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The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) is set to be the sixth edition of the premier international baseball tournament, featuring 20 national teams competing from March 5 to March 17, 2026. Defending champions Japan will look to repeat their 2023 success, while powerhouses like the USA, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico aim to dethrone them. The tournament kicks off with pool play in four global venues, followed by knockout rounds in Houston and Miami, culminating in the championship at loanDepot park in Miami.
We provide you with the complete schedule, pool breakdowns, bracket format, venues, and a free printable PDF bracket for tracking results. TV broadcasts will primarily be on FOX, FS1, and MLB Network in the US, with international options varying by region. Stay tuned for updates as rosters finalize and exhibition games wrap up.
2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule & Tournament Format Overview
Here’s the 2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule & Tournament format overview for you.
- Pool Play: Four pools of five teams each play a round-robin format. The top two teams from each pool advance to the quarterfinals.
- Knockout Rounds: Single-elimination quarterfinals (March 13-14), semifinals (March 15-16), and final (March 17). All knockout games are in Miami or Houston.
- Total Games: Approximately 40+ games, including pool play and playoffs.
- Key Rules: Designated pitcher pool (DPP) allows teams to add pitchers mid-tournament; pitch count limits protect arms.
2026 WBC Teams & Pools
The 20 teams were finalized after qualifiers in 2025, with pots based on WBSC rankings and host considerations. Here’s the breakdown of the 2026 WBC Teams & pools for you.
| Pool | Teams | Venue | Dates |
| Pool A (San Juan) | Puerto Rico (Host), Cuba, Panama, Canada, Colombia | Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico | March 6-11 |
| Pool B (Houston) | USA (Host), Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil | Daikin Park, Houston, Texas | March 6-11 |
| Pool C (Tokyo) | Japan (Host), South Korea, Australia, Czech Republic, Chinese Taipei | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan | March 5-10 |
| Pool D (Miami) | Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, Nicaragua | loanDepot park, Miami, Florida | March 6-11 |
Notable qualifiers include Brazil (first since 2013), Colombia, Chinese Taipei, and Nicaragua. Hosts are seeded in Pot 1 for their pools.
2026 WBC Pool Play Schedule
In the 2026 WBC Pool Play schedule, each team plays four games in a round-robin. Times are local to the venue (adjust for your timezone: AST for San Juan, CST for Houston, JST for Tokyo, EST for Miami). Broadcasts on FOX/FS1/MLB Network where noted. Full matchups and times per official MLB announcements; some are subject to change. We will update the times that are TBD once confirmed by the WBC organizers.
WBC Pool A Schedule (Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan – All Times AST)
| Date | Time | Matchup | TV |
| March 6 | TBD | Puerto Rico vs. Colombia | FOX |
| March 6 | TBD | Cuba vs. Canada | FS1 |
| March 7 | TBD | Panama vs. Cuba | MLB Network |
| March 7 | TBD | Canada vs. Puerto Rico | FS1 |
| March 8 | 19:00 | Panama vs. Colombia | FOX |
| March 9 | 12:00 | Colombia vs. Canada | MLB Network |
| March 9 | 19:00 | Cuba vs. Puerto Rico | FOX |
| March 10 | 19:00 | Canada vs. Panama | FS1 |
| March 11 | TBD | Puerto Rico vs. Panama | FOX |
| March 11 | TBD | Colombia vs. Cuba | MLB Network |
(Partial matchups based on available data; full round-robin includes all pairings.)
WBC Pool B Schedule (Daikin Park, Houston – All Times CST)
| Date | Time | Matchup | TV |
| March 6 | TBD | USA vs. Great Britain | FOX |
| March 6 | TBD | Mexico vs. Brazil | FS1 |
| March 7 | TBD | Italy vs. Mexico | MLB Network |
| March 7 | TBD | Brazil vs. USA | FS1 |
| March 8 | TBD | Great Britain vs. Italy | FOX |
| March 8 | TBD | Mexico vs. USA | FOX |
| March 9 | TBD | Brazil vs. Great Britain | MLB Network |
| March 9 | TBD | Italy vs. Brazil | FS1 |
| March 10 | 20:00 | Italy vs. USA | FOX |
| March 11 | 18:00 | Italy vs. Mexico | FS1 |
| March 11 | TBD | Great Britain vs. Brazil | MLB Network |
(USA’s key games highlighted; full schedule per WBC announcements.)
WBC Pool C Schedule (Tokyo Dome, Tokyo – All Times JST)
| Date | Time | Matchup | TV |
| March 5 | 11:00 | Chinese Taipei vs. Australia | FOX (US: March 4, 9:00 PM ET) |
| March 5 | 18:00 | Czech Republic vs. South Korea | FS1 |
| March 6 | TBD | Japan vs. Czech Republic | FOX |
| March 6 | TBD | Australia vs. South Korea | MLB Network |
| March 7 | TBD | Chinese Taipei vs. Japan | FOX |
| March 7 | TBD | South Korea vs. Czech Republic | FS1 |
| March 8 | TBD | Australia vs. Japan | MLB Network |
| March 8 | TBD | Czech Republic vs. Chinese Taipei | FS1 |
| March 9 | TBD | South Korea vs. Chinese Taipei | FOX |
| March 9 | TBD | Japan vs. Australia | FOX |
| March 10 | TBD | Czech Republic vs. Australia | MLB Network |
| March 10 | TBD | South Korea vs. Japan | FOX |
(Tokyo starts a day early due to time zones.)
WBC Pool D Schedule (loanDepot park, Miami – All Times EST)
| Date | Time | Matchup | TV |
| March 6 | TBD | Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua | FOX |
| March 6 | TBD | Venezuela vs. Israel | FS1 |
| March 7 | TBD | Netherlands vs. Venezuela | MLB Network |
| March 7 | TBD | Israel vs. Dominican Republic | FS1 |
| March 8 | TBD | Nicaragua vs. Netherlands | FOX |
| March 8 | TBD | Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic | FOX |
| March 9 | TBD | Israel vs. Nicaragua | MLB Network |
| March 9 | TBD | Netherlands vs. Israel | FS1 |
| March 10 | TBD | Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands | FOX |
| March 10 | TBD | Nicaragua vs. Venezuela | MLB Network |
| March 11 | TBD | Israel vs. Netherlands | FS1 |
| March 11 | TBD | Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic | FOX |
(Potential “Group of Death” with heavy hitters.)
2026 WBC Knockout Bracket & Schedule
The top two from each pool advance to single-elimination. Quarterfinals are crossed (e.g., Pool A winner vs. Pool B runner-up). All games on FOX.
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (EST) | Matchup | Venue |
| March 13 | TBD | Pool A Winner vs. Pool B Runner-Up | Daikin Park, Houston |
| March 13 | TBD | Pool C Runner-Up vs. Pool D Winner | loanDepot park, Miami |
| March 14 | TBD | Pool A Runner-Up vs. Pool B Winner | Daikin Park, Houston |
| March 14 | 21:00 | Pool D Runner-Up vs. Pool C Winner | loanDepot park, Miami |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (EST) | Matchup | Venue |
| March 15 | 20:00 | QF Winner 1 vs. QF Winner 2 | loanDepot park, Miami |
| March 16 | 20:00 | QF Winner 3 vs. QF Winner 4 | loanDepot park, Miami |
Championship
| Date | Time (EST) | Matchup | Venue |
| March 17 | 20:00 | SF Winner 1 vs. SF Winner 2 | loanDepot park, Miami |
Printable 2026 WBC Bracket
Download our free printable PDF bracket to fill in results as they happen. Includes pools, advancement paths, and knockout stages. Blank template for pools and full tournament tracking. The current WBC bracket is saved locally here for you and can be saved or printed to PDF format. Once we have teams earning spots, we’ll update you here.
Key Matchups & Early Predictions
- USA vs. Mexico (Pool B, March 8): Rematch of 2023 semifinal.
- Japan vs. South Korea (Pool C, March 10): Classic rivalry.
- Favorites: Japan (+200), USA (+300), Dominican Republic (+400) per early odds.
- Sleepers: Chinese Taipei and Netherlands with strong pitching.
Venues & Tickets
- Hiram Bithorn Stadium (San Juan): Capacity ~18,000; Hosts Pool A.
- Daikin Park (Houston): New venue; Hosts Pool B and some QFs.
- Tokyo Dome (Tokyo): Iconic dome; Hosts Pool C.
- loanDepot park (Miami): Hosts Pool D, QFs, semis, and final.
Tickets on sale via MLB.com. For more, check official WBC updates.
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