Japan eliminates Mexico from Little League World Series

Japan eliminated Mexico's Liga Municipal de Tijuana from the 2026 Little League World Series with a 3-1 victory at Volunteer Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Japan took an early lead, scoring in the first inning following a defensive error by Matías García. Ryosuke Takaoka later drove in a run to extend the lead to 2-0. While Mexico managed to score one run in the fourth inning to narrow the gap to 3-1, they were unable to mount a comeback against Japanese pitcher Yunosuke Yabe, who recorded seven strikeouts over five innings.

Mexico's tournament run included an initial 7-1 win against Australia, followed by an 8-4 loss to Nicaragua. The defeat to Japan concludes Mexico's attempt to secure its first Little League World Series title since 1997.