8,500 spectators. The age of the players has not lessened the interest in the tournament, as every Under-12 Baseball World Cup final since 2019 has sold out.
The full list of European participants includes France (2015), Italy (2011, 2013, 2019, 2021), Lithuania (2011), and Russia (2013, 2015). Zimbabwe was meant to participate in the first event, but withdrew on the tournament’s first day. No African team participated in 2013 or 2015, and since then, South Africa has represented Africa in 2017, 2019, and 2021.