Daisy Espinoza/Houston Public Media
A “Daikin” sign was placed Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, on the outside of the Houston Astros’ downtown ballpark, which is being renamed after the Japanese air-conditioner manufacturer.
The United States and teams from six other countries or territories will compete next year at Daikin Park in downtown Houston, which will host World Baseball Classic games for the first time.
The teams in each of the four pools, along with the schedule for the 20-team tournament, were announced Wednesday by officials for Major League Baseball (MLB) and the World Baseball Classic, which will have its sixth edition in 2026. The international competition, last held in 2023, features MLB players and is contested during spring training ahead of the start of the MLB season.
Houston will be one of four host sites for the 2026 tournament, along with Miami, Tokyo and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The home ballpark of the Houston Astros will hold 10 pool-play games from March 6-11, and then quarterfinal matchups on March 13-14.
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Miami’s loanDepot park, which is hosting Pool D games, also will be the site of the World Baseball Classic semifinals from March 15-16 and the championship game on March 17.
Competing in Pool B in Houston will be the U.S. along with Brazil, Great Britain, Italy and Mexico. The top two teams will advance to the quarterfinals in Houston, along with the top two teams from Pool A – which includes Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Panama and Puerto Rico.
If Team USA advances to the quarterfinals, it will play at Daikin Park on March 13.
Ticketing information for next year’s World Baseball Classic will be released at a later date, according to MLB officials. Fans can register on the tournament website to receive updates and additional information, including about how to receive priority access before tickets go on sale.
Later in 2026, Houston’s NRG Stadium will host seven matches as part of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.