France secured a spot in the Euro Baseball5 U18 2026 final after defeating Moldova in straight sets on Saturday morning in Policoro.
The Bleuets advanced through the tournament’s final stages with a 7–1 and 11–1 victory over Moldova at the PalaErcole. They finished their group stage undefeated with five wins before playing a challenging Super Round.
- The Turkish side has twice defeated the French squad in recent tournaments.
- The French youth team is assured of repatriating a medal from Policoro.
The French squad reached the title match with a record of seven wins in eight fixtures since the tournament began. Their campaign featured a dramatic group-stage finish on Friday morning against Italy, where the team overturned a 5–1 deficit in the final inning of the decisive set to win 6–5.
Later in the Super Round, the team faced early hurdles, including a two-set defeat to Turkey ending 8–12 and 1–14. The Bleuets responded by overcoming Lithuania in tightly contested matches that extended into extra frames, winning 7–6 and 9–4 before concluding the morning against Moldova.
| Opponent | Stage | Result | Set Scores |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | Group Stage | Win | 6–5 (deciding set) |
| Turkey | Super Round | Loss | 8–12, 1–14 |
| Lithuania | Super Round | Win | 7–6, 9–4 (extra frames) |
| Moldavia | Super Round | Win | 7–1, 11–1 |
Turkey stands between France and the European title after twice defeating the Bleuets in recent weeks. The Turkish side previously claimed victory in the fifth-place match at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, leaving France in sixth position, before repeating the result on Friday in the Super Round.
Saturday’s final at the PalaErcole in Policoro gives the French squad a fresh opportunity to reverse that historical deficit. The match is scheduled for 17:30 in French metropolitan time.
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