World Baseball Classic 2026: Complete Schedule, Venues and More

When last we saw the World Baseball Classic, one future Hall of Famer was striking out another future Hall of Famer — who just happened to be his MLB teammate — in the ninth inning to secure a one-run victory in a title game between Japan and the United States.

It was the buzziest moment yet in any of the first five iterations of the WBC. Replicating that showdown, in which Japan’s Shohei Ohtani struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout of the United States to complete a 3-2 final, may be almost impossible, but there’s no doubt how compelling that night in Miami three years ago was. The game, played at loanDepot Park, averaged 5.2 million viewers on Fox, the most for any game in the United States in WBC history, while in Japan more than 27 million were tuned in to the championship game.

Since that epic clash, the two stars have gone in different directions. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers before the 2024 season and has helped them win consecutive World Series titles while adding two more league MVP awards to his trophy case. Trout, meanwhile, has endured three more injury-ravaged seasons for a team that still hasn’t won a playoff game during his 15 years in Anaheim.

On the whole, though, baseball is thriving, with three straight years of attendance north of 70 million for the first time in two decades, and a slew of household names who will take part in the WBC, including Ohtani; three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge of the Yankees who will captain Team USA; and Mets slugger Juan Soto, who will lead a powerful Dominican Republic team.

This event could also serve as a precursor to MLB players taking part in the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. No decision has been made, and it will need to be a part of the upcoming collective bargaining talks between owners and players as they seek to secure a new CBA when the current one expires at season’s end. Given the growth in popularity of the World Baseball Classic, having players in the Olympics makes tons of sense, especially as a marketing opportunity for the sport — look no further than the bounce hockey and the NHL are getting in the wake of this year’s Winter Olympics for proof of the benefits the Games can provide — but it would also require disrupting the regular season schedule.

Until then, here’s what you need to know for this year’s edition of the WBC:

Dates: March 4–17
Teams: 20
Format: Four pools of five teams each; top two in each pool advance to quarterfinals
Sites: Tokyo, Japan; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas

VENUES

Daikin Park
Site: Houston, Texas

Regular Tenant: Houston Astros

Capacity: 41,168

WBC Past: Long known as Minute Maid Park, this is the first time the 26-year-old ballpark has hosted the WBC.

Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Site: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Regular Tenant: Senadores de San Juan; Cangrejeros de Santurce

Capacity: 19,125

WBC Past: The ballpark, which served as the temporary home for the Montreal Expos in 2003 and ’04 before that club moved to Washington D.C., hosted games in the first three WBCs (2006, ’09 and ’13). This will be the first time the event has been held there since then.

loanDepot Park
Site: Miami, Florida

Regular Tenant: Miami Marlins

Capacity: 37,442

WBC Past: Opened in 2012, the ballpark hosted pool play games in 2013, ’17 and ’23 before taking the main stage in 2023: pool play, quarterfinals, both semifinals and the championship game.

Tokyo Dome
Site: Tokyo, Japan

Regular Tenant: Yomiuri Giants

Capacity: 45,600

WBC Past: The Tokyo Dome is the only venue to host games in every WBC.

SCHEDULE

March 4

Australia 3, Chinese Taipei 0

March 5

Korea 11, Czechia 4
Australia 5, Czechia 1

March 6

Japan 13, Chinese Taipei 0
Cuba 3, Panama 1
Venezuela 6, Netherlands 2
Mexico 8, Great Britain 2
Puerto Rico 5, Colombia 0
Dominican Republic 12, Nicaragua 3
USA 15, Brazil 5
Chinese Taipei 14, Czechia 0

March 7

Japan 8, Korea 6
Canada 8; Colombia 2
Netherlands 4, Nicaragua 3
Italy 8, Brazil 0
Puerto Rico 4, Panama 3
Venezuela 11, Israel 3
USA 9, Great Britain 1
Chinese Taipei 5, Korea 4

March 8

Japan 4, Australia 3
Cuba 7, Colombia 4
Dominican Republic 12, Netherlands 1
Italy 7, Great Britain 4
Israel 5, Nicaragua 0
Panama 4, Canada 3
Mexico 16, Brazil 0

March 9

Korea 7, Australia 2
Dominican Republic 10, Israel 1
Colombia 4, Panama 3
Great Britain 8, Brazil 1
Puerto Rico 4, Cuba 1
Venezuela 4, Nicaragua 0
USA 5, Mexico 3

March 10
Japan 9, Czechia 0
Israel 6, Netherlands 2
Canada 3, Puerto Rico 2
Italy 8, USA 6

March 11
Canada 7, Cuba 2
Italy 9, Mexico 1
Dominican Republic 7, Venezuela 5

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Finals

PAST CHAMPIONS