Full World Baseball Classic 2026 Schedule, Format and Pool Assignments

The World Baseball Classic will begin in less than two weeks.

Shohei Ohtani closes out Japan's title at the 2023 World Baseball Classic | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The World Baseball Classic is rapidly approaching and fans everywhere are hoping that this year's edition can match the electricity of the 2023 event that saw Japan walk away as champions after a classic in the final. It is unlikely that the chips are ever going to fall in a way that's more compelling than Shohei Ohtani striking out Mike Trout with everything on the line, but baseball always does seem to deliver the drama.

This will be the fifth World Baseball Classic held since its inception in 2006 and this one features stacked rosters full of Major League Baseball talent. Since it happens every three years, it might be helpful to have a refresher on the format of the tournament.

World Baseball Classic Format

The World Baseball Classic field consists of 20 teams broken into four pools. Round-robin play will take place at the four locations: Tokyo, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Houston and Miami. Each team will play everyone else in its pool with the top two performers advancing to the quarterfinals. From there, it is a single-elimination bracket.

World Baseball Classic Pools

Pool A: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama and Puerto Rico

Pool B: Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico and United States

Pool C: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan and Korea

Pool D: Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Nicaragua and Venezuela

World Baseball Classic Schedule

March 4

Chinese Taipei vs. Australia, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo

March 5

Czechia vs. Korea, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo

Australia vs. Czechia, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo

March 6

Japan vs. Chinese Taipei, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo

Cuba vs. Panama, 11 a.m. ET, San Juan

Netherlands vs. Venezuela, Noon ET, Miami

Mexico vs. Great Britain, 1 p.m. ET, Houston

Puerto Rico vs. Colombia, 6 p.m. ET, San Juan

Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic, 7 p.m. ET, Miami

United States vs. Brazil, 8 p.m. ET, Houston

Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo

March 7

Korea vs. Japan, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo

Colombia vs. Canada, 11 a.m. ET, San Juan

Nicaragua vs. Netherlands, Noon ET, Miami

Brazil vs. Italy, 1 p.m. ET, Houston

Panama vs. Puerto Rico, 6 p.m. ET, San Juan

Isreal vs. Venezuela, 7 p.m. ET, Miami

Great Britain vs. United States, 8 p.m. ET, Houston

Chinese Taipei vs. Korea, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo

March 8

Australia vs. Japan, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo

Colombia vs. Cuba, Noon ET, San Juan

Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic, Noon ET, Miami

Great Britain vs. Italy, 1 p.m. ET, Houston

Nicaragua vs. Israel, 7 p.m. ET, Miami

Panama vs. Canada, 7 p.m. ET, San Juan

Brazil vs. Mexico, 8 p.m. ET, Houston

March 9

Korea vs. Australia, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo

Dominican Republic vs. Isreal, Noon ET, Miami

Colombia vs. Panama, Noon ET, San Juan

Brazil vs. Germany, 1 p.m. ET, Houston

Cuba vs. Puerto Rico, 7 p.m. ET, San Juan

Venezuela vs. Nicaragua, 7 p.m. ET, Miami

Mexico vs. United States, 8 p.m. ET, Houston

March 10

Czechia vs. Japan, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo

Isreal vs. Netherlands, Noon ET, Miami

Canada vs. Puerto Rico, 7 p.m. ET, San Juan

Italy vs. United States, 9 p.m. ET, Houston

March 11

Canada vs. Cuba, 3 p.m. ET, San Juan

Italy vs. Mexico, 7 pm. ET, Houston

Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela, 8 p.m. ET, Miami

March 13

Quarterfinals

TBD vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m. ET, Miami

TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, Houston

March 14

Quarterfinals

TBD vs. TBD, 3 p.m. ET, Houston

TBD vs. TBD, 9 p.m. ET, Miami

March 15

Semifinals

TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, Miami

March 16

Semifinals

TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, Miami

March 17

Finals

TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, Miami

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