The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The first tournament took place in 2006 and has been held several times since, typically every four years.
The tournament features the participation of national baseball teams from around the world, including countries such as the United States, Japan, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, South Korea, and Puerto Rico, among others. Each team selects its best professional players to compete in the tournament.
The tournament format has varied over the years, but it is generally divided into two rounds. In the first round, the teams are divided into groups and compete in a round-robin format. The best teams advance to the second round, which is split into two groups. The top two teams from each group progress to the semifinals, and the winners of the semifinals face off in the final.
The World Baseball Classic is a highly followed and prestigious competition in the world of baseball. There have been several exciting moments in the tournament's history, including the thrilling match between Japan and South Korea in the 2009 final, and the victory of the Dominican Republic in 2013 and 2017, making it the first team to win the tournament twice. The next World Baseball Classic is expected to take place in 2025.
