All the teams competing in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) want to win for sporting pride, because they want to show who is the best team on the planet. But it doesn’t hurt them to get a certain amount of dollars for winning the tournament.
A total of $37.5 million will be distributed, which is a watershed moment for MLB and the federations, because previously such a figure had not been put on the table for bonuses
How are the WBC prizes distributed?
The bonuses start from a base of $750,000 that will be distributed to each of the 20 teams participating in the tournament. In the group stage, the four teams that finish as leaders of each group will receive an additional bonus of $750,000.
Subsequently, from the knockout round onwards, each team that qualifies for the quarter-finals will receive an additional $1 million. After that, the semi-finalists will receive an additional $1.25 million. The two finalists will receive an additional $1.25 million.
How much will the WBC champion team receive?
For the team that manages to finish the tournament undefeated, the prize will be $7.5 million.
If the title is won without an unbeaten streak, the champion will receive a bonus of $2.5 million. Regardless of the final result of each team and the amount they obtain, the financial incentives will be distributed in equal percentages: 50 percent to the federation and 50 percent to the players, coaches and team manager.
What about the increase compared to 2026?
Regarding the prizes awarded at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the purse awarded in this edition represents a considerable increase for players, coaching staffs and federations.
- The participation bonus increased from $300,000 to $750,000
- Qualification for the quarter-finals increased from $400,000 to $1 million
- Qualification for the semi-final and final increased from $500,000 to $1.25 million
- The championship win increased from $1 million to $2.5 million
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