The USA is in Pool B along with Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and a qualifier to be determined. Reigning champion Japan is in Pool C along with Australia, Korea, Czech Republic and an open qualifying spot.

The winner and runner-up of each group will qualify for the quarter-finals, which will begin on March 13. The semi-finals will take place on March 15 and 16.

The tournament will take place in March and means Major League Baseball players can participate and not have to worry about missing any of the 2026 regular season. Those who play will miss time in spring training, but they will still participate in important baseball situations that should help them prepare for the upcoming season.

American fans will also have plenty of opportunities to watch the games, as Group B matches will be played in Houston.

From there, Miami and Houston will host the quarterfinals. Miami will also host the semifinals and the championship match.

Baseball fans are certainly hoping that the 2026 tournament will be just as exciting as the 2023 one.

There was no shortage of memorable moments, including Adam Jones helping the Americans preserve a 4-2 lead in a crucial game against the Dominican Republic by denying Manny Machado a home run at the wall.

It all came down to the final between the USA and Japan, and the ending felt like something out of a movie script. Mike Trout came to bat with two outs in the ninth inning, the Americans trailing by one run and with a chance to play the hero.

However, his then teammate Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels knocked him out on a full count and secured the title for Japan.

In addition, Japan had the opportunity to defend its title in 2026.