Smashed between the Winter Olympics and the summer’s FIFA World Cup comes another major international sports event starting this week: the 2026 World Baseball Classic. And as has been the case since the global baseball tournament’s inception in 2006, Florida will play a major part in hosting the event.
Twenty teams are set to play games in four stadiums across the globe. Miami has been a host since 2009 (the first WBC came to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World), with the Marlins’ home stadium housing pool play, two quarterfinals, both semifinals and the world championship game over a two-week stretch amid MLB spring training. LoanDepot Park also hosted the 2023 final, in which Shohei Ohtani and Japan outlasted Mike Trout and Team USA in an instant classic.
Japan will start the tournament in Tokyo, while Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and the U.S. will have pool play in Houston. There’s plenty of star power coming to Florida for the first week of WBC action, with the Dominican Republic and Venezuela squads loaded with MVP-level talent in Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a former Cy Young winner in the Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara.
Watch select World Baseball Classic games live on Fubo
Pool D in Miami also includes the team representing Israel. The team includes non-Israeli MLB players such as catching brothers C.J. and Garrett Stubbs. Israel teams have been protested at other worldwide sporting events in the light of the nation’s ongoing war against Palestine, an issue that re-ignited with joint attacks with the United States against Iran on Feb. 28.
Here’s a look at the 2026 World Baseball Classic schedule for games taking place in Florida, as well as MLB players on each of the five teams in Pool D and how to watch on TV and streaming.
WBC schedule
WBC teams will warm up with exhibitions against MLB teams taking part in spring training across Florida. All times Eastern.
Tuesday, March 3
Wednesday, March 4
World Baseball Classic 2026 schedule
Here’s a look at the Pool D schedule for games played at loanDepot Park in Miami. The two teams with the best record in pool play will advance to the quarterfinals. All times Eastern.
When is the World Baseball Classic?
The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins with round-robin pool play March 4-11. The two teams with the best records in each of the four pools will advance to the single-game elimination knockout stage. Two playoff games will take place at Daikan Park in Houston. The rest, including the semifinals and the championship game March 17, will be played at loanDepot Park in Miami.
Here’s a look at the WBC playoff schedule. If the USA advances to the quarterfinal, it will play March 13 regardless of whether it is the winner or runner-up in Pool B. And if Japan advances to the quarterfinal, it will play March 14 regardless of whether it is the winner or runner-up in Pool C. All times Eastern.
World Baseball Classic rosters
Here are the MLB players playing on each WBC team competing in Pool D in Florida.
Dominican Republic WBC
Israel WBC
Netherlands WBC
Nicaragua WBC
Venezuela WBC
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: When is the World Baseball Classic? WBC schedule, teams in Miami
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
