The fifth edition of the World Baseball Classic will be held in five different venues over two continents from March 9-23, 2021. Marlins Park, home of the Miami Marlins, will host one of the five-team groups, two quarterfinals, the semifinals, and the championship game. Chase Field in Phoenix, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, will also host one of the five-team groups. Japan will host one group and two quarterfinals at the Tokyo Dome, while Taiwan will host one group divided up between Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium and Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium.
Groups A and B compete in Taiwan and Japan from March 9-13, 2021. Group C action takes place in Phoenix, Arizona from March 13-17, 2021. Group D play begins on March 14 and continues through March 17 in Miami, Florida. The top two finishers of each group will advance to the single-elimination games. The Tokyo Dome hosts two quarterfinals on March 16 and 17, while Marlins Park hosts the other two quarterfinals on March 19 and 20 as well as the semifinals and finals from March 21-23, 2021.
The following 16 national teams will participate in the 2021 World Baseball Classic: Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela. Four additional national teams will be determined following the results from the World Baseball Classic Qualifier, which will take place at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona from March 12-25, 2020. Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
