March 16–17, 2026 — LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is down to its final game. After 12 days of extraordinary baseball spanning four continents, four host cities, and 20 nations, the championship game tips off tonight — Monday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Team USA is in the final, having survived a dramatic semifinal nail-biter against the Dominican Republic on Sunday. They await the winner of tonight's second semifinal between undefeated Italy — the tournament's biggest surprise story — and Venezuela, which ended defending champion Japan's reign with a stunning quarterfinal upset. Here is everything you need to know about the WBC 2026 championship race.
⚾ SEMIFINAL RESULTS
Semifinal 1: USA 🇺🇸 def. Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 — Nail-Biter
Team USA eked past the Dominican Republic in a heart-stopping semifinal on Sunday night, March 15, at LoanDepot Park in Miami. The game was described by multiple outlets as a "nail-biter" — with the Dominican Republic pushing Team USA to the absolute limit before the Americans held on to advance to the championship game.
Team USA's key performers:
- ⚾ Paul Skenes — The Pittsburgh Pirates ace started and was dominant on the mound against the powerful Dominican lineup
- 🏏 Bobby Witt Jr. — The Kansas City Royals shortstop had a massive tournament and continued his hot streak
- 🏏 Brice Turang — Had a clutch three-run double in pool play and continued to contribute offensively
Dominican Republic's key performers:
- 🏏 Fernando Tatis Jr. — Hit home runs throughout the tournament; continued his electric play
- 🏏 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — One of the tournament's most talked-about stars, provided clutch at-bats throughout
- ⚾ Brayan Bello — The Dominican starter was dominant in pool play (5 innings, 1 run, 7 Ks vs. Israel)
The Dominican Republic dominated South Korea en route to the semis, and nearly upset the Americans before falling short in the final innings.
Semifinal 2 (TONIGHT): Italy 🇮🇹 vs Venezuela 🇻🇪 — 8 p.m. ET, FS1
The second semifinal takes place tonight, Monday March 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1 — and the winner faces Team USA in the championship game tomorrow.
Italy enters as the tournament's most stunning story — undefeated through the entire tournament, including a shocking 8-6 upset of Team USA in pool play that was called one of the biggest upsets in WBC's 20-year history. Italy also dispatched Puerto Rico 8-6 in the quarterfinals.
Venezuela eliminated defending champion Japan — and Shohei Ohtani — in the quarterfinals with an 8-5 thriller that featured one of the tournament's most iconic moments: Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani both hit leadoff home runs — the first WBC game ever with two leadoff homers. Venezuela hasn't been to the semifinals since 2009, when they finished fourth.
⚾ THE TOURNAMENT'S BIGGEST STORIES
🇮🇹 Italy — The Tournament's Biggest Surprise
Nobody saw Italy coming. The Italians have been the WBC's most entertaining and dominant team — going undefeated through pool play and the knockout rounds. Their lineup features young MLB talent and numerous Top 30 prospects, and they celebrate every home run with a charming tradition: an espresso shot brewed on a Keurig machine in the dugout.
Italy's most important wins:
- ⚾ Italy 8, USA 6 — One of the biggest upsets in WBC history
- ⚾ Italy 9, Mexico 1 — Dominated pool play
- ⚾ Italy 8, Puerto Rico 6 — Quarterfinal win
Key player: Dante Nori — Hit two home runs against Brazil in pool play and has been Italy's offensive catalyst throughout. He arrived at this tournament with a .532 OPS as a rookie, but has been a completely different player on the international stage.
🇻🇪 Venezuela — The Ohtani Slayers
Venezuela's greatest moment came on Saturday, March 14 — when Wilyer Abreu crushed a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning to defeat Japan 8-5, ending the defending champion's title run and the tournament career of Shohei Ohtani, who announced before the tournament that this would be his final WBC.
That home run went viral worldwide — Ohtani had been the face of the 2023 WBC, hitting the legendary walk-off single in the championship game. Watching Japan eliminated by Venezuela's late-inning heroics was a gut punch for baseball fans across Asia.
The win also clinched Venezuela a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — their first Olympic qualification in years.
Key players:
- 🏏 Ronald Acuña Jr. — Hit a leadoff homer off Ohtani. Went 3-for-3 with RBI against Nicaragua. Has been Venezuela's spark plug all tournament
- 🏏 Wilyer Abreu — The walk-off hero against Japan
- 🏏 Luis Arraez — Has been on base throughout the tournament; the contact machine kept the lineup moving
🇯🇵 Japan — Defending Champions Shocked
Japan entered as the heavy favorite — having won the 2023 WBC in dramatic fashion, with Ohtani striking out Mike Trout for the final out. They won the 2006 and 2009 tournaments, finished third in 2013 and 2017, and returned as back-to-back champions.
Instead, Japan suffered their worst-ever WBC finish — eliminated in the quarterfinals by Venezuela. Shohei Ohtani, in what he said would be his final WBC, went home without a championship.
Japan will finish either 5th or 6th in the final standings.
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic — The Nearly Men
The Dominican Republic had one of the tournament's most powerful lineups, featuring Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Oneil Cruz — plus dominant pitching. They steamrolled South Korea in the quarterfinals, with Tatis and Cruz both going deep and Brayan Bello striking out 7 in 5 innings.
But they fell just short against the Americans in the semis. Both DR and Venezuela already secured 2028 Olympic berths as the top two Americas teams alongside hosts USA.
🇺🇸 Team USA's Rocky Road
Team USA's path was anything but smooth. After Italy stunned them 8-6 in what ESPN called one of the biggest upsets in tournament history, the Americans needed a "new lease on life" — per manager Mark DeRosa, who even prematurely announced his team had clinched a quarterfinal berth before being corrected.
They recovered to defeat Mexico 5-3, destroyed Great Britain 9-1, and then survived the Dominican Republic in the semis. Team USA has never won the WBC — having lost to Japan in the 2023 final. This is their chance for revenge against the tournament.
Key players:
- ⚾ Paul Skenes — The Pirates ace has been the team's best pitcher
- 🏏 Bobby Witt Jr. — Has been electric throughout
- 🏏 Brice Turang — Clutch hits throughout the tournament
⚾ POOL PLAY COMPLETE RESULTS
Pool A — San Juan, Puerto Rico
- 🇨🇦 Canada 7, Cuba 2 ✅
- 🇨🇦 Canada 3, Puerto Rico 2 ✅
- 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 4, Cuba 1 ✅
- 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 5, Colombia 0 ✅
- 🇨🇺 Cuba 3, Panama 1 ✅
- 🇨🇺 Cuba 7, Colombia 4 ✅
- 🇵🇦 Panama 4, Canada 3 ✅
- 🇨🇴 Colombia 4, Panama 3 ✅
- 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 4, Panama 3 ✅
- 🇨🇦 Canada 8, Colombia 2 ✅
Advanced to Quarterfinals: Canada 🇨🇦, Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Pool B — Houston, Texas
- 🇺🇸 USA 15, Brazil 5 ✅
- 🇺🇸 USA 9, Great Britain 1 ✅
- 🇺🇸 USA 5, Mexico 3 ✅
- 🇮🇹 Italy 8, Brazil 0 ✅
- 🇮🇹 Italy 7, Great Britain 4 ✅
- 🇮🇹 Italy 8, USA 6 🚨 UPSET
- 🇮🇹 Italy 9, Mexico 1 ✅
- 🇲🇽 Mexico 8, Great Britain 2 ✅
- 🇲🇽 Mexico 16, Brazil 0 ✅
- 🇬🇧 Great Britain 8, Brazil 1 ✅
Advanced to Quarterfinals: Italy 🇮🇹, USA 🇺🇸
Pool C — Tokyo, Japan
- 🇯🇵 Japan 9, Czechia 0 ✅
- 🇰🇷 South Korea (advanced) ✅
- 🇹🇼 Chinese Taipei (qualified) ✅
- 🇦🇺 Australia ✅
Advanced to Quarterfinals: Japan 🇯🇵, South Korea 🇰🇷
Pool D — Miami, Florida
- 🇻🇪 Venezuela 4, Nicaragua 0 ✅
- 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 10, Israel 1 ✅
- 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic (advanced) ✅
- 🇻🇪 Venezuela (advanced) ✅
Advanced to Quarterfinals: Dominican Republic 🇩🇴, Venezuela 🇻🇪
⚾ KNOCKOUT STAGE RESULTS
Quarterfinals — Houston
- 🇺🇸 USA def. Canada ✅
- 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic def. South Korea ✅ (DR dominated — Tatis Jr. and Cruz homered; Bello: 5IP, 7K)
Quarterfinals — Miami
- 🇮🇹 Italy 8, Puerto Rico 6 ✅ (Italy keeps unbeaten run alive)
- 🇻🇪 Venezuela 8, Japan 5 🚨 (Defending champions ELIMINATED — Acuña leads off with homer; Wilyer Abreu walk-off 3-run bomb in 6th)
Semifinals — Miami
- 🇺🇸 USA def. Dominican Republic ✅ (Nail-biter — March 15, 8 p.m. ET)
- 🔴 Italy vs Venezuela — TONIGHT March 16, 8 p.m. ET, FS1
Championship Game
- 🏆 USA vs Italy/Venezuela — March 17, 8 p.m. ET, FOX
- 📍 LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida
⚾ WBC 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Who Wins?
If USA vs Italy 🇺🇸 vs 🇮🇹
Italy beat Team USA once already this tournament — the 8-6 upset that shook the baseball world. A rematch in the championship would be one of the most anticipated WBC finals ever. Italy's undefeated run, their espresso-fueled momentum, and the revenge narrative make this the ultimate storyline. However, Team USA will enter as favorites — with more MLB star power and the edge of knowing what to expect from Italy's pitching staff.
If USA vs Venezuela 🇺🇸 vs 🇻🇪
Ronald Acuña Jr. vs Paul Skenes. Bobby Witt Jr. vs Luis Arraez. A classic Americas rivalry in the championship of the world's premier international baseball tournament. Venezuela's emotional run — from eliminating Japan to a first semis appearance since 2009 — would make them a sentimental favorite. But Team USA's pitching depth may prove decisive.
⚾ THE WBC 2026 BY THE NUMBERS
- 🌍 Teams: 20 nations
- ⚾ Total games: 47
- 📍 Host cities: Tokyo, San Juan, Houston, Miami
- 📅 Tournament dates: March 5–17, 2026
- 🏟️ Championship venue: LoanDepot Park, Miami
- 📺 TV: FOX (Final), FS1 (Semifinal 2)
- 📺 Streaming: Netflix (international)
- 🏆 Defending champion: Japan 🇯🇵 (eliminated in quarterfinals)
- 🏅 2028 Olympic qualifiers: Dominican Republic 🇩🇴, Venezuela 🇻🇪, USA 🇺🇸 (host)
- 🎯 Biggest upset: Italy 8, USA 6 (pool play)
- ⭐ Most viral moment: Acuña Jr. + Ohtani back-to-back leadoff HRs (first ever in WBC)
📡 Sources: ESPN, Fox Sports, MLB.com, CBS Sports, Baseball America, Wikipedia (2026 World Baseball Classic) — March 15–16, 2026.
🔄 Last updated: March 16, 2026. FINAL: Tonight March 17 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
🔖 Tags: WBC 2026, World Baseball Classic 2026, WBC Finals, Team USA, Italy WBC, Venezuela WBC, Paul Skenes, Bobby Witt Jr, Japan Eliminated, WBC Championship, Baseball 2026
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