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| Tournament details | |
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| Country | TBD |
| Dates | TBD |
| Teams | 20 |
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is an upcoming international professional baseball tournament, planned to be the sixth iteration of the World Baseball Classic (WBC). [1] Most of the information regarding the tournament is still yet to be determined, including tournament format, dates, and venues. [2]
Japan are the defending champions after they defeated the United States 3–2 in the 2023 championship game. [3]
16 teams qualified for the 2026 tournament by being in the top four of their pool in the 2023 tournament. Other participants will be determined through the qualifying tournament. [4]
| Region | Team | Qualification method | Prev. apps | Previous best result | WBSC World Rankings [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Americas |  Canada | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C 3rd Place | 5 | Pool stage (2006, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2023) | 16 |
 Cuba | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool A Winner | 5 | Runners-up (2006) | 8 | |
 Dominican Republic | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool D 3rd Place | 5 | Champions (2013) | 9 | |
 Mexico | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C Winner | 5 | Third place (2023) | 2 | |
 Panama | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool A 4th Place | 3 | Pool stage (2006, 2009, 2023) | 10 | |
 Puerto Rico | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool D Runner-Up | 5 | Runners-up (2013, 2017) | 12 | |
 United States | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C Runner-Up | 5 | Champions (2017) | 3 | |
 Venezuela | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool D Winner | 5 | Fourth place (2009) | 6 | |
| Asia |  Japan | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool B Winner | 5 | Champions (2006, 2009, 2023) | 1 |
 South Korea | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool B 3rd Place | 5 | Runners-up (2009) | 4 | |
| Europe |  Czech Republic | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool B 4th Place | 1 | Pool stage (2023) | 15 |
 Great Britain | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool C 4th Place | 1 | Pool stage (2023) | 18 | |
 Israel | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool D 4th Place | 2 | Quarterfinals (2017) | 19 | |
 Italy | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool A Runner-Up | 5 | Quarterfinals (2013, 2023) | 14 | |
 Netherlands | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool A 3rd Place | 5 | Fourth place (2013, 2017) | 7 | |
| Oceania |  Australia | 2023 World Baseball Classic Pool B Runner-Up | 5 | Quarterfinals (2023) | 11 |
The World Baseball Classic (WBC), also referred to as the Classic, is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the sport's global governing body, and organized in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB). The winning team is awarded the World Baseball Classic Championship Trophy. It is one of the two main senior baseball tournaments sanctioned by the WBSC, alongside the WBSC Premier12, but is the only one to grant the winner the title of "world champion".
The Japan national baseball team, also known as Samurai Japan (侍ジャパン), is the national team representing Japan in international baseball competitions. It won the World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, and 2023 as well as WBSC Premier12 in 2019. The team is currently ranked 1st in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation and is a baseball powerhouse.
The South Korean national baseball team, also known as the Blue Wave, is the national baseball team of South Korea. It has participated in every edition of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), reaching the finals in 2009, and won the WBSC Premier12 in 2015. South Korea also hosted and won the Baseball World Cup in 1982, and has participated in several Summer Olympic Games.
The United States national baseball team, also known as Team USA represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 2nd in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The United States has won many international tournaments, many of which are now discontinued. Most notably the team won the Olympic baseball tournament in 2000, and the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2017.
The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on March 5 and finished March 23.
The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts were Seoul, Tokyo, Miami, and Zapopan. The second-round hosts were Tokyo and San Diego, and the championship round was played in Los Angeles.
The Israel National Baseball Team represents Israel in international competitions. It is managed by Ian Kinsler.
The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009.
The championship round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic was held at AT&T Park, San Francisco, California, United States from March 17 to 19, 2013.
This article lists the performances of each of the 23 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the World Baseball Classic. The 2006 and 2009 tournaments, each had the same 16–team field, chosen by invitation. Beginning with the 2013 tournament, the four last-place teams from the previous tournament's first round each contested a qualifying round against three additional teams. The outcome of this process has been that 14 of the original 16 teams have continued to appear in every tournament. In 2013, Canada and Chinese Taipei re-qualified while Panama and South Africa were respectively replaced by Brazil and Spain. In 2017, Australia and Mexico re-qualified while Brazil and Spain were respectively replaced by Colombia and Israel.
World Baseball Classic qualification is the process that determines which nations will compete at the World Baseball Classic. Qualification takes place the year prior to the tournament, which itself is played every four years.
Team Israel has competed in the World Baseball Classic since the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier round. In 2017 Israel competed at a World Baseball Classic qualifier for the second time, and for the first time qualified for the main tournament.
The championship round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic took place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, from March 20 to 22, 2017. The championship round was a single-elimination tournament. Japan and the Netherlands advanced to the championship round from Pool E. Puerto Rico and the United States advanced from Pool F. Defending champions Dominican Republic were eliminated in the second round.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes. Yamamoto is a three-time Pacific League Most Valuable Player, Eiji Sawamura Award, and a three-time Triple Crown winner. Yamamoto is the first player in the history of professional baseball to win the Triple Crown in three consecutive years.
The qualifying round of the 2023 World Baseball Classic was held from 16 September 2022 to 5 October 2022. Teams which participated at the 2017 World Baseball Classic automatically qualified for the 2023 tournament. The qualifying round consisted of two tournaments to be participated by six teams each. The qualifiers were planned to be hosted in Tucson, Arizona in the United States but after the delay, the qualifier hosts were changed to the cities of Regensburg, Germany at Armin-Wolf-Arena and Panamá City, Panama at Estadio Rod Carew. Winners and runners-up of each of the two tournaments qualified for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 20 competing nations, held from March 8 to March 21, 2023. It was the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts cities were Taichung, Tokyo, Phoenix, and Miami. The second-round hosts were Miami and Tokyo, and the championship round was played in Miami.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic championship was the final of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the fifth edition of the World Baseball Classic, a men's international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with World Baseball Classic Inc. (WBCI). The game was played on March 21, 2023, at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, United States, between hosts and defending champion United States and two-time champion Japan. Japan won 3–2 to earn a record-extending third World Baseball Classic title. Shohei Ohtani won the most valuable player award.
World Baseball Classic Inc. (WBCI) is an organizing committee that organizes the World Baseball Classic and consists of representatives from Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
The World Baseball Classic is being one of the world's most viewed baseball events. The 2023 tournament was broadcast in 163 territories through 63 media partners, and it was broadcast in 13 languages around the globe. and received US$100 million in benefits, and In the Japanese archipelago, nearly 100 million people watched the WBC in 2023, and 55+ million people watched the end of the tournament, as Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout.