The short version
- El Vocero, Telemundo Puerto Rico, N Digital, El Nuevo Día and ESPN Deportes report the game is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan
- Puerto Rico roster includes Francisco Lindor, Edwin “Sugar” Díaz, Kike Hernández, José de León and Christian Vázquez; Dominican Republic side features Robinson Canó, Starling Marte, Brayan Bello and Joshua Báez according to all five outlets
- Each team will have 26 players; all listed athletes have confirmed participation subject to force majeure, the organizers told the outlets
- Pre-sale for Banco Popular Visa clients runs Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. until Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. via Ticketera.com using first six digits of the card as CODE; general sale starts Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. with a six-ticket limit per transaction
Updates
Update, Nov 9, 4:53 PM AST
ESPN Deportes adds quotes from LIDOM and LBPRC presidents plus historical context on prior games.
ESPN Deportes reported on Monday that the Duelo del Caribe exhibition will be the third matchup of its kind in four years. The outlet reported the first game was held in 2023 at Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros and the second in 2025 at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
A joint press release from LIDOM and the LBPRC, cited by ESPN Deportes, lists the same core players previously reported and confirms support from MLB, player federations, the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation and the Olympic Committee. Vitelio Mejía Ortiz, president of LIDOM, told the leagues in the release that the game strengthens cooperation between the islands and could lead to future joint events.
Juan A. Flores Galarza, president of the LBPRC, is quoted in the release saying the rivalry has a special history in Caribbean baseball and that wearing the uniform represents great pride for the players. The new reporting does not contradict any details in the earlier account.
Update, Nov 9, 4:23 PM AST
El Vocero adds supporting organizations (Lidom, APPPR, FENAPEPRO, COPUR), quotes from officials, and precise pre-sale schedule and procedure.
El Vocero reported on Monday that the Duelo del Caribe exhibition will also have the collaboration of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (Lidom), the Puerto Rico players union (APPPR) and the Dominican players union (FENAPEPRO), in addition to the previously named entities. El Vocero reported
The outlet published quotes from Juan A. Flores Galarza, president of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, who called the event "a historic weekend that the fans cannot miss," and from Julio A. Cabral, president and CEO of Grupo VRDG, who thanked all parties and reiterated the goal of a "360 family experience" with positive socioeconomic impact. El Vocero also detailed that the pre-sale for Banco Popular Visa clients runs from Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. until Friday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m., with general sales beginning that Friday at 10 a.m.; buyers must enter the first six digits of their Popular Visa card in the "CODE" field on Ticketera.com and complete the purchase with the same card, with a six-ticket limit per transaction.
El Vocero's account does not contradict any facts in the earlier reports from Telemundo Puerto Rico, N Digital or El Nuevo Día; it adds supporting organizations, fuller quotes and exact pre-sale timing.
Update, Nov 9, 2:28 PM AST
Telemundo Puerto Rico added ticket-sale details including the CODE requirement and purchase limit.
Telemundo Puerto Rico reported the same core facts on the Dec. 5, 2026 exhibition game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, confirming the listed Puerto Rican and Dominican players and the 26-man rosters. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported
The new report states that pre-sale for Banco Popular clients begins Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. via Ticketera.com; customers must enter the first six digits of their Popular Visa card in the CODE field and complete the purchase with that card. General sale opens Friday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. Purchases are limited to six tickets per transaction and subject to availability.
No new players, start time, ticket prices or broadcast information were disclosed.
Event details
Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will play an exhibition baseball game called “Duelo del Caribe” on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. El Nuevo Día reported the matchup was organized by VRDG Entertainment to revive the historic rivalry between the two Caribbean baseball powers outside the World Baseball Classic.
Each team will field a roster of 26 players. VRDG Entertainment told both N Digital and El Nuevo Día that all listed athletes have confirmed participation, subject to force majeure. The companies said the event has the backing of Major League Baseball, the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation and the Olympic Committee.
Also on PuertoRico.com: San Juan travel guide
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
luego del Clásico Mundial de Béisbol, muchos fanáticos se quedaron con las ganas de presenciar este tan esperado encuentro
Our translation: After the World Baseball Classic, many fans were left wanting to see this long-awaited matchup.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Supporting activities
In addition to the game, organizers plan a week of activities from Dec. 1-6 that will include youth clinics, press conferences, autograph sessions, media encounters and protocol events. El Nuevo Día reported that further details on the complementary activities will be announced later.
Juan A. Flores Galarza, president of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, told El Nuevo Día the event offers the chance to relive a special rivalry. Julio A. Cabral Corrada, president and CEO of Grupo VRDG, said the goal is to deliver a 360-degree family experience with positive socioeconomic impact.
Where the sources differ
All five outlets—El Vocero, Telemundo Puerto Rico, N Digital, El Nuevo Día and ESPN Deportes—agree on the date, venue, listed players, roster size, organizer statements and supporting organizations. ESPN Deportes adds that this will be the third such game in four years, citing prior editions in 2023 at Estadio Cibao and in 2025 at Citi Field. El Vocero adds Lidom, APPPR, FENAPEPRO and COPUR to the list of collaborators and provides the most detailed pre-sale schedule. El Nuevo Día and El Vocero remain the only sources with quotes from Juan A. Flores Galarza and Julio A. Cabral Corrada; ESPN Deportes adds new quotes from Vitelio Mejía Ortiz and a different quote from Flores Galarza via the joint LIDOM-LBPRC release.
What the reports do not say
The reports still do not specify ticket prices, exact game start time, broadcast or streaming plans, the remaining players needed to complete the 26-man rosters, or how community impact will be measured. They also do not name additional supporting institutions beyond those now listed by El Vocero or detail what force majeure clauses cover.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published and last updated. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official ¡Duelo del Caribe! RD y PR se enfrentarán en diciembre con estrellas de Grandes Ligas
- Reporting ¡Duelo del Caribe! RD y PR se enfrentarán en diciembre con estrellas de Grandes Ligas
- Reporting ¡El duelo del Caribe! Puerto Rico y República Dominicana se medirán con jugadores de Grandes Ligas en el Hiram Bithorn
- Reporting Puerto Rico y República Dominicana se enfrentarán en el Duelo del Caribe
- Reporting Duelo del Caribe: Puerto Rico y República Dominicana llevarán su rivalidad al Hiram Bithorn
- Reporting República Dominicana vs. Puerto Rico en el Hiram Bithorn en diciembre
How we checked this
El Vocero, Telemundo Puerto Rico, N Digital and El Nuevo Día first reported the event in detail including ticket-sale information and quotes from Flores Galarza and Julio A. Cabral Corrada. ESPN Deportes added the historical context of prior games, new quotes from Vitelio Mejía Ortiz and a joint LIDOM-LBPRC statement. Details on pricing, broadcast plans and full rosters rest on no source.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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