The 2026 Little League Softball World Series: Everything You Need to Know

Quick Summary: The biggest youth softball tournament in the world is happening August 2–9, 2026 in Greenville, North Carolina. Twelve teams (8 from the U.S., 4 international) will play 22 games, all televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and ESPN+. The championship game airs August 9 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

What Is the Little League Softball World Series?

Think of it like the Super Bowl for 10–12-year-old softball players. Every summer, the best Little League teams from around the world compete to win the championship banner. It’s a huge deal — families travel, fans cheer, and ESPN broadcasts every game live.

This year’s host city: Greenville, North Carolina
Stadium: Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park
Opening Ceremony: Saturday, August 1, 6–8 p.m. ET (open to the public!)

Purple Bracket Teams (6 Teams)

These teams will play in one half of the tournament bracket.

1. Canada Champion — OnField Little League (Repentigny, Quebec)

Third straight year at the World Series!
Record at regionals: 2–0
All-time World Series record: 1–4

2. Europe-Africa Champion — Emilia Romagna LL (Bologna, Italy)

Third appearance for this team; Italy’s 9th overall
Regional record: 5–1
Last played in 2022 (first time was 2008)

3. North Carolina Champion — Johnston County LL (Clayton, NC)

First time ever at the World Series!
Started softball program in 2023 — that’s fast!
Regionals: 3–0, outscored opponents 32–0
Could be 4th NC team to win (last was Pitt County in 2024)

4. Northwest Champion — Snohomish LL (Snohomish, WA)

First Snohomish team since 2015 (South Snohomish)
North + South Snohomish merged in 2021
Regionals: 3–0
Fun fact: Star pitcher Madison Locke (struck out 12 in title game) is the daughter of Danielle Lawrie — Olympic medalist and ESPN analyst!

5. Southeast Champion — Lake Mary LL (Lake Mary, FL)

Back-to-back appearances (played in 2025 too)
Regionals: 4–0
Beat last year’s champ (Pitt County) twice in 3 days to get here!
2025 record: 3–2 (both losses to Tulsa National)

6. Southwest Champion — Greater Helotes LL (Helotes, TX)

Drama alert: Original winner (Tulsa National) was disqualified
Helotes beat Eastbank LL (LA) 2–0 in a special championship game
Won the whole World Series in 2016!
One of 14 Texas teams to ever win it all

Orange Bracket Teams (6 Teams)

The other half of the bracket.

7. Asia-Pacific Champion — Kinki Softball LL (Sangō, Japan)

First World Series appearance ever!
Started Little League charter in 2025 — and already here!
Regionals: 2–0

8. Central Champion — Daviess County LL (Owensboro, KY)

Team to watch — many say they’re the favorite
Beat last year’s runner-up (Floyds Knobs) 1–0 in title game
Pitcher Michaela Knight threw all 30 innings at regionals: 25 strikeouts, only 4 hits in final game!
First Kentucky team since 2005 to qualify
4th straight Central champ from the loser’s bracket
No Kentucky team has ever won

9. Latin America Champion — Guayama Softball LL (Guayama, Puerto Rico)

Regionals: 5–0 (perfect!)
Puerto Rico has 16 previous appearances
Only non-U.S. state to ever win (Maunabo LL won in 2001)
Guayama represented PR in 2022 & 2023 too

10. Mid-Atlantic Champion — Toms River LL (Toms River, NJ)

First World Series trip ever!
Came from loser’s bracket to win 5–3
5th New Jersey team to qualify
NJ has 1 title (Robbinsville, 2014)

11. New England Champion — Bristol Girls Softball LL (Bristol, CT)

Most dramatic qualification!
Down to last 2 outs, trailing by 2 in final inning
Won on walk-off infield single after inside-the-park HR
First time ever for this program
5th Connecticut team — but no CT team has ever won

12. West Champion — Live Oak LL (Live Oak, CA)

First World Series trip!
Regionals: 4–0, beat Summerlin South (Las Vegas) 2–1
8th California team to qualify
California has 5 titles (last: Foothill LL in 1990)
5 of last 7 CA teams won it all — good luck charm?

How to Watch (Step-by-Step)

Mark your calendar: Games run August 2–9
Pick your channel:
- ESPN — most games
- ESPN2 — some games
- ABC — Championship game (Aug 9, 3 p.m. ET) + select others
Stream it: ESPN+ has every game live
Go in person: Stallings Stadium, Elm Street Park, Greenville, NC
Free option: Some games may be on the ESPN app with TV provider login

Pro Tip: The opening ceremony (Aug 1, 6–8 p.m.) is free and open to the public — great for autographs and photos!

History & Records (Through 2025)

U.S. States with Most Titles

Rank	State	Championships
1	Texas	14
2	Florida	8
3	California	5
4	North Carolina	3
T5	Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania	2 each

Countries with Titles

United States — 50
Puerto Rico — 1 (2001, Maunabo LL)

Recent Winners:

2025: West Suburban LL (Johnstown, PA)

2024: Pitt County Girls LL (Winterville, NC)

2023: Massapequa International LL (Massapequa Park, NY)

2022: Midway LL (Hewitt, TX)

Quick Reference: All 12 Teams at a Glance

Bracket	Region	Team	Location	First Time?
Purple	Canada	OnField LL	Repentigny, QC	No (3rd straight)
Purple	Europe-Africa	Emilia Romagna LL	Bologna, Italy	No (3rd time)
Purple	North Carolina	Johnston County LL	Clayton, NC	YES
Purple	Northwest	Snohomish LL	Snohomish, WA	No (since 2015)
Purple	Southeast	Lake Mary LL	Lake Mary, FL	No (2nd straight)
Purple	Southwest	Greater Helotes LL	Helotes, TX	No (won 2016)
Orange	Asia-Pacific	Kinki Softball LL	Sangō, Japan	YES
Orange	Central	Daviess County LL	Owensboro, KY	YES
Orange	Latin America	Guayama Softball LL	Guayama, PR	No
Orange	Mid-Atlantic	Toms River LL	Toms River, NJ	YES
Orange	New England	Bristol Girls Softball LL	Bristol, CT	YES
Orange	West	Live Oak LL	Live Oak, CA	YES

6 of 12 teams are first-timers! That’s a lot of new energy.

Key Storylines to Follow

Top 5 Things to Watch:

Can Daviess County (KY) go all the way? Dominant pitching, first KY team in 21 years

Will a first-timer win? 6 teams have never been here before

Texas vs. Everyone: Texas has 14 titles — Helotes won in 2016

Japan’s rookie sensation: Kinki Softball started in 2025, already at World Series

Host state pride: Johnston County (NC) went 32–0 at regionals — can they win at home?

FAQ: Your Questions Answered

1. What ages play in this tournament?

Players are 10–12 years old (Little League “Major” division). It’s not high school — these are kids!

2. How do teams qualify?

They win their regional tournament. There are 10 U.S. regions + 4 international regions (Canada, Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America). Win your region → you go to Greenville.

3. Is the opening ceremony free?

Yes! Saturday, August 1, 6–8 p.m. ET at the stadium. Great for meeting players, getting autographs, and seeing the parade of teams.

4. Can I stream games for free?

You need ESPN+ (paid) for all games. Some may air on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC with a cable/satellite/streaming login. No completely free legal stream for all games.

5. Who won last year?

West Suburban Little League from Johnstown, Pennsylvania won the 2025 title.

Summary

The 2026 Little League Softball World Series is August 2–9 in Greenville, NC. 12 teams (8 U.S., 4 international) play 22 games on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and ESPN+. The championship is August 9 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

Six teams are first-timers — including host-state Johnston County (NC), Kentucky’s Daviess County (with superstar pitcher Michaela Knight), and Japan’s brand-new Kinki Softball LL. Texas leads all states with 14 titles, but North Carolina (3 titles) has home-field advantage this year.

Whether you watch on TV, stream on ESPN+, or go in person — this is youth sports at its best: pure joy, big dreams, and the next generation of stars.

Grab some popcorn, pick a team, and enjoy the show!

Article based on USA TODAY Sports reporting by Sherlon Christie. For schedules, brackets, and updates, visit LittleLeague.org.

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