Gail Delaughter/Houston Public Media
Houston will be a host site for the 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic.
Major League Baseball and WBC officials made the announcement on Thursday. It’s the first time any WBC games will be played in Houston.
Group stage games and a quarterfinal will be played at Minute Maid Park, the home of MLB’s Astros.
“We are excited and honored to be hosting World Baseball Classic matchups for the first time,” said Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane in a statement. “Houston is a global city with the best baseball fans, and we are proud to welcome fans from across the globe to watch international competition at Minute Maid Park.”
The three other host sites are Miami, San Juan and Tokyo; 20 teams will participate.
Games will take place in March 2026, which will be the sixth edition of the tournament. Ticketing information will be released at a later date, officials said.
The tournament is just the latest major sporting event to take place in Houston. The city in the past year has played host to the NCAA Men’s Final Four and College Football Playoff National Championship. It will host Copa America soccer matches this summer and FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.
