Historic EuroBaseball 2025 to be Hosted Across the Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium

Cover photo by Grega Valancic

For the first time in history, the Baseball European Championship 2025 will be hosted across three countries: the Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium.

Groups A and B, featuring the top eight teams from the 2023 edition, will be played in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Group C will take place in Senago, Italy, while Group D will be hosted in Borgerhout, Belgium.

Following the group stages, the top 12 European teams will advance to Rotterdam for the quarterfinals, leading to the semifinals and the championship game. The next Baseball European Champion will be crowned in Rotterdam, as previously announced.

Group C, based in Senago, Milan, will feature Italy, Switzerland, Greece, and one qualified team from 2024. The draw for the fourth team will occur at the WBSC Europe Executive Board meeting in Zagreb at the end of November.

Group D, hosted in Borgerhout, Antwerp, will include Croatia, Belgium, and two additional teams from the 2024 qualifiers. The draw for the third and fourth teams will also take place in Zagreb in November.

The composition of the groups for EuroBaseball 2025 is determined by the final standings of the 2023 competition. Teams are distributed across four groups: A, B, C, and D, based on their previous rankings.

The top-ranked teams are assigned to groups A and B, with the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 8th teams placed in Group A, and the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th teams in Group B. Both of these groups will compete in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Meanwhile, Group C, which will take place in Senago, Italy, includes teams ranked 9th, 12th, and 13th, along with a team that will be drawn by lots from the promoted teams not previously participating.

Group D, hosted in Borgerhout, Belgium, includes the 10th and 11th-ranked teams, alongside two teams that will also be drawn by lots from the promoted teams. The official draw for these teams will take place at the end of November during the WBSC Europe Executive Board meeting.

The European Championships will occur during the last full week of September 2025, with Rotterdam, Milan, and Borgerhout hosting the group stages and Rotterdam staging the final round.

Petr Ditrich, WBSC Europe Baseball Vice President, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating, "I am glad that a good solution was finally found, and I believe that all the organizers will deliver a successful tournament."

He added, "I would like to thank the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation and the Royal Belgian Baseball and Softball Federation for joining the project. The three-country European Championship will certainly be a challenge, but it promises to be an unforgettable event."

Looking ahead, the Baseball European Championship 2027 will return to a single-country format, with Germany as the host nation and Regensburg serving as the main venue for the tournament.