The ultimate fan guide to the World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic has grown into a marquee event for the sport. As players are ramping up for the regular season, fans can spend two weeks rooting for their fellow countrymen in an electric environment.

This tournament takes place in Fish On First's backyard, with loanDepot park in Miami hosting games during all rounds of the tournament, including the championship. Whether you are a South Florida native or planning to visit/tune in from thousands of miles away, we're here to help you prepare for the return of the World Baseball Classic in 2026.

• Tournament history
• Player eligibility
• 2026 viewing guide
• Tickets

Tournament history

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament organized by Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Players Association and the World Baseball Softball Confederation. It is considered the premier global tournament for national baseball teams.

Unlike the Summer Olympics, games take place in March, allowing players from the best professional leagues to participate without conflicting with their regular season schedules.

The inaugural WBC was held in 2006. The tournament has generally returned every 3-4 years since then (the COVID pandemic caused the 2021 edition to be postponed).

2006

• Number of teams: 16
• Champion: Japan
• MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka

2009

• Number of teams: 16
• Champion: Japan
• MVP: Daisuke Matsuzaka

2013

• Number of teams: 16
• Champion: Dominican Republic
• MVP: Robinson Canó

2017

• Number of teams: 16
• Champion: United States
• MVP: Marcus Stroman

2023

• Number of teams: 20
• Champion: Japan
• MVP: Shohei Ohtani

2026

• Number of teams: 20
• Champion: TBD
• MVP: TBD

Every edition of the WBC has featured multiple players from the Miami Marlins organization. That streak will be extended at the upcoming tournament with the help of former National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, shortstop Otto Lopez, center fielder Jakob Marsee and top outfield prospect Owen Caissie, among others.

Player eligibility

• A U.S.-born player with Puerto Rican parents can play for Puerto Rico.
• A player born in Canada but raised in the U.S. can play for Canada.
• A player without citizenship but with parents from Italy can represent Italy.

Regarding specific Major League Baseball players:

• Lars Nootbaar's mother is Japanese, so he can play for Japan.
• Randy Arozarena is from Cuba, but can play for Mexico because he is a naturalized Mexican citizen.
• The "Law of Return" allows American Jews such as Joc Pederson and Harrison Bader to play for Team Israel.
• Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is Bahamian, can play for Great Britain because the Bahamas is part of the Commonwealth and has strong historical ties to Britain.

Insurance

It is more common than ever for MLB's biggest stars to participate in the WBC, but some of them are denied the opportunity due to the inability to insure their major league contract. National Financial Partners, an official partner of MLB, brokers the insurance policy, according to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic.

The insurance policy pays back the major league club for a player’s salary if the player gets hurt during the WBC. Players are not at risk of losing their salaries. Trips to the 60-day injured list during the previous season are typically disqualifying, but the insurer reviews each player’s injury history case by case. The insurance does not cover players once they are 37 years old.

A player denied insurance coverage can still participate in the WBC only if his MLB team is willing to assume the financial risk in case of injury. A player does not need to be covered by insurance if they are not on an MLB or MiLB roster.

2026 viewing guide

Pool play schedule

Quarterfinals: March 13-14 (Houston & Miami)

Semifinals: March 16 (Miami)

Championship: March 17 (Miami)

For those who live in the United States, FOX will broadcast seven games, including Pool B games featuring the United States, two quarterfinals and the championship game. FS1, FS2 and Tubi will show all of the other games throughout the tournament.

If you do not already have access to FOX content, there are several FOX One subscription plans available. A seven-day free trial is included for new subscribers.

For those who live outside of the United States:

• Dominican Republic: VTV 32, Tele Antillas and Coral 39
• Japan: Netflix
• Mexico: Televisa, TUDN and VIX
• Puerto Rico: WAPA Deportes
• South Korea: TVING, tvN Sports, KBS, SBS and MBC
• Taiwan: ELTA TV and EBC
• Venezuela: Venevision

Tickets

Given the limited inventory and high stakes, WBC tickets are expensive. Search for tickets here.

If attending any of the games at loanDepot park, please consult Fish On First's ballpark guide.