Rockford to Host WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2026

The World Baseball Softball Confederation Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2026 will be held at the International Women’s Baseball Center in Rockford, Illinois, the first time in the state and only the second time in the United States.

Scheduled for July 22–27, 2026, the event will be played at Rivets Stadium in neighboring Loves Park, Illinois. The IWBC and WBSC will activate World Cup programming at venues across the region, including Rockford’s historic Beyer Stadium.

“This is a landmark moment for Rockford and a proud milestone for GoRockford,” said John Groh, president and chief executive officer of GoRockford. “Hosting the Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2026 puts our community on the global stage and reaffirms our deep commitment to advancing women’s sports. The prestige of this tournament brings powerful economic, reputational and civic benefits to our region — while honoring the legacy of the Rockford Peaches and inspiring and supporting the next generation of athletes. We’re proud to stand with the International Women’s Baseball Center in championing this historic event and can’t wait to welcome the world to Rockford.”

As the world’s only nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and advancement of women’s and girls’ baseball, IWBC collaborated with the WBSC and local and national partners — including GoRockford — on a multi-year bid process. The IWBC’s impact extends through several programs including educational symposia; celebrating cultural icons like the Rockford Peaches and the film A League of Their Own; hosting community block parties and youth clinics; and cultivating global opportunities like the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup.

The IWBC and Rockford continues the quest to build a six-acre headquarter campus adjacent to Beyer Stadium. To date, IWBC has invested $2.5 million in the south Rockford project and neighborhood.

“When the International Women’s Baseball Center came to Rockford in 2016, we promised to bring the world to this community,” 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 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup is the most prestigious women’s baseball event in the world. A two-stage program over consecutive years, the 10th edition of the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup concludes in the summer of 2027 with the six-team finals of which IWBC and Rockford remain a finalist to host.

“We are delighted to take the Women’s Baseball World Cup back to the United States,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “The 2018 edition at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Viera, Florida, attracted unprecedented attention and helped players and younger fans reconnect with the history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. In 2026, the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup will land in Rockford, Illinois, where that legend started. It will be a memorable experience for the whole WBSC family and the international women’s baseball community.”