The championship game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic is set for Tuesday, March 17, at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. The tournament will run from March 5 to 17, featuring 20 national teams competing for the title.[1]

Pool C matches, including the United States and Venezuela alongside the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, will take place at loanDepot Park from March 6-11 in a round-robin format.[1][2]

Venezuela, participating in all five previous WBC editions, has yet to win the title, with its best finish a fourth-place showing in 2006. The team will be led by manager Omar López, bench coach for the Houston Astros.[3][4]

The United States claimed the 2017 WBC crown with a 8-0 win over Puerto Rico in the final at Dodger Stadium.[4]

Japan defeated the United States 3-2 in the 2023 final at loanDepot Park, securing their third title. That game drew 4.58 million viewers on FS1, the most-watched WBC final in English-language network history.[1][5]

The 2023 tournament averaged 835,000 viewers across FOX Sports networks, up 82 percent from the 2017 event.[5]

Memorable moments from recent WBCs include Czech Republic pitcher Ondřej Sázator receiving a standing ovation from Japanese fans at Tokyo Dome during pool play in 2023, and Italy's celebratory "espresso machine" home run ritual.[6]

Broadcasts will air on FOX, FS1 and FS2, continuing FOX Sports' role as U.S. rights holder.[5]

Sources

1. MLB.com
   World Baseball Classic 2026 dates, venues announced
   September 16, 2023
   https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-dates-venues-announced
2. MLB.com
   World Baseball Classic 2026 pool draw results
   January 16, 2025
   https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-2026-pool-draw-results
3. MLB.com
   Omar López named Venezuela manager for 2026 World Baseball Classic
   October 15, 2024
   https://www.mlb.com/news/omar-lopez-named-venezuela-manager-for-world-baseball-classic
4. Wikipedia
   World Baseball Classic
   Accessed February 2025
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Baseball_Classic
5. FOX Sports
   World Baseball Classic on FOX Sports up 82% vs. 2017 average
   March 22, 2023
   https://www.foxsports.com/presspass/blog/2023/03/22/world-baseball-classic-on-fox-sports-up-82-vs-2017-average-up-31-vs-2013-delivers-most-viewed-telecast-in-history-of-english-language-coverage
6. MLB.com
   Ondrej Sazator gets standing ovation from Japanese fans
   March 11, 2023
   https://www.mlb.com/news/ondrej-sazator-gets-standing-ovation-from-japanese-fans