2026 World Baseball Classic
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is an upcoming international professional baseball tournament, planned to be the sixth iteration of the World Baseball Classic (WBC).[1] The pool play rounds will be played in Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Tokyo, Japan. The quarterfinals will be split between Miami and Houston, and the final round will be played in Miami.[2]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Countries | Japan Puerto Rico United States |
| Dates | TBD |
| Teams | 20 |
Japan are the defending champions after they defeated the United States 3–2 in the 2023 championship game.[3]
Teams
Qualification
16 teams qualified for the 2026 tournament by being in the top four of their pool in the 2023 tournament. 4 other participants will be determined through the qualifying tournament.[4][5]
| Region | Team | Qualification method |
Prev. apps |
Previous best result | WBSC World Rankings[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Americas | Canada | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C 3rd Place | 5 | Pool stage (2006, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2023) | 16 |
| Cuba | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool A Winner | 5 | Runners-up (2006) | 8 | |
| Dominican Republic | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool D 3rd Place | 5 | Champions (2013) | 9 | |
| Mexico | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C Winner | 5 | Third place (2023) | 2 | |
| Panama | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool A 4th Place | 3 | Pool stage (2006, 2009, 2023) | 10 | |
| Puerto Rico | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool D Runner-Up | 5 | Runners-up (2013, 2017) | 12 | |
| United States | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C Runner-Up | 5 | Champions (2017) | 3 | |
| Venezuela | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool D Winner | 5 | Fourth place (2009) | 6 | |
| Asia | Japan | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool B Winner | 5 | Champions (2006, 2009, 2023) | 1 |
| South Korea | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool B 3rd Place | 5 | Runners-up (2009) | 4 | |
| Europe | Czech Republic | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool B 4th Place | 1 | Pool stage (2023) | 15 |
| Great Britain | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C 4th Place | 1 | Pool stage (2023) | 18 | |
| Israel | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool D 4th Place | 2 | Quarterfinals (2017) | 19 | |
| Italy | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool A Runner-Up | 5 | Quarterfinals (2013, 2023) | 14 | |
| Netherlands | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool A 3rd Place | 5 | Fourth place (2013, 2017) | 7 | |
| Oceania | Australia | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool B Runner-Up | 5 | Quarterfinals (2023) | 11 |
Venues
The main tournament will be held in four stadiums.[7]
| Pool A | Pool B & Quarterfinals | Pool C | Pool D, Quarterfinals, Semis and Championship |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | Houston, United States | Tokyo, Japan | Miami, United States |
| Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Minute Maid Park | Tokyo Dome | LoanDepot Park |
| Capacity: 18,264 | Capacity: 41,168 | Capacity: 45,600 | Capacity: 36,742 |
References
- "Classic will return in 2026, Commissioner confirms". MLB.com. March 21, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami announced as World Baseball Classic 2026 hosts
- "Japan tops Team USA in dramatic finish to claim 3rd Classic title". MLB.com. March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- Clair, Michael (March 10, 2023). "No surprise here: Ohtani dominates on hill, at plate". MLB.com. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
- "Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami announced as World Baseball Classic 2026 hosts". MLB.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- "WBSC Rankings - Men's baseball on 28/06/21". World Baseball Softball Confederation. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- "Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami announced as World Baseball Classic 2026 host". MLB.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
External links
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