The World Baseball Classic, sometimes abbreviated WBC, is an international baseball tournament, first held in March 2006.
The WBC is the first international baseball tournament for national teams to feature professional players from the major leagues of North America and Japan.
Sixteen teams have been split into four pools of four teams each. After the first round, the tournament will be held on American soil. The top two teams from each of the four pools - seeded from the final game in their respective pools - will progress to the second round.
Each semi final is a single elimination match, with the victors meeting in the final to determine the champions. All three final games are to be held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
