The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBF), and features the best players in the world. The winner of this tournament is classed as the "World Champion".

The tournament was first played in 2006. The last event was played in 2023. The 2026 Baseball World Classic was held between March 5 to March 17, 2026. Venezuela won the 2026 World Baseball Classic by defeating the United States 3-2 in the championship game.

"The World Baseball Classic has grown into the definitive international baseball competition. With nations fielding their top MLB and professional players, it provides a level of competition that the old Baseball World Cup could never achieve."
— As Robert Wood, founder of Topend Sports, notes

More about the Classic

Baseball field during the World Baseball ClassicA baseball field during the World Baseball Classic
"Venezuela's 2026 victory marks a new chapter for the WBC. Their 3-2 win over the United States demonstrates the growing depth of international baseball talent beyond the traditional powerhouses of Japan and the Dominican Republic."
— Robert J. Wood's research at Topend Sports found

Baseball World Cup

The Baseball World Classic was (sort of) preceded by a World Cup tournament. The IBAF Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament held from 1938 to 2011. The last Baseball World Cup was held in 2011. It was the 39th Baseball World Cup.

"The transition from the IBAF Baseball World Cup to the World Baseball Classic in 2006 was a pivotal moment for international baseball. The new format attracted MLB-caliber talent that the World Cup simply could not."
— According to sports science expert Robert Wood