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Korea joins Japan, Australia in Pool C of 2026 World Baseball Classic

Published: 10 Apr. 2025, 11:28 Updated: 10 Apr. 2025, 20:13

The Korean national baseball team exits Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium in Taiwan after a 5-2 win over Australia at the 2024 WBSC Premier12 on Nov. 18, 2024. [NEWS1]

Korea will face Japan, Australia, the Czech Republic and Taiwan in Pool C of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), according to the groupings announced Wednesday.

The Pool C games will run from March 5 to 10, 2026 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo. The top two teams will advance to the quarterfinals. In the latest World Baseball Softball Confederation rankings, Japan holds the No. 1 spot, Taiwan ranks No. 2, Korea sits at No. 6, Australia at No. 12 and the Czech Republic at No. 15.

Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama and Colombia make up Pool A, with games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Pool B includes the United States, Mexico, Italy, Britain and Brazil and will play in Houston, Texas. Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Israel and Nicaragua will compete in Pool D in Miami, Florida.

From the quarterfinals onward, all games will take place in the United States. Houston will host two of the four quarterfinal games.

Miami’s LoanDepot Park will stage the remaining two quarterfinals as well as the semifinals and final, which run from March 13 to 17. If Korea advances to the knockout stage, it will play all remaining games in Miami.

The national team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, hopes to rebound from a string of disappointing international results. Korea won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 but failed to reach the knockout round at last year’s Premier12 and the 2023 WBC. Korea also finished fourth at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, missing the podium.

Korea reached the semifinals in the inaugural WBC in 2006 and finished as runners-up in 2009. But the team failed to move past the group stage in the last three editions in 2013, 2017 and 2023.

Japan won the WBC in 2006, 2009 and 2023. The Dominican Republic claimed the title in 2013 and the United States won in 2017.

Among Korea’s Pool C opponents, Taiwan won last year’s Premier12. Australia beat Korea 8-7 in the 2023 WBC group stage and advanced to the quarterfinals.

Korea finished the group with a 2-2 record and placed third, falling short of the knockout round.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY LEE JI-YOUNG [[email protected]]