Just like that, nearly two weeks in Williamsport, Pa., have come to an end, with the team from Willemstad, Curaçao, taking home the 2026 Little League World Series championship with an 11-2 win over Henderson, Nev.It is just the second title for the small island near the Caribbean, and its first since a 2004 win that saw multiple future major leaguers play a starring role, including Jonathan Schoop and Jurickson Profar. The country also has four runner-up finishes in its history, including back-to-back championship appearances in 2004-05 and 2022-23.For the state of Nevada, it’s more heartbreak. Last year, the team from Summerlin South also reached the championship, ultimately losing 7-0 to Chinese Taipei in its bid to claim the state’s first Little League World Series championship.Sunday’s festivities opened with Tokyo taking home third place in a 3-2 win over Hamilton, Ohio. From there, the winner of the international bracket (Curaçao) and the U.S. bracket (Henderson) took the field at Lamade Stadium to complete a tournament that began Aug. 19.Henderson took the lead early on a two-run single from Maddox Bryan. However, it was all Curaçao from there, with the Willemstad squad quickly tying the game in the third inning before breaking things wide open in the fifth and stretching the lead to 8-2. Three more runs in the sixth inning left no doubt.If there is any consolation, it’s that Nevada made history in the championship, turning an LLWS record six double plays over the course of the tournament.What will define this year’s edition of the annual tournament, however, is the history-making efforts of Kinley Rasmus (Phenix City, Ala.) and Carsynn Meyer (Henderson), the 25th and 26th girls to ever compete at the LLWS, respectively.Rasmus — the 12-year-old daughter of former big leaguer Cory Rasmus — turned heads with her efforts on the mound and at the plate. Her 14 strikeouts tied Mo’ne Davis for the most by a girl in LLWS history, while her five hits rank as the most all-time. Rasmus also became the first girl with an extra-base hit — a screeching RBI double. Despite her Phenix City team being eliminated before the U.S. championship, Rasmus also finished with the most RBIs and runs scored by a girl in the LLWS.As for Meyer, she became the sixth girl to notch multiple hits in LLWS history, the first to have an RBI in the U.S. championship game and just the second to compete in the final game.Though dates for next year’s edition of the tournament have not been announced, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred did reveal that the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays will play in the Little League Classic on Aug. 19, 2027.Aug 30, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms