Canada in Pool with Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama for 2026 WBC

Photo: MLB

August 21, 2024

Official MLB News Release

World Baseball Classic, Inc. (WBCI) has announced the pools and schedule for the 2026 World Baseball Classic taking place at loanDepot park, the home of the Miami Marlins, in Florida; Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros, in Texas; the Tokyo Dome in Japan; and Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 2023, the field of teams expanded to 20 for the first time in the tournament’s history. The 16 teams that finished within the top four of their respective first round pools in the 2023 Classic are invited to play in 2026 and will be joined by four teams that will have advanced from the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers.

Pool A will take place at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, which returns as a World Baseball Classic host in 2026 after serving as a first-round venue in 2006, 2009 and 2013. Games in San Juan will be played from Friday, March 6th-Wednesday, March 11th, with the host team Puerto Rico joined by Canada, Cuba, Panama and the winner of a Qualifier.

Pool B at Minute Maid Park will also be played from Friday, March 6th-Wednesday, March 11th. The ballpark, which is hosting the World Baseball Classic for the first time, will feature teams from Great Britain, Italy, Mexico and the United States along with the winner of a Qualifier.

Pool C will be played at the Tokyo Dome, which has hosted pools in each of the previous five World Baseball Classics (2006, 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2023), from Thursday, March 5th-Tuesday, March 10th. The teams competing in Tokyo will include the host team and defending World Baseball Classic Champions from Samurai Japan, along with Australia, Czechia, Korea and the winner of a Qualifier.

loanDepot park in Miami, which will host Pool D in the opening round, became the first venue in tournament history to host games in all three rounds of a World Baseball Classic in the same year in 2023, and will once again host contests in each of the three rounds in 2026, culminating with the Championship Game. First round games in Miami will be played from Friday, March 6th-Wednesday, March 11th and will feature the Dominican Republic, Israel, the Netherlands, Venezuela and the winner of a Qualifier.

Similar to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, opening round games will feature pool play in each of the four venues with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the Quarterfinals, which again features single-elimination games.

The Quarterfinals in Houston and Miami will be played on Friday, March 13th and Saturday, March 14th. Minute Maid Park will host the teams advancing from Pool A and Pool B, while loanDepot park hosts the teams advancing from Pool C and Pool D. If Team USA advances to the Quarterfinal round in Houston, their game will be played on Friday, March 13th regardless of whether they are the Pool B winner or runner-up. Similarly, if Samurai Japan advances to the Quarterfinal round in Miami, their game will take place on Saturday, March 14th regardless of whether they are the Pool C winner or runner-up.

The Championship Round in Miami will begin on Sunday, March 15th with the first of two Semifinal matchups while the second Semifinal takes place on Monday, March 16th. The Championship Game will be played on Tuesday, March 17th.