The World Baseball Classic is down to the final four, setting the stage for a thrilling finish to the international tournament.
Tonight, the United States and the Dominican Republic will clash at 8 p.m. ET at loanDepot park in Miami, battling for a spot in Tuesday’s championship game. Following that, on Monday at 8 p.m. ET, Venezuela will face Italy in the other semifinal matchup, also at the Miami ballpark, to determine the second finalist.
Before the championship is decided, these semifinal contests promise an electric atmosphere and showcase the best in international baseball competition.
World Baseball Classic 2026
Group A (San Juan) presented by Discover Puerto Rico
Group B (Houston) and Group D (Miami) presented by Capital One
Here’s a breakdown of each World Baseball Classic semifinal:
UNITED STATES VS. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
When and Where: 8 p.m. ET tonight at loanDepot park in Miami.
How to Watch: The game between the United States and the Dominican Republic will be broadcast live on FS1.
How to Listen: A free English audio stream is available for every game of the Classic.
Road to the Semifinals: The Dominican Republic continued its dominance in the Classic with a 10-0, seven-inning mercy-rule victory over Korea in the quarterfinals. A quick start saw them build a 7-0 lead, adding three runs in the second and four more in the third, before Austin Wells ended the game with a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh. The Dominican Republic, 5-0 in the tournament, advanced as the Group D winner after defeating Venezuela 7-5 in the final game of pool play, following wins against Nicaragua (12-3), the Netherlands (12-1), and Israel (10-1).
The United States defeated Canada 5-3 in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals for the third consecutive Classic. Starting pitcher Logan Webb threw 4.2 scoreless innings as Team USA jumped out to a 5-0 lead before Canada responded with three runs in the sixth. The American bullpen then closed out the game over the final three innings to secure the win. The United States finished second in Group B, with victories over Brazil (15-5), Great Britain (9-1), and Mexico (5-3), before falling to Italy, the Group B champion, 8-6 in the final game of pool play.
What’s at Stake: The winner of this semifinal will play for the World Baseball Classic championship on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX against the winner of Monday’s semifinal between Venezuela and Italy. The Dominican Republic has one Classic title, winning in 2013 against Puerto Rico. The United States’ only championship also came against Puerto Rico, in 2017.
Head-to-Head: The Dominican Republic holds a 2-1 advantage over the United States in World Baseball Classic history, though their last meeting was nearly a decade ago, and it resulted in a U.S. Victory. On their way to the 2017 title, the United States eliminated the Dominican Republic in the second round with a 6-3 win, remembered for Adam Jones’ spectacular stolen home run against Manny Machado.
When and Where: 8 p.m. ET on Monday at loanDepot park in Miami.
How to Watch: The game between Venezuela and Italy will be broadcast live on FS1.
How to Listen: A free English audio stream is available for every game of the Classic.
Road to the Semifinals: After finishing 4-0 in Group B, including a stunning upset of the United States, Italy continued its impressive run in the World Baseball Classic with an 8-6 win over Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The Italian offense set the tone with four runs in the bottom of the first inning, forcing the early exit of Puerto Rico’s starter Seth Lugo, and added four more in the fourth. It was enough to hold off a late rally by Puerto Rico, which cut the deficit to two runs but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Venezuela defeated defending champion Japan 8-5 in a thrilling quarterfinal matchup, rallying from a 5-2 deficit with timely home runs from Maikel GarcÃa and Wilyer Abreu. GarcÃa’s two-run homer in the fifth inning brought the score within one, and Abreu followed with a three-run blast in the sixth to give Venezuela the lead for good. Venezuela finished second in Group D, defeating the Netherlands, Israel, and Nicaragua in pool play before falling to the Dominican Republic, their only loss of the tournament.
What’s at Stake: The winner of this matchup will play for the World Baseball Classic championship on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX against the winner of the United States-Dominican Republic duel. Italy is making its first-ever semifinal appearance in the Classic. Venezuela had reached this stage only once before, in 2009, in its five previous participations.
Head-to-Head: Venezuela has been Italy’s most frequent opponent in the World Baseball Classic and also its biggest challenge. In five previous meetings, all in group play, Venezuela holds a 5-0 record with a +24 run differential. However, both teams were much closer in 2017, when, after dominating Italy 23-1 between 2006 and 2009, Venezuela had to settle for two one-run victories, including an 11-10 win in 10 innings.
