<Table> <Tr> <Td> ← 2015 </Td> <Td> World Series </Td> <Td> 2017 → </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> ← 2015 </Td> <Td> World Series </Td> <Td> 2017 → </Td> </Tr> <P> The 2016 World Series was the 112th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, a best - of - seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs and the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians, the first meeting of those franchises in postseason history . The Indians had home - field advantage because the AL had won the 2016 All - Star Game . It was also the last World Series to have home - field advantage determined by the All - Star Game results; beginning in 2017, home - field advantage is now awarded to the team with the better record . </P> <P> The Cubs defeated the Indians when they won 4 games to 3 to win their first World Series since 1908 . Game 7, an 8--7 victory in extra innings, marked the fifth time that a Game 7 had gone past nine innings and the first since 1997 (which, coincidentally, also featured the Indians). It was also the first to have a rain delay which occurred as the tenth inning was about to start . The Cubs became the sixth team to come back from a 3 - 1 deficit to win a best - of - seven World Series, following the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates, the 1958 New York Yankees, the 1968 Detroit Tigers, the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, and the 1985 Kansas City Royals . </P>

When did the cubs win the world series