WBC 2026 semifinals set: USA vs Dominican Republic, Venezuela vs Italy

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is entering its final stretch with the semifinals of the tournament. Out of the 20 nations that began the journey, only four teams remain alive and will battle for the championship in an edition that is guaranteed to crown a new champion after Japan was eliminated by Venezuela.

Venezuela will now face Italy, a team who continues to impress and has been widely considered the dark horse of the tournament. In the quarterfinals, the Italian team defeated Puerto Rico 8–6 to secure their place in the semifinals. Although Puerto Rico mounted a late comeback attempt, closer Greg Weissert delivered a dominant performance to seal the win.

The first team to secure a place in the semifinals was the Dominican Republic, who defeated South Korea in dominant fashion with a 10–0 victory that ended via mercy rule in the seventh inning.

The Dominican squad enters the semifinals as one of the favorites to win the title thanks to a star-studded roster that includes players such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Junior Caminero.

However, reaching the final will not be easy. The Dominican Republic will face a powerful United States team in one of the semifinal matchups.

Team USA advanced to the semifinals after defeating Canada 5–3 in a game that remained tense until the final inning. The American roster is also packed with Major League Baseball stars, often described as a “Dream Team”, including Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Alex Bregman, Bobby Witt Jr. and star pitcher Paul Skenes.

World Baseball Classic Semifinals Schedule and Matchups

World Baseball Classic Semifinal 1

United States vs Dominican Republic

• March 15
• 8:00 p.m. ET
• LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida

World Baseball Classic Semifinal 2

Venezuela vs Italy

• March 16
• 8:00 p.m. ET
• LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida

World Baseball Classic Final

Championship Game

• March 17
• 8:00 p.m. ET
• LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida

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