After ten days of double-elimination baseball in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the 2026 Little League World Series has been trimmed from 20 teams down to four. The regional dust has settled, the brackets have run their course, and both the United States and International Championship games are now locked in for Saturday, August 29. The two winners will meet Sunday, August 30, at 3:00 p.m. ET for the LLWS crown.
Here’s everything you need to know about the four teams still standing and the two title games that will decide who plays for it all.
Saturday’s Championship Schedule
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Championship | Curaçao vs. Japan | 12:30 p.m. | ABC |
| U.S. Championship | Nevada (Mountain) vs. Ohio (Great Lakes) | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Consolation (3rd place) — Sun. Aug. 30 | Intl. runner-up vs. U.S. runner-up | 10:00 a.m. | ESPN |
| LLWS Championship — Sun. Aug. 30 | Intl. champ vs. U.S. champ | 3:00 p.m. | ABC |
International Championship: Curaçao vs. Japan
The international side delivers one of the tournament’s most compelling storylines — a rematch of a game these two already played, and one that went decisively in one direction.
Willemstad, Curaçao (Pariba Little League) has been the most dominant team on the international bracket, outscoring its three opponents by a combined 18-3 on its way to the final. That includes a 6-0 shutout of this very same Japan squad earlier in the tournament. Curaçao is no stranger to this stage — the small Caribbean nation reached the LLWS championship game three times in the past several years (2022, 2023) and continues to punch far above its weight on the world’s biggest youth baseball stage.
Tokyo, Japan (Joto Little League) reaches the international final for the first time since 2019, advancing with a semifinal win over León, Nicaragua (Latin America). Japan remains one of the most decorated programs in LLWS history, and this group will be looking to avenge that earlier shutout loss to Curaçao when it matters most. The challenge is clear: solve a Curaçao team that has shut the door on nearly everyone it has faced.
Both teams reached this point by getting past the Latin America representative from Nicaragua in the double-elimination format. Now they meet with a spot in the World Series final on the line.
U.S. Championship: Nevada vs. Ohio
The domestic final is a rematch, too — and like the international side, the first meeting between these teams was a nail-biter.
Henderson, Nevada (Paseo Verde Little League), the Mountain Region champion, arrives at the U.S. final undefeated at 3-0 in Williamsport. The lone scare came in a 6-5 win over Ohio back on August 21 — the closest game Nevada has played all tournament. Since then, the Henderson squad has looked like a buzzsaw, outscoring Washington and Iowa by a combined 19-6 over its last two games, including a 14-6 rout of Davenport, Iowa to punch its ticket. Nevada fans will remember this program reached the national title game a year ago, so this run carries an extra edge.
Hamilton, Ohio (West Side Little League), the Great Lakes Region champion, has traveled the harder road. Ohio dropped that August 21 game to Nevada but battled back through the loser’s bracket, surviving elimination games to earn a rematch. The path to the U.S. final was capped by a 7-1 win over Iowa, powered by a four-run first inning. Bob Frazier delivered the big blow with a three-run triple after Jack McAdams opened the scoring with an RBI single, and Walker Osborne threw a complete game with four strikeouts, allowing just one run over six innings. It marks the first time since 2021 — and just the second time in state history — that Ohio will play for the U.S. championship.
The storyline writes itself: Nevada beat Ohio once, but Ohio gets another shot with the U.S. title on the line. Nevada has the perfect record and the momentum; Ohio has the resilience of a team that has already stared down elimination and won.
What’s at Stake
The winners of Saturday’s two championship games advance to the LLWS Championship on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC. The two losing teams will square off in the consolation game for third place at 10:00 a.m. ET on ESPN.
There will be no repeat champion in 2026 — defending champion Chinese Taipei didn’t emerge from the Asia-Pacific regional this year, guaranteeing a new name will be etched into the trophy. Whether it’s a battle-tested international power in Curaçao, a resurgent Japan, an undefeated Nevada, or a never-say-die Ohio, one of these four teams will close out the summer as champions of the youth baseball world.
Set your reminders for Saturday. The road to Williamsport ends here.
Stay with BaseballResource.org for full coverage of the 2026 Little League World Series, including a recap of Saturday’s championship games and a preview of Sunday’s title matchup.
