2026 World Baseball Classic Qualifier Teams Assigned To Pool Venues

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will feature four newly qualified teams. Colombia will play in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Chinese Taipei will compete at the Tokyo Dome. Brazil will appear at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. Nicaragua will play at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, during the tournament in March.

Here are your finalized pools and schedule for the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic.

The Championship Game will be played March 17, 2026 at loanDepot Park in Miami.

Full ticketing information for the 2026 tournament is available at https://t.co/h4Fi0dLx07. pic.twitter.com/t8q8Nopf4k

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Japan has won the most World Baseball Classic titles, capturing championships in 2006, 2009, and 2023. The United States won in 2017, and the Dominican Republic took the crown in 2013. These three nations remain the only WBC champions since the tournament began in 2006.

The WBC is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the sport’s global governing body, in partnership with Major League Baseball, the MLB Players Association, and WBCI. The event is held during MLB spring training.

2026 World Baseball Classic Information

Nicaragua will compete in Pool D against Venezuela, Israel, the Netherlands, and the Dominican Republic at loanDepot Park in Miami from March 6–11.

The United States, Italy, Mexico, Great Britain, and Brazil will play in Pool B at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, from March 6–11.

Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and Colombia are in Pool A and will play at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, also from March 6–11.

Japan, Australia, South Korea, the Czech Republic, and Chinese Taipei will play in Pool C at the Tokyo Dome from March 5–10.

The quarterfinals begin March 13 at Daikin Park, with the Pool A runner-up facing the Pool B winner. The next day, the Pool B runner-up will play the Pool A winner.

On the other side of the bracket, the Pool C runner-up will face the Pool D winner on March 13. The Pool D runner-up will meet the Pool C winner on March 14.

The schedule for the 2026 @WBCBaseball is here! ???? pic.twitter.com/B5MvUIrZK5

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WBSC Rankings Outline

Japan is ranked No. 1 in the World Baseball Rankings and will play in its sixth WBC. Chinese Taipei ranks No. 2 and will also appear for the sixth time. Venezuela is ranked No. 3 and returns for its sixth tournament. Mexico is No. 4 and will compete in its sixth WBC. The United States sits at No. 5 and is also making its sixth appearance. South Korea ranks No. 6 and returns for the sixth time.

The Netherlands is No. 7 and will participate for the sixth time. Panama ranks No. 8 and will be in its fourth WBC. Puerto Rico, ranked No. 9, will play in its sixth event. Cuba is ranked No. 10 and will also appear for the sixth time. The Dominican Republic, ranked No. 11, will play in its sixth tournament. Australia holds the No. 12 ranking and will appear for the sixth time.

Colombia is No. 13 and will make its third WBC appearance. Italy is ranked No. 14 and will play in its sixth event. The Czech Republic is No. 15 and returns for its second WBC. Nicaragua, ranked No. 16, will also make its second WBC appearance.

Great Britain is ranked No. 18 and will play in its second WBC. Israel ranks No. 19 and will appear for the third time. Canada, ranked No. 22, returns for its sixth event. Brazil, ranked No. 23, will make its second WBC appearance.

In the 2023 WBC, Nicaragua, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic played in their first event. Israel and Colombia have participated in three consecutive tournaments dating back to 2017. Brazil returns to the WBC for the first time since 2013. Panama previously appeared in 2006, 2009, and 2023.

China will not participate in the 2026 tournament after going 0-3 in the second qualifier in Tucson, Arizona. This will be the first WBC without China, which had been involved since the inaugural event in 2006.

Teams competing in the 2026 WBC from the WBSC Americas sector include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. From WBSC Europe, Italy, Israel, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands will participate. Japan, Chinese Taipei, and South Korea represent WBSC Asia, while Australia competes under the WBSC Oceania sector.

All other participating nations have played in the WBC since it began in 2006.

The 2023 WBC, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That delay pushed the following event to 2026.

Listed Federation Presidents for Each Country in the 2026 WBC

 

Image via MLB.com / World Baseball Classic