CARY, N.C. - The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced today that it has awarded hosting rights to Rockford, Illinois, for the Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage that will run from July 22-26, 2026.
It will be the second time the United States welcomes the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup after Viera, Florida, hosted the 2018 edition. With the event coming back to U.S. soil, USA Baseball’s Women’s National Team has received an automatic bid into the Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage in 2026.
The International Women’s Baseball Center (IWBC), whose mission is to protect, preserve, and promote all aspects of women's baseball on and off the field, will serve as the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the event. The IWBC strives to inspire the next generation of players by helping them realize their dreams not only of participating in the sport, but also of passing on all they will learn and achieve for generations to come.
“We are extremely excited that our Women’s National Team will have an opportunity to play on American soil at the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup,” said Women’s National Team Program Director Makenzie Kelly. “As the birthplace of baseball, the United States has a proud history of the game, especially in women’s baseball. We look forward to supporting the IWBC in its efforts to put a spotlight on women in the game while competing for a spot in the 2027 Finals.”
“When the International Women's Baseball Center came to Rockford in 2016, we promised to bring the world to this community – well get ready, here they come,” said Dr. Kat Williams, IWBC Chief Executive Officer. “The IWBC is excited to partner with GoRockford, the City of Rockford, Rockford University, Rockford Park District, and the Rockford Rivets to host the very best of women's baseball next summer.”
The city of Rockford has a rich history of baseball, as it was home to the Rockford Peaches of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943-1954. It later became the home of the Rockford Forest Citys, which was one of the first professional baseball teams formed in the 19th century. Rivets Stadium, home of the Rockwood Rivets in the Northwoods League, will host the Group Stage. It opened in 2006 as the home of the Rockford Riverhawks of the Frontier League, and the Rockwood Rivets took over in 2015.
Rockford is one of two locations that was awarded hosting rights for Group Stage play, with the second location still to be announced. The X WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage in 2026 will include two groups made up of 12 nations. The top three finishers from the Group Stage locations will advance to the X WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals in 2027, with that location to be announced at a later date.
Details pertaining to the 2026 Women’s National Team will be announced at a later time. For more information about Team USA, visit usabaseball.com. For more information about the IWBC and WBSC, visit iwbc.org and wbsc.org.
