Two spots of the eight allotted for the WBSC Ladies’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027 that can happen April 5-11, 2027, in Australia might be determined subsequent weekend.
Per week from as we speak—Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026—six groups will compete for 2 direct locations within the World Cup Finals with the third-place finisher obtained the ultimate Wild Card spot.
Groups from these six nations…
- Brazil
- China
- Mexico
- the Netherlands
- New Zealand
- USA
… will compete with hopes to seize these remaining spots to subsequent yr’s Finals.
The WBSC Ladies’s Softball World Cup Group Oklahoma Metropolis, which takes place at Devon Park from September 12-15, brings collectively 4 of the world’s prime eight groups together with a New Zealand program with a robust World Cup custom and a Brazil facet returning to the competitors after a 10-year absence.
The six nations at Group Oklahoma Metropolis will full the WBSC Ladies’s Softball World Cup 2026/ 2027 Group Stage following earlier tournaments in Prague and Lima.
Every staff will play a five-game spherical robin from September 12-15 earlier than the highest 4 advance to the playoffs on September 16.
The highest two groups following the playoffs will declare a ticket to the WBSC Ladies’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027 in Redcliffe (Queensland), Australia.
The leads to Oklahoma Metropolis will even decide the recipient of the ultimate Wild Card.
5 groups have already secured locations within the Remaining:
- Canada
- Chinese language Taipei
- Japan
- Puerto Rico
- Australia
Canada and Chinese language Taipei completed first and second in Group Prague, Japan and Puerto Rico superior from Group Lima, and Australia obtained the host Wild Card.
The Finals 2027 won’t solely crown the following World Champion but additionally award the primary qualification place for the LA28 Olympic Video games to the highest-finishing eligible staff, with USA already certified because the Olympic hosts.
Group Oklahoma Metropolis hosts and world No. 2 USA enters the match as favorites, however the slender margins separating No. 5 Netherlands, No. 7 China and No. 8 Mexico level to a extremely aggressive race for the 2 direct locations.
New Zealand brings in depth World Cup expertise, whereas Brazil returns to the worldwide stage after final showing within the competitors in 2016.
Right here’s a team-by-team take a look at every of these vying for a visit to Australia subsequent yr…
*****
USA – The Workforce to Beat on Dwelling Soil
- WSWC Appearances: 17
- Highest End: Champions 11 instances (1974, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2016, 2018)
- 2023/2024 End: Runners-up
- World Rating: 2
Probably the most adorned staff within the historical past of the competitors, Workforce USA has completed on the rostrum in 16 of the 17 editions of the WBSC Ladies’s Softball World Cup, profitable 11 gold and 5 silver medals.
Nevertheless, it enters the World Cup because the runner-up after shedding its crown to Japan in 2024, taking place 6-1 within the decisive sport.
Olympic medalists Rachel Garcia and Dejah Mulipola convey expertise to a staff aiming to reclaim the world title in 2027 and win Olympic gold at LA28 on residence soil.
On the latest USA Softball Worldwide Cup at Devon Park, right-handed pitcher Montana Fouts led USA to the title with a one-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over Japan within the remaining.
Fouts struck out eight, walked none and retired 21 of the 22 batters she confronted. The USA pitching employees of Fouts, Garcia, Lexi Kilfoyl, Kelly Maxwell and Karlyn Pickens recorded two shutouts and mixed for 37 strikeouts through the match.
USA additionally posted a .377 staff batting common, collected 43 hits and outscored their opponents 40-10. Janae Jefferson led the staff with a .545 batting common, adopted by Maya Brady (.538) and Skylar Wallace (.455).
Something in need of profitable the group can be a serious shock for USA.
*****
Netherlands – Constructing on an Historic 4th Place End
- WSWC Appearances: 15
- Highest End: Fourth (2016, 2023/2024)
- 2023/2024 End: Fourth
- World Rating: 5
The Netherlands matched their greatest World Cup end in 2024, narrowly lacking out on their first medal after an 11-7 loss to Canada in an 11-inning bronze medal sport.
The Dutch led 5-1 coming into the underside of the sixth inning earlier than Canada accomplished the comeback with Callum Pilgrim’s walk-off grand slam within the eleventh.
The second highest-ranked staff in Oklahoma Metropolis, the Netherlands have completed within the prime eight at every of the previous six World Cups, a run courting again to Caracas 2010.
In 2025, the Netherlands misplaced the European Championship remaining 4-3 to rivals Italy in one other extra-inning contest. Olympian Britt Vonk led the staff with a .529 batting common, adopted by Suka van Gurp (.476), Maxime van Dalen (.444) and Annemiek Jansen (.421).
Within the circle, Lisa Hop and Eva Voortman posted virtually equivalent numbers. Hop labored 20.2 innings with a 0.68 ERA, whereas Voortman recorded a 0.69 ERA throughout 20.1 innings.
*****
Mexico – Again on the World Cup Stage
- WSWC Appearances: 7
- Highest End: Fifth (1970, 2016)
- 2023/2024 End: Didn’t take part
- World Rating: 8
Mexico return to the Ladies’s Softball World Cup after lacking the earlier version.
The staff secured its place in Oklahoma Metropolis by ending fourth on the 2025 Pan American Championship in Monteria, Colombia, the place it posted an 8-3 file.
Mexico fielded a younger staff on the continental championship, with no gamers from their Tokyo 2020 Olympic roster.
Sarah Perez (.448) and Daisy Muñoz (.393) led the offence, whereas Citlaly Gutierrez and Yanina Treviño carried many of the pitching workload. Gutierrez recorded a 2.07 ERA throughout 27 innings, whereas Treviño posted a 1.52 ERA in 23 innings.
Mexico completed within the prime six in every of their two most up-to-date World Cup appearances, inserting fifth in Surrey in 2016, matching their greatest end result, and sixth in Chiba in 2018.
This system subsequently made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, ending fourth.
*****
China – Re-Establishing Its Place Among the many Elite
- WSWC Appearances: 15
- Highest End: Silver medallists (1986, 1994)
- 2023/2024 End: Fifth
- World Rating: 7
A number one pressure in ladies’s softball for many years, China returned to the World Cup High 5 in 2024 for the primary time in 12 years.
After ending seventh in Haarlem in 2014 and Surrey in 2016, and tenth in Chiba in 2018, China positioned 5th on the Finals 2024 in Castions di Strada.
The nation made a direct influence in its first three World Cup appearances, profitable silver medals in Auckland in 1986 and St. John’s in 1994, in addition to bronze in Regular, Illinois, in 1990.
It then recorded 4 consecutive fourth place finishes earlier than inserting fifth in Whitehorse in 2012.
China additionally gained Olympic silver at Atlanta 1996 and have competed at 4 Olympic Video games: Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
After ending runners-up on the 2025 Asia Cup with an 8-1 file, China will goal to safe a spot within the Finals earlier than turning their consideration to the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Video games after which shifting on to the qualification pathway for LA28.
Ren Min has supplied a constant presence in the midst of the line-up, main China on the World Cup Finals 2024 with a .500 batting common earlier than hitting .440 with 4 residence runs and 11 RBIs on the 2025 Asia Cup.
Yinan Chai has been a equally regular presence within the circle, carrying a lot of China’s pitching workload at each occasions.
*****
Brazil – Returning After a Decade
- WSWC Appearances: 1
- Highest End: twelfth (2016)
- 2023/2024 End: Didn’t take part
- World Rating: 17
Brazil return to the WBSC Ladies’s Softball World Cup after a 10-year absence for its second look within the sport’s premier worldwide competitors. The Verde-Amarela made their debut in Surrey in 2016, ending twelfth.
Considered one of South America’s rising packages, Brazil completed sixth on the 2025 Pan American Championship in Monteria, Colombia. The end result secured qualification for the Lima 2027 Pan American Video games, which can mark Brazil’s third look within the ladies’s softball competitors after Rio 2007 and Toronto 2015.
Pitcher Fernanda Shiroma led Brazil in Monteria, working 33.1 innings and posting a 4-1 file, a 0.63 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
Caroline Mito (.385), Mayra Akamine (.382) and Mariana Pereira (.333) every batted above .300.
Advancing to the play-offs in Oklahoma Metropolis would symbolize a big step for the returning Brazilian program.
*****
New Zealand – In search of a Return to Former Heights
- WSWC Appearances: 17
- Highest End: Champions (1982)
- 2023/2024 End: sixteenth
- World Rating: 26
Alongside Australia and USA, New Zealand is certainly one of solely three groups to have competed in all 17 editions of the WBSC Ladies’s Softball World Cup.
The White Sox gained the world title in Taipei Metropolis in 1982 and have claimed three extra medals, one silver and two bronze.
Its most up-to-date medal got here in 1990 in Regular, Illinois, the place rain prevented the ultimate towards USA from being performed. USA have been awarded the title after finishing the spherical robin undefeated, whereas New Zealand obtained silver.
New Zealand has not returned to the High 5 since 1990, though it completed sixth in each 1994 and 2002. Within the earlier World Cup, it positioned sixth in Group C in 2023 and completed sixteenth total, its lowest place within the competitors.
New Zealand can be certainly one of 14 groups to have competed in Olympic softball. Their solely look got here at Sydney 2000, the place it completed sixth with a 2-5 file.
The bottom-ranked staff in Oklahoma Metropolis, the White Sox might want to outperform not less than two higher-ranked opponents to succeed in the playoffs and take a step in direction of returning to the world’s High 8.
