2026 World Baseball Classic: A Comprehensive Guide

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) returns in March 2026, bringing together the best baseball talent from around the globe. The tournament, sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and organized in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA), will feature 20 teams competing for the title of world champion. Japan enters as the defending champion, having won the 2023 tournament with Shohei Ohtani earning MVP honors.

Tournament Overview

The 2026 WBC will be played across four venues: San Juan, Puerto Rico (Group A); Houston, USA (Group B); Tokyo, Japan (Group C); and Miami, USA (Group D). The tournament begins on March 5th and culminates with the final game on March 18th.

Group Breakdown and Schedule

Group A (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

• Friday, March 6: Panama vs. Cuba (5:00 PM)
• Saturday, March 7: Colombia vs. Puerto Rico (12:00 AM) & Canada vs. Colombia (5:00 PM)
• Sunday, March 8: Puerto Rico vs. Panama (12:00 AM) & Cuba vs. Colombia (5:00 PM)
• Monday, March 9: Panama vs. Canada (12:00 AM) & Colombia vs. Panama (5:00 PM)
• Tuesday, March 10: Cuba vs. Puerto Rico
• Wednesday, March 11: Canada vs. Puerto Rico (12:00 AM) & Canada vs. Cuba (8:00 PM)

Group B (Houston, USA)

• Friday, March 6: Great Britain vs. Mexico (7:00 PM)
• Saturday, March 7: Brazil vs. USA (2:00 AM) & Italy vs. Brazil (7:00 PM)
• Sunday, March 8: USA vs. Great Britain (2:00 AM) & Italy vs. Great Britain (6:00 PM)
• Monday, March 9: Mexico vs. Brazil (1:00 AM) & Great Britain vs. Brazil (6:00 PM)
• Tuesday, March 10: USA vs. Mexico (1:00 AM)
• Wednesday, March 11: USA vs. Italy (2:00 AM)
• Thursday, March 12: Mexico vs. Italy (12:00 AM)

Group C (Tokyo, Japan)

• Thursday, March 5: Australia vs. China Taipei (4:00 AM) & South Korea vs. Czechia (11:00 AM)
• Friday, March 6: Czechia vs. Australia (4:00 AM) & China Taipei vs. Japan (11:00 AM)
• Saturday, March 7: Czechia vs. China Taipei (4:00 AM) & Japan vs. South Korea (11:00 AM)
• Sunday, March 8: South Korea vs. China Taipei (4:00 AM) & Japan vs. Australia (11:00 AM)
• Monday, March 9: South Korea vs. Australia (11:00 AM)
• Tuesday, March 10: Czechia vs. Japan (11:00 AM)

Group D (Miami, USA)

• Friday, March 6: Venezuela vs. Netherlands (6:00 PM)
• Saturday, March 7: Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua (1:00 AM) & Netherlands vs. Nicaragua (6:00 PM)
• Sunday, March 8: Venezuela vs. Israel (1:00 AM) & Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands (5:00 PM)
• Monday, March 9: Israel vs. Nicaragua (12:00 AM) & Israel vs. Dominican Republic (5:00 PM)
• Tuesday, March 10: Nicaragua vs. Venezuela (12:00 AM)
• Wednesday, March 11: Netherlands vs. Israel (12:00 AM)
• Thursday, March 12: Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic (1:00 AM)

Quarter-Finals

• Friday, March 13: Quarter-Final 1 (C Winner vs. D Winner) – Miami (11:30 PM)
• Saturday, March 14: Quarter-Final 2 (A Winner vs. B Winner) – Houston (1:00 AM) & Quarter-Final 3 (B Winner vs. B Winner) – Houston (8:00 PM)
• Sunday, March 15: Quarter-Final 4 (D Winner vs. C Winner) – Miami (2:00 AM)

Semi-Finals

• Monday, March 16: Semi-Final 1 (Quarter-Final 1 Winner vs. Quarter-Final 2 Winner) – Miami (1:00 AM)
• Tuesday, March 17: Semi-Final 2 (Quarter-Final 3 Winner vs. Quarter-Final 4 Winner) – Miami (1:00 AM)

Final

• Wednesday, March 18: Final – Miami (1:00 AM)

Where to Watch

Fans in Italy can catch all the action live on Sky Sport channels. Live streaming will be available on SkyGo and Now. OA Sport will also provide live text coverage of Italy’s matches.