World Baseball Classic 2023: Full schedule and how to watch live

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is back.

It's men's baseball's biggest global tournament, jointly sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the sport's international governing federation the World Baseball Softball Confederation, and it's making its return after six years.

Unlike other major men's baseball tournaments, MLB players are allowed to and will participate in the WBC.

For the first time, 20 teams (up from 16) will participate in the final tournament, with four teams having made it through a preliminary qualifying round.

Team USA are defending champions from 2017, while the 2021 edition was cancelled due to the pandemic situation. From March 8–21, games will take place in both the U.S. and in Asia, leading up to the final at Miami's LoanDepot Park.

Discover the full 2023 WBC schedule, and how to watch the tournament live, below.

Schedule – WBC warm-up showcase games

The 10 teams not based in the United States will each play two exhibition games against local or domestic club teams at their respective trainings bases; the remaining 10 teams based in the United States will each get two warm-up games against MLB clubs during the league's Spring Training period, as their tournaments do not begin until March 11.

This will set up a few intriguing match-ups, with MLB players getting to represent their national teams against their regular franchise clubs.

Sunday March 5

• Panama @ local team, Taichung, island of Taiwan (2pm local time)
• Italy @ local team, Taichung (2pm local time)
• Cuba @ local team, Taichung (2pm local time)
• Chinese Taipei @ local team, Taichung (7pm local time)
• Netherlands @ local team, Taichung (7pm local time)

Monday March 6

• Panama @ local team, Taichung (2pm local time)
• Italy @ local team, Taichung (2pm local time)
• Cuba @ local team, Taichung (7pm local time)
• Chinese Taipei @ local team, Taichung (7pm local time)
• Netherlands @ local team, Taichung (7pm local time)
• People's Republic of China @ local team, Miyazaki, Japan (12pm local time)
• Republic of Korea @ Orix Buffaloes, Osaka, Japan (12pm local time)
• Australia @ local team, Miyazaki (12pm local time)
• Japan @ Hanshin Tigers, Osaka (6pm local time)
• Czechia @ local team, Miyazaki (7pm local time)

Tuesday March 7

• China @ local team, Miyazaki (12pm local time)
• Rep. Korea @ Hanshin Tigers, Osaka (12pm local time)
• Australia @ local team, Miyazaki (12pm local time)
• Czechia @ local team, Miyazaki (7pm local time)
• Japan @ Orix Buffaloes, Osaka (7pm local time)

Wednesday March 8

• Canada @ Chicago Cubs, Mesa, Arizona (1:05pm local time)
• Colombia @ Oakland Athletics, Mesa (1:05pm local time)
• Mexico @ Cleveland Guardians, Goodyear, Arizona (1:05pm local time)
• Great Britain @ Milwaukee Brewers, Phoenix, Arizona (1:10pm local time)
• USA @ San Francisco Giants, Scottsdale, Arizona (7:05pm local time)
• Puerto Rico @ Boston Red Sox, Lee County, Florida (1:05pm local time)
• Dominican Republic @ Atlanta Braves, North Port, Florida (1:05pm local time)
• Venezuela @ Houston Astros, West Palm Beach, Florida (6:05pm local time)
• Nicaragua @ New York Mets, Port St. Lucie, Florida (6:10pm local time)
• Israel @ Miami Marlins, Jupiter, Florida (6:40pm local time)

Thursday March 9

• Colombia @ Chicago White Sox, Glendale, Arizona (1:05pm local time)
• Great Britain @ Kansas City Royals, Surprise, Arizona (1:05pm local time)
• Mexico @ Colorado Rockies, Scottsdale (1:10pm local time)
• USA @ Los Angeles Angels, Tempe, Arizona (1:10pm local time)
• Canada @ Seattle Mariners, Peoria, Arizona (1:10pm local time)
• Puerto Rico @ Tampa Bay Rays, Port Charlotte, Florida (1:05pm local time)
• Dominican Republic @ Minnesota Twins, Lee County (1:05pm local time)
• Nicaragua @ St. Louis Cardinals, Jupiter (1:05pm local time)
• Venezuela @ New York Mets, Port St. Lucie (1:10pm local time)
• Israel @ Washington Nationals, West Palm Beach (6:05pm local time)

World Baseball Classic 2023 schedule – Pool play and final rounds

Pool A

Host venue: Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, Taichung

Host Federation: Chinese Taipei

Local time is UTC +8 hours, EST +13 hours, PST +16 hours, JST -1 hour

• Cuba @ Netherlands, March 8, 12pm
• Panama @ Chinese Taipei, March 8, 7pm
• Panama @ Netherlands, March 9, 12pm
• Italy @ Cuba, March 9, 7pm
• Cuba @ Panama, March 10, 12:30pm
• Italy @ Chinese Taipei, March 10, 7pm
• Panama @ Italy, March 11, 12pm
• Netherlands @ Chinese Taipei, March 11, 7pm
• Chinese Taipei @ Cuba, March 12, 12pm
• Netherlands @ Italy, March 12, 7pm*

*U.S. Daylight Savings Time begins on March 12. Local time is EDT +12 hours, PDT +15 hours.

Pool B

Host venue: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo

Host Federation: Japan

Local time is UTC +9 hours, EST +14 hours, PST +17 hours

• Australia @ Rep. Korea, March 9, 12pm
• China @ Japan, March 9, 7pm
• Czechia @ China, March 10, 12pm
• Rep. Korea @ Japan, March 10, 7pm
• China @ Australia, March 11, 12pm
• Czechia @ Japan, March 11, 7pm
• Czechia @ Rep. Korea, March 12, 12pm
• Japan @ Australia, March 12, 7pm*
• Australia @ Czechia, March 13, 12pm*
• Rep. Korea @ China, March 13, 7pm*

*U.S. Daylight Savings Time begins on March 12. Local time is EDT +13 hours, PDT +16 hours.

Pool C

Host venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona

Host Federation: USA

Local time is UTC/GMT -7 hours, EST -2 hours, PST +1 hour, JST -16 hours

• Colombia @ Mexico, March 11, 12:30pm
• Great Britain @ USA, March 11, 7pm
• Great Britain @ Canada, March 12, 12pm*
• Mexico @ USA, March 12, 7pm*
• Colombia @ Great Britain, March 13, 12pm*
• Canada @ USA, March 13, 7pm*
• Canada @ Colombia, March 14, 12pm*
• Great Britain @ Mexico, March 14, 7pm*
• Mexico @ Canada, March 15, 12pm*
• USA @ Colombia, March 15, 7pm*

*Phoenix does not observe Daylight Savings Time. When it begins on March 12, local time will be EDT -3 hours and the same time as PDT.

Pool D

Host venue: LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida

Host Federation: USA

Local time is UTC -5 hours, PST +3 hours, JST -14 hours

• Nicaragua @ Puerto Rico, March 11, 12pm
• Dominican Republic @ Venezuela, March 11, 7pm
• Nicaragua @ Israel, March 12, 12pm*
• Venezuela @ Puerto Rico, March 12, 7pm*
• Dominican Republic @ Nicaragua, March 13, 12pm*
• Israel @ Puerto Rico, March 13, 7pm*
• Nicaragua @ Venezuela, March 14, 12pm*
• Israel @ Dominican Republic, March 14, 7pm*
• Venezuela @ Israel, March 15, 12pm*
• Puerto Rico @ Dominican Republic, March 15, 7pm*

*Daylight Savings Time begins on March 12. The time difference to PDT does not change. Local daylight savings time is UTC -4 hours and JST -13 hours.

• Ohtani Shohei + World Baseball Classic = March madness in Japan

Second round (quarter-finals)

• Quarter-final 1*: Pool B runner-up @ Pool A winner, Tokyo Dome, March 15, 7pm
• Quarter-final 2*: Pool A runner-up @ Pool B winner, Tokyo Dome, March 16, 7pm
• Quarter-final 3*: Pool C runner-up @ Pool D winner, LoanDepot Park, March 17, 7pm
• Quarter-final 4*: Pool D runner-up @ Pool C winner, LoanDepot Park, March 18, 7pm

*If Japan or USA qualifies for this round, they will play in Quarter-final 2 and 4 respectively regardless of their position.

Championship round

All matches in the Championship round will be played at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

• Semi-final 1: Quarter-final 1 winner @ Quarter-final 3 winner, March 19, 7pm
• Semi-final 2: Quarter-final 2 winner @ Quarter-final 4 winner, March 20, 7pm
• Final: Semi-final 1 winner @ Semi-final 2 winner, March 21, 7pm

How to watch 2023 WBC live

Fox Sports has the exclusive rights to the tournament in the United States, and will broadcast on Fox, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, the Fox Sports App, and Fox Deportes in Spanish.

In Japan, the WBC will be on TV Asahi and TBS, as well as streaming on J SPORTS and Amazon Prime Video (selected games only).