World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international professional baseball tournament for national teams, first held in 2006.

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international professional baseball tournament for national teams, first held in 2006. It is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation and organized with support from Major League Baseball and other professional baseball bodies. The tournament features many of the world’s best professional baseball players and is intended both as a championship event and as a way to promote baseball globally.

History

The World Baseball Classic began in 2006 as an international baseball championship for national teams. After the second edition in 2009, the tournament moved to a four-year cycle, although one scheduled edition was delayed or cancelled.

Format

The tournament uses pool play followed by a knockout stage. In 2026, 20 teams were split into four pools of five, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to single-elimination rounds.

Participation

The WBC is notable for allowing active professional players from major leagues such as MLB and NPB to represent their home countries or territories. This distinguishes it from many other international baseball events.

Purpose and significance

The event was created to crown a global baseball champion while also helping promote the sport internationally. It is often described as baseball’s closest equivalent to a world cup.