Houston to host World Baseball Classic events in 2026

Fans arrive at Minute Maid Park where the stadium roof was open for Game 2 of the Baseball World Series between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In 2026, Houston will have its eyes on the entire sports world and not just the FIFA World Cup.

Minute Maid Park and the Houston Astros were selected Thursday as hosts of the first round and quarterfinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. This is the first time in WBC history that games will be held in Houston , and it is one of two American cities to host matches with Miami as the other. First round matches will also take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Toyko, Japan.

“Houston is a global city with the best fans in baseball, and we are proud to welcome fans from around the world to attend international competitions at Minute Maid Park,” said Astros owner Jim Crane.

Houston will host teams from Pool B that have yet to be determined, and then the top two teams from that pool will play the top two teams from Pool A.

Sixteen teams have already qualified for the 2026 tournament ahead of their arrival in 2023. The final four teams will be determined in a qualifying tournament in 2025. Teams already in the 2026 tournament are the United States, Japan, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, South Korea, Czechia, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Netherlands and Australia.

The WBC will be held in downtown Houston in March, then in June the World Cup will be in town at NRG Stadium.

The championship game will once again be played at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Japan defeated the United States 3-2 in the 2023 championship. Japan is currently the highest-ranked international team in the World Baseball Softball Confederation rankings, followed by Mexico, United States, Korea South and China Taipei.