By finishing in the top four, both Mexico and the US have qualified for next year’s Under-12 Baseball World Cup which is scheduled to take place in Taiwanese city Tainan.

They will be joined by Nicaragua and Brazil, the third and fourth-places finishers respectively.

At last month’s European qualifier, Germany and Czech Republic earned the right to compete for the global crown. 

There a still three spots available for Asian nations in the 12-team tournament as well as one each for African and Oceanian countries.

The line-up will be completed by a wild card entry. 

First staged in 2011 in Taiwan’s capital Taipei, the Under-12 Baseball World Cup is the most elite and highest level of competition in its age category.

Unlike other youth international competitions like the Little League World Series, which involve local clubs, it is the only global event across baseball, and all of sport, to feature national teams in this age group - 11 to 12-year-olds.

Dimensions of regulation Under-12 Baseball World Cup ballparks are significantly increased compared to local youth leagues, due to the superior nature and strength of the players involved.

Because the event is considered a "World Championship", the results of the tournaments affect the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) world rankings, which you can read about by clicking here.

The inaugural 13-team competition took place in July 2011 and was won by hosts Chinese Taipei, who overcame Cuba 3-2 in the gold medal match.

The US are the holders having defeated hosts Chinese Taipei 7-2 in the 2015 finale.