The World Baseball Classic is another of the great events of 2026. This will be the sixth edition of the tournament and will be held from March 5 to 17. The host countries will be the United States, Japan, and Puerto Rico. Learn the most important details of this tournament.

This will be the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic since the championship's inception in 2003. The tournament was only canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japan is the most successful team in this tournament with three titles (2006, 2009, and 2023). The Asian team defeated the United States in the 2023 final. As in 2006, the Japanese will be aiming for a second consecutive championship.

In Japan's back-to-back championships, pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was awarded the MVP in both editions. Matsuzaka is the pitcher with the most wins in tournament history (6) and also the pitcher with the most strikeouts (23).

On the hitting side, Cuban Alfredo Despaigne is the player with the most home runs in the competition (7). Puerto Rican Yoenis Cespedes is the all-time leader in triples (3) and Puerto Rican Frederich Cepeda leads in walks (22)

The first phase of the 2026 World Baseball Classic will be played in Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Tokyo, Japan. The quarterfinals will be played in Miami and Houston, while the final round will take place in Miami.

2026 World Classic Groups

Group A – San Juan, Puerto RicoVenue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium

Puerto RicoCubaCanadaPanamaColombia

Group B – Houston, United StatesVenue: Daikin Park

United StatesMexicoItalyGreat BritainBrazil

Group C – Tokyo, JapanVenue: Tokyo Dome

JapanAustraliaRepublic of KoreaCzech RepublicChina Taipei

Group D – Miami, United StatesVenue: loanDepot park

VenezuelaDominican RepublicCountries NetherlandsIsraelNicaragua