The 2026 World Baseball Classic schedule is officially here, running from March 4 to March 17, 2026. This 20-team global showdown returns to four world-class venues: the Tokyo Dome (Japan), Hiram Bithorn Stadium (Puerto Rico), Daikin Park (Houston), and loanDepot park (Miami). With Samurai Japan looking to defend their crown and a “Superteam” USA led by Aaron Judge and Paul Skenes, the bracket is more wide-open than ever. Use our updated schedule and printable PDF below to track every game from the opening pitch in Tokyo to the Championship in Miami.
2026 WBC Schedule, Bracket & Tournament Info
The tournament features four round-robin pools, with the top two teams from each advancing to a single-elimination Quarterfinal bracket.
- Pool A (San Juan): Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, Colombia (Starts March 6)
- Pool B (Houston): USA, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil (Starts March 6)
- Pool C (Tokyo): Japan, South Korea, Australia, Czechia, Chinese Taipei (Starts March 4 ET)
- Pool D (Miami): Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Netherlands, Israel, Nicaragua (Starts March 6)
Expert Analysis: 2026 Favorites and Sleepers
“The 2026 field is arguably the most talented in history. While Team USA enters as the betting favorite (-115) thanks to a rotation featuring Cy Young winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, don’t count out the defending champs. Japan (+330) remains the gold standard for fundamental play, and the Dominican Republic (+400) boasts a lineup that rivals any MLB All-Star team. Keep an eye on Mexico and Canada as the ‘bracket busters’ this year; Canada’s depth with the Naylor brothers makes them a dangerous sleeper in Pool A.”
2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule & Tournament Format Overview
Here’s the 2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule & Tournament format overview for you.
- Pool Play: Four pools of five teams each play a round-robin format. The top two teams from each pool advance to the quarterfinals.
- Knockout Rounds: Single-elimination quarterfinals (March 13-14), semifinals (March 15-16), and final (March 17). All knockout games are in Miami or Houston.
- Total Games: Approximately 40+ games, including pool play and playoffs.
- Key Rules: Designated pitcher pool (DPP) allows teams to add pitchers mid-tournament; pitch count limits protect arms.
2026 WBC Teams & Pools
The 20 teams were finalized after qualifiers in 2025, with pots based on WBSC rankings and host considerations. Here’s the breakdown of the 2026 WBC Teams & pools for you.
| Pool | Teams | Venue | Dates |
| Pool A (San Juan) | Puerto Rico (Host), Cuba, Panama, Canada, Colombia | Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico | March 6-11 |
| Pool B (Houston) | USA (Host), Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil | Daikin Park, Houston, Texas | March 6-11 |
| Pool C (Tokyo) | Japan (Host), South Korea, Australia, Czech Republic, Chinese Taipei | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan | March 5-10 |
| Pool D (Miami) | Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, Nicaragua | loanDepot park, Miami, Florida | March 6-11 |
Notable qualifiers include Brazil (first since 2013), Colombia, Chinese Taipei, and Nicaragua. Hosts are seeded in Pot 1 for their pools.
2026 WBC Pool Play Schedule
In the 2026 WBC Pool Play schedule, each team plays four games in a round-robin. Times are local to the venue (adjust for your timezone: AST for San Juan, CST for Houston, JST for Tokyo, EST for Miami). Broadcasts on FOX/FS1/MLB Network where noted. Full matchups and times per official MLB announcements; some are subject to change. We will update the times that are TBD once confirmed by the WBC organizers.
WBC Pool A Schedule (Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan – All Times AST)
All times AST.
| Date (2026) | Time (AST) | Matchup | Venue | Notes / Broadcast (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Mar 6 | 12:00 PM | Cuba vs. Panama | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Day game |
| Friday, Mar 6 | 7:00 PM | Puerto Rico vs. Colombia | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Evening (FOX / FOX Deportes) |
| Saturday, Mar 7 | 12:00 PM | Colombia vs. Canada | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Day game |
| Saturday, Mar 7 | 7:00 PM | Panama vs. Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Evening |
| Sunday, Mar 8 | 12:00 PM | Canada vs. Cuba | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Day game |
| Sunday, Mar 8 | 7:00 PM | Colombia vs. Panama | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Evening (FOX) |
| Monday, Mar 9 | 12:00 PM | Cuba vs. Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Day game |
| Monday, Mar 9 | 7:00 PM | Panama vs. Canada | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Evening |
| Tuesday, Mar 10 | 12:00 PM | Colombia vs. Cuba | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Day game |
| Tuesday, Mar 10 | 7:00 PM | Canada vs. Puerto Rico | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Evening |
| Wednesday, Mar 11 | TBD | Tiebreaker if needed | Hiram Bithorn Stadium | Contingent |
Teams in Pool A: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico (host).
(Partial matchups based on available data; full round-robin includes all pairings.)
WBC Pool B Schedule (Daikin Park, Houston – All Times CST)
Teams: Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, United States.
| Date (2026) | Time (CST) | Matchup | Venue | Notes / Broadcast (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Mar 6 | 1:00 PM | Mexico vs. Great Britain | Daikin Park | Day game (FS1 / FOX Deportes) |
| Friday, Mar 6 | 7:00 PM | United States vs. Brazil | Daikin Park | USA opener (FOX / FOX Deportes) |
| Saturday, Mar 7 | 7:00 PM | Great Britain vs. Italy | Daikin Park | Evening (likely FS2 / FOX Deportes) |
| Sunday, Mar 8 | 7:00 PM | Mexico vs. United States | Daikin Park | Key matchup (likely FOX or FS1) |
| Monday, Mar 9 | 7:00 PM | Brazil vs. Great Britain | Daikin Park | Evening (likely FS2 / FOX Deportes) |
| Tuesday, Mar 10 | 7:00 PM | Italy vs. United States | Daikin Park | USA finale (FOX / FOX Deportes) |
| Wednesday, Mar 11 | TBD | Remaining games / tiebreaker if needed (e.g., Italy vs. Mexico, Brazil vs. Mexico, etc.) | Daikin Park | Contingent; full round-robin completes here |
(USA’s key games highlighted; full schedule per WBC announcements.)
WBC Pool C Schedule (Tokyo Dome, Tokyo – All Times JST)
Pool C – Tokyo Dome (Tokyo, Japan) – March 5–10, 2026All times JST (e.g., 7:00 PM JST ≈ 5:00 AM ET early March; adjust for U.S. DST starting March 8).
| Date (2026) | Time (JST) | Matchup | Venue | Notes / Broadcast (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Mar 5 | 12:00 PM | Chinese Taipei vs. Australia | Tokyo Dome | Tournament opener (FS1 / FOX Deportes) |
| Thursday, Mar 5 | 7:00 PM | Czechia vs. South Korea | Tokyo Dome | Evening session (FS1 / FOX Deportes) |
| Friday, Mar 6 | 12:00 PM | Australia vs. Czechia | Tokyo Dome | Day game (FS1 / FOX Deportes) |
| Friday, Mar 6 | 7:00 PM | Japan vs. Chinese Taipei | Tokyo Dome | Japan opener (FS1 / FOX Deportes) |
| Saturday, Mar 7 | 12:00 PM | Czechia vs. Chinese Taipei | Tokyo Dome | Day game (FS2 / FOX Deportes) |
| Saturday, Mar 7 | 7:00 PM | Japan vs. South Korea | Tokyo Dome | Major Asia rivalry (FS1 / FOX Deportes) |
| Sunday, Mar 8 | 12:00 PM | Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea | Tokyo Dome | Day game (FS2 / FOX Deportes) |
| Sunday, Mar 8 | 7:00 PM | Japan vs. Australia | Tokyo Dome | Potential top-seed decider (FOX / FOX Deportes) |
| Monday, Mar 9 | 7:00 PM | Australia vs. South Korea | Tokyo Dome | Evening only (FS1 / FOX Deportes) |
| Tuesday, Mar 10 | 7:00 PM | Japan vs. Czechia | Tokyo Dome | Japan pool finale (FS1 / FOX Deportes) |
Teams in Pool C: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan (host), South Korea.
(Tokyo starts a day early due to time zones.)
WBC Pool D Schedule (loanDepot park, Miami – All Times EST)
Teams: Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Venezuela.
| Date (2026) | Time (EST) | Matchup | Venue | Notes / Broadcast (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Mar 6 | 12:00 PM | Netherlands vs. Venezuela | loanDepot park | Day game (Tubi / possibly FS2) |
| Friday, Mar 6 | 7:00 PM | Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic | loanDepot park | Evening (FS2 / FOX Deportes) |
| Saturday, Mar 7 | 12:00 PM | Nicaragua vs. Netherlands | loanDepot park | Day game (Tubi) |
| Saturday, Mar 7 | 7:00 PM | Israel vs. Venezuela | loanDepot park | Evening (FS2 / FOX Deportes) |
| Sunday, Mar 8 | 12:00 PM | Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic | loanDepot park | Day game (FOX / FOX Deportes) |
| Sunday, Mar 8 | 7:00 PM | Nicaragua vs. Israel | loanDepot park | Evening (Tubi) |
| Monday, Mar 9 | 12:00 PM | Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela | loanDepot park | Day game (likely FS1) |
| Monday, Mar 9 | 7:00 PM | Israel vs. Netherlands | loanDepot park | Evening |
| Tuesday, Mar 10 | 12:00 PM | Venezuela vs. Nicaragua | loanDepot park | Day game |
| Tuesday, Mar 10 | 7:00 PM | Dominican Republic vs. Israel | loanDepot park | Evening |
| Wednesday, Mar 11 | TBD | Remaining games / tiebreaker if needed (e.g., full rotation completion) | loanDepot park | Contingent; high-profile DR-VEN often prime-time |
Notes: Pool D is considered a “bloodbath” group with powerhouses Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Netherlands competing fiercely (plus underdogs Israel and Nicaragua). Many games stream on Tubi for free. The Dominican Republic-Venezuela matchup (likely March 9 or rotated) is a highlight, with FS1 coverage noted for similar high-stakes pool games. Tiebreakers (if standings require) would fall on March 11.
(Potential “Group of Death” with heavy hitters.)
2026 WBC Knockout Bracket & Schedule
The top two from each pool advance to single-elimination. Quarterfinals are crossed (e.g., Pool A winner vs. Pool B runner-up). All games on FOX.
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (EST) | Matchup | Venue |
| March 13 | TBD | Pool A Winner vs. Pool B Runner-Up | Daikin Park, Houston |
| March 13 | TBD | Pool C Runner-Up vs. Pool D Winner | loanDepot park, Miami |
| March 14 | TBD | Pool A Runner-Up vs. Pool B Winner | Daikin Park, Houston |
| March 14 | 21:00 | Pool D Runner-Up vs. Pool C Winner | loanDepot park, Miami |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (EST) | Matchup | Venue |
| March 15 | 20:00 | QF Winner 1 vs. QF Winner 2 | loanDepot park, Miami |
| March 16 | 20:00 | QF Winner 3 vs. QF Winner 4 | loanDepot park, Miami |
Championship
| Date | Time (EST) | Matchup | Venue |
| March 17 | 20:00 | SF Winner 1 vs. SF Winner 2 | loanDepot park, Miami |
Printable 2026 WBC Bracket
Download our free printable PDF bracket to fill in results as they happen. Includes pools, advancement paths, and knockout stages. Blank template for pools and full tournament tracking. The current WBC bracket is saved locally here for you and can be saved or printed to PDF format. Once we have teams earning spots, we’ll update you here.
Key Matchups & Early Predictions
- USA vs. Mexico (Pool B, March 8): Rematch of 2023 semifinal.
- Japan vs. South Korea (Pool C, March 10): Classic rivalry.
- Favorites: Japan (+200), USA (+300), Dominican Republic (+400) per early odds.
- Sleepers: Chinese Taipei and Netherlands with strong pitching.
Venues & Tickets
- Hiram Bithorn Stadium (San Juan): Capacity ~18,000; Hosts Pool A.
- Daikin Park (Houston): New venue; Hosts Pool B and some QFs.
- Tokyo Dome (Tokyo): Iconic dome; Hosts Pool C.
- loanDepot park (Miami): Hosts Pool D, QFs, semis, and final.
Tickets on sale via MLB.com. For more, check official WBC updates.
Related MLB Content
Looking for more baseball schedules? Check out our detailed guides:
- 2026 MLB Schedule: Printable, TV Lineups
- 2026 MLB Playoff Schedule: Bracket and Matchups
- Team Australia WBC Schedule
- Team Japan WBC Schedule
- Team USA WBC Schedule
