World Baseball Classic 2026 Day 7: Canada and Cuba open final day of group play – World Baseball Softball Confederation

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is down to Day 7, which will end group play.

World No. 20 Canada and No. 10 Cuba will open the day at Hiram Bithorn Park in San Juan. The match is a one-game playoff for the quarterfinals.
If Canada win, they will advance to the quarterfinals as Group A’s first-place finishers, and No. 7 Puerto Rico will finish second.
If Cuba win, they will advance to the quarterfinals as Group A’s second-place finishers, with Puerto Rico heading to the elimination phase as the group’s first-place team.

No. 14 Italy and No. 6 Mexico will take the field at 23:00 GMT at Daikin Park in Houston.
Italy (3-0) would complete an undefeated run with a win and qualify for the quarterfinals as Group B’s first-place finisher, with No. 3 USA (3-1) as the second-place team. A Mexican win would force a three-way tie with the USA.
Based on the World Baseball Classic tie-breaking criteria (runs allowed/defensive outs), Mexico (2-1) need to win and score five or more runs to advance. Italy would advance with a loss if they allowed four or fewer runs.

No. 5 Venezuela will take on No. 12 Dominican Republic at midnight GMT at loanDepot Park in Miami. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals as Group D’s first-place team, with the loser qualifying in second place.

World Baseball Classic Day 7Canada-CubaPLAY BY PLAYBOX SCOREItaly-Mexico23:00 GMTBOX SCOREDominican Republic-Venezuela00:00 GMT (March 12)BOX SCOREGROUP A GAMESCanada @ Cuba

Cuba handed the ball to the ace of their staff, left-hander Livan Moinelo. NPB’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks star has so far pitched 3.1 scoreless innings against Panama.
Right-hander Cal Quantrill, a 31-year-old MLB starter who pitched 24 games in 2025 for the Miami Marlins and two for the Atlanta Braves, took the mound for Canada, making his 2026 World Baseball Classic debut.

Looking ahead to the Quarterfinals

Thursday, March 12, will be the only rest day in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Two quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday, March 13, in the American night.

No. 4 Korea will face the Group D winner at loanDepot Park in Miami at 23:30 GMT, while the Group A second place will play the Group B winner at Daikin Park in Houston at 1:00 GMT on Saturday, 14 March.

The other two quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, March 14, in the American time zones.

Daikin Park will host at 19:00 GMT the game between Group B second place and Group A winner.

Group B’s second place finisher will fance No. 1 Japan at loanDepot Park at 2:00 GMT on Sunday, March 15.

LA 2028 Qualification Process

The 2026 World Baseball Classic also forms part of the qualification pathway to LA28. The baseball tournament at the Olympic Games will feature six teams, and while USA is already qualified as host, the two highest-placed teams from the Americas at the World Baseball Classic will also earn quota places at the Olympic tournament.