The World Baseball Classic 2026, the sixth edition of the global national team baseball event, already has its official groups and venues defined. The tournament will be played from March 5-17, 2026 with 20 teams spread across four groups, each with five countries or territories, in several top cities in the United States, Japan and Puerto Rico.
General format
The tournament begins with a group stage from March 5-11, where each team plays against the other four in its group in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, which includes quarter-finals, semi-finals and the grand final on March 17.
Official venues by group
Group A – San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium
- Date: March 6-11
Teams:
- Puerto Rico
- Cuba
- Canada
- Panama
- Colombia
(one of these could be a team ranked according to previous results)
This venue returns to the World Baseball Classic after having hosted games in previous editions and is one of the main venues for Caribbean baseball.
Group B – Houston, United States
- Venue: Daikin Park
- Date: March 6-11
Teams:
- United States
- Mexico
- Italy
- Great Britain
- Brazil
This will be the first time that Daikin Park (home of the Houston Astros) has hosted World Baseball Classic games, marking a milestone in the tournament’s history.
Group C – Tokyo, Japan
- Venue: Tokyo Dome
- Date: March 5-10
Teams:
- Japan
- Australia
- South Korea
- Czech Republic
- Chinese Taipei
Tokyo Dome returns to the stage after hosting groups in all previous editions of the World Baseball Classic, with current defending champions Japan as the heavy favorites.
Group D – Miami, United States
- Venue: loanDepot Park
- Date: March 6-11
Teams:
- Venezuela
- Dominican Republic
- Netherlands
- Israel
- Nicaragua
loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, will host not only the group stage but also the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final on March 17, just as it did in 2023.
Knockout stage and final
The teams that advance from each group will face off in the quarterfinals on March 13 and 14 in Houston and Miami. The semifinals will then take place on March 15 and 16 in Miami, culminating with the grand final on March 17 at loanDepot Park.
Participating teams
The tournament will feature the 16 best-placed teams from the last World Baseball Classic (2023), who secured their direct place, and four teams that advanced through the 2025 qualifiers. This ensures that teams from all continents will be represented in this edition.
With iconic venues and highly competitive groups, the 2026 World Baseball Classic promises to be one of the most intense and exciting editions in the history of international baseball.
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