Baseball Champions League Europe 2026 schedule announced
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and the Local Organising Committees (LOCs) in Regensburg, Germany, and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, announced the schedule for the Baseball Champions League (BCL) Europe 2026.
In the opening game of BCL Europe 2026 Group Regensburg, Parma Baseball (Italy) will take on Draci Brno (Czechia) at Armin Wolf Arena at 14:00 (local time) on Friday, May 22. The Oosterhout Twins (Netherlands) will face the hosts Legionaere at 19:00 local time.
On the same day, BCL Europe 2026 Group Rotterdam will see Heidenheim Heidekoepfe (Germany) and Nettuno 1945 (Italy) play at 14:00 (local time). The hosts Neptunus will face Tenerife Marlins (Spain) at 19:00 local time.
The group stage will include two more competition days on Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the Final Four, scheduled for September 26 and 27. The WBSC will award the hosting rights of the Final Four after the first round.
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.
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 five-team Baseball Champions League at the Alfredo Harp Helù Stadium in Mexico City from March 24 to 29.