2026 World Baseball Classic dates, pools announced

The 2026 World Baseball Classic dates and pools have been announced. Houston, Texas, and Miami, Florida, will serve as host sites in the United States, while Tokyo, Japan, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, will also host. The 20-team competition will be held March 5-17, 2026.

The 16 teams that finished in the top four of their respective pools in 2023 are invited, along with four teams advancing from qualifiers in 2025. Below is a look at the pools and host sites.

Pool A | San Juan

Puerto Rico, Canada, Cuba, Panama and a qualifier

Pool B | Houston

United States, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico and a qualifier

Pool C | Tokyo

Japan, Australia, Czechia, South Korea and a qualifier

Pool D | Miami

Dominican Republic, Israel, the Netherlands, Venezuela and a qualifier

Japan is the defending champion after winning the 2023 tournament in a thriller over the United States. The Japanese team went undefeated in the tournament, becoming the second club to accomplish the feat. Japan has won three of the five tournaments all-time with the Dominican Republic and United States owning one title apiece.

The tournament enjoyed a successful 2023 edition. Attendance topped 1 million for the first time in history, and the 47 games averaged a WBC-best 24,805 fans. The final game came down to the final at-bat with Japan's Shohei Ohtani striking out the United States' Mike Trout to secure the championship. That momentum has WBC officials hopeful that 2026 will once again bring fans to the parks.

The 2026 quarterfinals will be held in Houston and Miami, with the semifinals and final in Miami. Tokyo, Houston and Miami last hosted games in 2023, while San Juan last hosted in 2013.