Ben Deihl | sports editor

Current world tensions are the highest they’ve been since the Cold War era. Politics are as polarized as ever, and military operations seem to be escalating by the day.

In a world so divided, sports can provide a community, a state or even a country a feeling of unity that was previously fractured.

With pool play starting on March 4 and the championship game on March 17, the World Baseball Classic was a breath of fresh air for many countries and sports fans. It allowed multiple countries involved or previously involved with conflicts to find a reason to cheer for their homeland.

Italy was one of the Cinderella stories in the WBC, earning a trip to the semifinals after going undefeated in pool play, beating the U.S. in a massive upset.

“I’m sure everyone would be thrilled to play for Team USA, but that team is loaded, anyway,” Team Italy bullpen coach Sal Fasano said to The Athletic. “The second-best thing is playing for your lineage. And for the younger guys, it’s a great opportunity to experience the best baseball atmosphere of their life.”

The Italians would fall in the semifinals to eventual champion Venezuela. The Venezuelans delivered another historic upset of Team U.S.A., this time to capture the country’s first ever WBC title.

Venezuelan outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has already had a fruitful MLB career in his eight years playing, winning a World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 2021. Regardless of professional success, Acuña is proud to be Venezuelan.

“This is number one for me in my career,” Acuña said postgame. “I love Atlanta a lot, but before I played in Atlanta, I was born in Venezuela. Venezuela made me Ronald Acuña Jr.”

Baseball has become one of the world’s biggest sports, and “America’s pastime” has an especially rich culture in Latin America. The Dominican Republic has dominated the sport recently, producing superstars like Julio Rodíguez, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatís Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and many more. Not to mention both Tatís and Guerrero had fathers who also played in the MLB, who were dominant forces in their era.

Further than the sport’s impact, uniting a country on an international stage allows a group of each country’s best athletes to represent the entire nation on the biggest possible stage.

“I want to do this for every serviceman and woman that protects our freedom,” Team U.S.A. pitcher Paul Skenes said to manager Mark DeRosa, according to USA Today.

America carries even larger honors than hosting the WBC. The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in downtown Los Angeles, as the city returns as a host for the first time since 1984.

Despite the Soviet Union boycotting the games, over 7,000 athletes flocked to Los Angeles in 1984 to compete in the Summer Games, according to the LA28 official website.

“The Games are woven into the fabric of Los Angeles’ history,” LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman said on the LA28 website. “Starting with a legacy that began in 1932 and was cemented in 1984, the 2028 Games will inspire our community and the world of sport for decades to come.”

The LA28 games are also adding or returning six new games including flag football, baseball, softball, squash, cricket and lacrosse.

Team U.S.A. has many reasons to be proud. They had one of their best performances in history during the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games. The U.S. placed second in total medals with 33, only behind Norway’s 41.

Most notably, Team USA collected 12 gold medals in the Winter Games, including a sweep of ice hockey, where both teams scored a “golden goal” in overtime to beat Canada in the gold medal game.

“This is all about our country right now,” Jack Hughes said postgame after scoring the men’s golden goal. “I love the U.S.A. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. I’m so proud to be an American today.”

Now with momentum behind them, Team U.S.A. will look to defend their home country and sit atop the medal table in LA28.

The U.S. continues to stay in the sports limelight, as it is one of the three countries in North America that will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest and most watched sporting event in the world.

This will be the first time in the event’s history that it will take place across three different countries, while also including the most teams ever, with a field of 46 national teams competing for the World Cup.

Although, the excitement for the largest World Cup in history hasn’t come without some controversy. Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump called for the Iranian team to sit out the tournament “for their own safety.”

While Trump has openly declared that Team Iran is welcome to compete, his comments reflect the current hostile environment as the U.S. and Israel continue to attack Iran.

But these attitudes create all the more reason for players and spectators alike to bear their homeland’s flag and celebrate their nationality on a global stage, proving to the world that any country’s people will stand by each other, and international sports will always give all a reason to feel patriotic.

Ben Deihl can be reached at deihlb1@duq.edu