World Baseball Softball Confederation: A Look Ahead On the Calendar of International Baseball Events Yet to Come in 2026

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is over, and the regular season is underway in Major League Baseball, Nippon Professional Baseball, the Korea Baseball Organization, and the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

But that doesn’t mean that international baseball is done for the year. Below is a calendar of notable international baseball events remaining for 2026.

May 22-24 – WBSC Baseball Champions League Europe Group Play – Rotterdam, Netherlands and Regensburg, Germany 

The first phase of the Baseball Champions League Europe begins in late May in Rotterdam, Netherlands and Regensburg, Germany, with group play. Four teams will play a three-game round robin at each site, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the Baseball Champions League Europe Finals in September. Headed to Regensburg are Italy’s 1949 Parma Baseball Club, Czechia’s Draci Brno, Germany’s Regensburg Legionaire, and the Netherlands’ Oosterhout Twins, while Germany’s Heidenheim Heidekopfe, Italy’s Nettuno BC 1945, Spain’s Tenerife Marlins, and the Netherlands’ Neptunus Rotterdam will play in Rotterdam.

June 26 – July 4 – Haarlem Honkbalweek – Haarlem, Netherlands

Japan, Chinese Taipei and Italy join the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curaçao, and the Dominican Republic are the field for the bi-annual tournament at Pim Muller Stadion in Haarlem. This is the first time the Dominican Republic has sent a team to Haarlem to compete in the longest-running European national team baseball competition.

July 22-27 – WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Play – Rockford, Illinois

The United States, Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia, Korea, and the winner of a series between Canada and Puerto Rico will play the first phase of the Women’s Baseball World Cup. The top three finishers advancing to the knockout round, which will be held in Rockford from July 19-27, 2027.

July 24 – August 7 – Central American and Caribbean Games – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic, Cuba, Curacao, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Nicaragua vie for the Central American and Caribbean Games gold medal at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal, the Dominican Republic’s most historic ballpark.

August 23-27 – WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Play – Tainan, Taiwan

Japan, Venezuela, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Great Britain, and a wildcard will play the second group phase of the Women’s Baseball World Cup. The top three finishers advancing to the knockout round, which will be held in Rockford from July 19-27, 2027.

September 25 – October 4 – WBSC U15 World Cup – Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

Parque Kukulcán Alamo, home of the Leones de Yucatán of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, will be one of two host stadiums for the U15 World Cup, with the other yet to be announced.

Mexico earned the right to participate as the host country, while world No. 18 Germany and No. 16 Czechia qualified through the U-15 European Championship. World No. 2 Chinese Taipei and No. 1 Japan qualified through the XII BFA U-15 Asian Championship, No. 5 Venezuela won the South American Qualifier, and No. 9 Cuba and No. 12 Dominican Republic qualified through the WBSC Americas Caribbean Qualifier. The No. 3-ranked United States and No. 16 Nicaragua qualified through the WBSC Americas Central and North American Qualifier, No. 11 Australia won the WBSC Oceania Qualifier, and No. 23 South Africa won the WBSC Africa Qualifier.

September 26-27 – WBSC Baseball Champions League Europe Finals – Host City TBD

The top two teams from each group in the Baseball Champions League Europe group play phase will advance to the finals. The WBSC will announce the site of the finals following group play in May.

October 9-11 – WBSC Premier12 Barcelona Qualifier – Barcelona, Spain

Spain, Colombia, Italy, and Germany will play for two berths in the 2027 WBSC Premier12, with the winners joining the top 12 countries in the World Baseball Rankings as of Dec. 31, 2026, and the two qualifiers from the Zhongshan qualifier in next year’s tournament.

November 6-15 – WBSC U23 World Cup – Nicaragua

Twelve of the world’s top-ranked nations will compete in Nicaragua from Nov. 6-15. Group A includes World No. 2 Chinese Taipei, No. 7 Puerto Rico, No. 8 Panama, No. 11 Australia, No. 15 Czechia and No. 16 Nicaragua, while Group B features World No. 1 and defending champions Japan, No. 4 Korea, No.5 Venezuela, No. 10 Cuba, No. 19 Great Britain and No. 23 South Africa.

Nicaragua has proposed Estadio Rigoberto Lopez Perez in Leon, Estadio Roberto Clemente Walker in Masaya, and Estadio Nacional Soberania as host venues, with a full schedule to be announced at a later date.

November 26-28 – WBSC Premier12 Zhongshan Qualifier – Zhongshan, China

China, Czechia, Nicaragua, and Great Britain will play for two berths in the 2027 WBSC Premier12, with the winners joining the top 12 countries in the World Baseball Rankings as of Dec. 31, 2026, and the two qualifiers from the Barcelona qualifier in next year’s tournament.

Photo: Parque Kukulcán Alamo, home of the Leones de Yucatán of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, will be one of two host stadiums for the U15 World Cup. (Photo: Leif Skodnick/World Baseball Network)