Baseball Champions League: Europe to join WBSC global project in 2026
Following the successful establishment of the Baseball Champions League (BCL) Americas, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today announced the launch of the Baseball Champions League Europe, set to debut in 2026.
For the first time in the history of European baseball, the continent’s premier club competition will be played under the WBSC umbrella, marking a significant milestone in the continued development and global alignment of club baseball. The inaugural edition of BCL Europe will feature eight top clubs from Czechia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.
The eight participating clubs in the inaugural BCL Europe are:
- Draci Brno (Czechia)
- Regensburg Legionäre (Germany)
- Heidenheim Heideköpfe (Germany)
- Nettuno BC (Italy)
- ASD Parma (Italy)
- Neptunus Rotterdam (Netherlands)
- Oosterhout Twins (Netherlands)
- Tenerife Marlins (Spain)
The introduction of BCL Europe opens a new chapter for European club baseball. While European Cup competitions started in 1963 and have been contested under various formats since, the new BCL Europe format provides clubs with enhanced international visibility, expanded commercial and marketing opportunities, and a clear pathway towards participation in a fully global Baseball Champions League structure.
The BCL Europe will highlight the European domestic season and feature participants in the middle of their national campaigns.
The competition format will see eight teams divided into two groups of four in the First Round, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Final Four.
The First Round is scheduled for 22–24 May 2026 and will be played as two separate round-robin tournaments. The events will be hosted by Regensburg Legionäre in Germany and Neptunus Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The Final Four is set for 26–27 September 2026, with the host to be determined following the completion of the First Round.
The eight participating clubs in the inaugural BCL Europe were drawn in the following groups for the First Round:
Group Regensburg:
- Draci Brno (Czechia)
- Oosterhout Twins (Netherlands)
- ASD Parma (Italy)
- Regensburg Legionäre (Germany)
Group Rotterdam:
- Heidenheim Heideköpfe (Germany)
- Nettuno BC (Italy)
- Neptunus Rotterdam (Netherlands)
- Tenerife Marlins (Spain)
In accordance with competition regulations, teams from the same country were not placed in the same group during the First Round.
Baseball Champions League history
WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari launched the BCL in 2023 as a "new concept for baseball, it's an international tournament of champions with teams around the world representing their club, their city and their fans on the world stage."
The LMB hosted the first test event, named BCL Americas, in late September 2023. The four-team event, which was won by the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (USA), served as a model for what the WBSC planned for other continents and leagues in the future as part of a global Baseball Champions League.
"The Champions League America opens a new chapter in international baseball," commented LMB Executive President Horacio de la Vega when he introduced the test event. "We foresee the day when we will honour a Champion of Champions, the winner of the global Champions League."
In 2026, the Mexican Baseball League and the Diablos Rojos will host a six-team Baseball Champions League at the Alfredo Harp Helù Stadium in Mexico City from March 24 to 29.