United States defeated Canada 5-3 in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic on March 13, 2026, at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, advancing to the semifinals.[1][3]

Former Navy SEAL Robert J. O'Neill, a member of the SEAL Team Six unit that conducted the raid killing al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, in Abbottabad, Pakistan, delivered a pregame speech to Team USA players before the matchup.[4][5]

The speech drew mixed reactions on social media, with some users criticizing its content linking military service to American values, while others praised the choice of speaker as patriotic.

Mason Miller, pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, recorded a key strikeout of Canada's Otto Lopez to secure the win. Edouard Julien of Canada slid into second base against U.S. infielder Brice Turang during the fifth inning.[1][3]

Team USA, managed by Mark DeRosa, who also led the squad in the 2023 WBC, will face the Dominican Republic in the semifinals on March 15, 2026, at Minute Maid Park.[1][2]

The 2026 World Baseball Classic features 20 teams in four pools of five, with the top two from each pool advancing to quarterfinals hosted in Houston and Miami. Pool C games, including Team USA's group stage matches such as against Great Britain on March 7, were held at Minute Maid Park.[1]

Sources

1. MLB.com
   World Baseball Classic 2026 dates, venues announced
   September 20, 2024
   https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-dates-venues-announced
2. USA Baseball
   Mark DeRosa returns as manager for 2026 World Baseball Classic
   November 18, 2024
   https://www.usabaseball.com/news/2024/11/18/world-baseball-classic-returning-staff.aspx
3. MLB.com
   World Baseball Classic official match center
   Accessed March 14, 2026
   https://www.mlb.com/wbc
4. Wikipedia
   Robert J. O'Neill
   Accessed 2024
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_J._O%27Neill
5. Fox News
   Navy SEAL who claims he killed Osama bin Laden speaks out
   November 7, 2014
   https://www.foxnews.com/us/navy-seal-who-claims-killed-osama-bin-laden-speaks-out