NEW YORK — San Juan will once again receive the World Baseball Classic for its next edition in 2026, while Miami and Tokyo will repeat as venues for the national team tournament games.
The commissioner of the Major Leagues confirmed on Thursday, after the meeting of club owners, that the Hiram Bithorn stadium in the capital of Puerto Rico will host the Classic for the fourth time after missing it in the previous two — in 2017 and 2023.
The headquarters are as follows:
As happened in 2023, the Marlins stadium will have games in the first round, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.
Houston will make its debut as host, while Tokyo will host for the sixth time.
The Hiram Bithorn hosted first-round games in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
“We are deeply grateful and full of pride for having been selected once again as one of the venues for the World Classic,” said Anaymir “Tuti” Muñoz, vice president of the promotion company MB Sports. “It is a wonderful gift for Puerto Rico. ”.
The 2023 Classic attracted more than 1.3 million fans to the stadiums, surpassing the previous mark of 1,086,220 in 2017.
And the final broke viewership records in Japan, with 42.4% tuning in at home, despite a morning schedule.
Japan was also crowned in 2006 and 2009. The Dominican Republic (2013) and the United States (2017) have shared the other titles.
The 2023 tournament expanded to 20 teams for the first time in its history. The 16 teams that finished among the four best in their respective first groups in 2023 will advance to the 2026 edition. The other four places will be defined in qualifying tournaments that will be played in 2025.
