TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (中華棒協) announced Wednesday (Sept. 25) that the Major League Baseball (MLB) has preliminarily agreed to let Taiwan host one of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) qualifiers. The association is currently handling the necessary administrative procedures.
The qualifiers will start in mid-to-late February next year, with Taiwan's team needing to compete from the qualification stage. MLB representatives previously visited Taiwan to inspect the Taipei Dome (台北大巨蛋) and expressed interest in holding next year's qualifiers in Taiwan.
Sports journalist Francys Romero reported on social media that the qualifiers will feature eight teams divided into two groups. One group, hosted in Taipei, will include Taiwan, Spain, Nicaragua, and South Africa. The other group will compete in Arizona, U.S., and will feature Colombia, China, Brazil, and Germany.
Lin Tsung-chen (林宗成), secretary-general of the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association, stated that they have already received preliminary consent from the Taipei City Department of Sports and are now applying to the Sports Administration.
The decision marks a significant step for Taiwan in hosting international baseball events, potentially boosting the sport's local popularity and international presence. Fans eagerly await further developments as the association navigates the final stages of the approval process.