The World Baseball Classic is baseball’s premier international competition. Featuring professional baseball players from 20 nations, the biggest names in Major League Baseball will take the world stage to represent their home countries.
Shohei Ohtani will lead the reigning champions, Team Japan, while Team USA will be looking for revenge after losing the last competition to Japan — and they’ve added award-winning MLB players in Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes to the roster in an effort to claim the title this time around.
The two-week tournament will be played in the United States, Puerto Rico and Japan. Here’s your guide to the full World Baseball Classic schedule.
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World Baseball Classic Schedule
Here’s a breakdown of the full schedule for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
When Does the World Baseball Classic Start?
The World Baseball Classic starts on March 5, 2026 (March 4 in the United States).
Tournament Schedule
The first round of the World Baseball Classic, known as pool play, runs from March 5-11, 2026. This round works similarly to the Group Stage of a soccer tournament like the World Cup, with the top teams from each pool advancing to the knockout stage. Each team will play four games during the pool play round, with standings determined by winning percentage.
Pool A – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Teams:
- Puerto Rico (Host)
- Cuba
- Canada
- Panama
- Colombia
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Pool A Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 11:00 AM | Cuba vs Panama | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Puerto Rico vs Colombia | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 11:00 AM | Colombia vs Canada | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Panama vs Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 8, 2026 | 11:00 AM | Colombia vs Cuba | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 8, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Panama vs Canada | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 9, 2026 | 11:00 AM | Colombia vs Panama | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 9, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Cuba vs Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 10, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Canada vs Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
| Mar 11, 2026 | 2:00 PM | Canada vs Cuba | Hiram Bithorn Stadium |
Pool B – Arlington, Texas
Teams:
- United States (Host)
- Mexico
- Italy
- Great Britain
- Brazil
Venue: Daikin Park
Pool B Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Mexico vs Great Britain | Daikin Park |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 8:00 PM | United States vs Brazil | Daikin Park |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Brazil vs Italy | Daikin Park |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Great Britain vs United States | Daikin Park |
| Mar 8, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Great Britain vs Italy | Daikin Park |
| Mar 8, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Brazil vs Mexico | Daikin Park |
| Mar 9, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Brazil vs Great Britain | Daikin Park |
| Mar 9, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Mexico vs United States | Daikin Park |
| Mar 10, 2026 | 9:00 PM | Italy vs United States | Daikin Park |
| Mar 11, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Italy vs Mexico | Daikin Park |
Pool C – Tokyo, Japan
Teams:
- Japan (Host)
- Australia
- South Korea
- Czechia
- Chinese Taipei
Venue: Tokyo Dome
Pool C Schedule
| Date (ET) | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue |
| Mar 4, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Chinese Taipei vs Australia | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 5, 2026 | 5:00 AM | Czechia vs South Korea | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 5, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Australia vs Czechia | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 5:00 AM | Japan vs Chinese Taipei | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 6, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Chinese Taipei vs Czechia | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 5:00 AM | South Korea vs Japan | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 7, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Chinese Taipei vs South Korea | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 8, 2026 | 5:00 AM | Australia vs Japan | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 8, 2026 | 5:00 AM | South Korea vs Australia | Tokyo Dome |
| Mar 9, 2026 | 5:00 AM | Czechia vs Japan | Tokyo Dome |
Pool D – Miami, Florida
Teams:
- Venezuela
- Dominican Republic
- Netherlands
- Israel
- Nicaragua
Venue: LoanDepot Park
Pool D Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue |
| March 6, 2026 | 12:00 PM ET | Netherlands vs. Venezuela | LoanDepot Park |
| March 6, 2026 | 7:00 PM ET | Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic | LoanDepot Park |
| March 7, 2026 | 12:00 PM ET | Nicaragua vs. Netherlands | LoanDepot Park |
| March 7, 2026 | 7:00 PM ET | Israel vs. Venezuela | LoanDepot Park |
| March 8, 2026 | 12:00 PM ET | Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic | LoanDepot Park |
| March 8, 2026 | 7:00 PM ET | Nicaragua vs. Israel | LoanDepot Park |
| March 9, 2026 | 12:00 PM ET | Dominican Republic vs. Israel | LoanDepot Park |
| March 9, 2026 | 7:00 PM ET | Venezuela vs. Nicaragua | LoanDepot Park |
| March 10, 2026 | 7:00 PM ET | Israel vs. Netherlands | LoanDepot Park |
| March 11, 2026 | 8:00 PM ET | Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela | LoanDepot Park |
Quarterfinals
After pool play concludes on March 11, the top teams from each pool advance to the single-elimination knockout stage. Here’s the complete schedule for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game.
The quarterfinal round features a unique scheduling arrangement: if the United States advances, they will play their quarterfinal on March 13, while if Japan advances, they will play on March 14, regardless of their pool stage position.
Matchup Format:
- Runner-up Pool A vs. Winner Pool B
- Runner-up Pool C vs. Winner Pool D
- Runner-up Pool B vs. Winner Pool A
- Runner-up Pool D vs. Winner Pool C
Quarterfinals Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue |
| Mar 13, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Runner-up Pool B vs Winner Pool A | Daikin Park |
| Mar 13, 2026 | 6:30 PM | Runner-up Pool C vs Winner Pool D | LoanDepot Park |
| Mar 14, 2026 | 3:00 PM | Runner-up Pool A vs Winner Pool B | Daikin Park |
| Mar 14, 2026 | 9:00 PM | Runner-up Pool D vs Winner Pool C | LoanDepot Park |
Semifinals
Both semifinal games will be played at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, with winners advancing to the World Baseball Classic Championship.
Semifinals Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Winner QF1 vs Winner QF2 | LoanDepot Park |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4 | LoanDepot Park |
Championship Game
The 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship will be held at Miami’s LoanDepot Park.
Championship Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue |
| Mar 17, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 | LoanDepot Park |
Who won the last World Baseball Classic?
Team Japan defeated Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Watch the World Baseball Classic on DIRECTV
Get ready to root for Team USA or your favorite country and catch every hit, homer and foul ball of the 2026 World Baseball Classic on DIRECTV. Sign up today!
And don’t forget: You can watch MLB baseball every day during the 2026 season on DIRECTV!
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the 2026 World Baseball Classic?
The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins on March 5. Pool play will take place in four venues in the United States, Puerto Rico and Japan.
Is the WBC every 3 or 4 years?
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is typically played every three years.
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