S. Korea grouped with Asian rivals at 2026 World Baseball Classic

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will take on a couple of longtime continental rivals and other familiar foes at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

Pools and the schedule were finalized Wednesday (U.S. local time), with qualifiers filling in remaining spots in groups that had been announced in August last year.

South Korea will be in Pool C with Japan, Australia, the Czech Republic and Chinese Taipei, the runner-up behind Nicaragua at the qualifying tournament in February. All Pool C games will be played at Tokyo Dome from March 5 to 10.

South Korea faced Japan, Australia and Czechia, along with China, in pool play at the 2023 WBC in Tokyo. South Korea finished third in its group with a 2-2 record to suffer its third consecutive first-round exit.

South Korea finished third at the inaugural WBC in 2006 and was the runner-up behind Japan in 2009.

There will be four groups of five at the 2026 tournament.

Pool A teams are Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama and Colombia. They will play their preliminary games in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Pool B will feature the United States, Mexico, Italy, Britain and Brazil, with games scheduled to be played in Houston.

Pool D teams are Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Israel and Nicaragua. Their games will be in Miami.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals. Qualifiers from Pools A and B will square off at Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros. Teams advancing out of Pools C and D will meet at loanDepot park, home of the Miami Marlins.

Miami will also host the semifinals on March 15 and 16, and the championship game on March 17.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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