The 2027 Baseball 12 Nations Tournament will expand, with the qualifiers starting at the end of November 2026 in Zhongshan, Guangdong, China.

The 2027 fourth World Baseball 12 Nations Tournament will be larger in scale. The number of teams will grow to 16, and the event will also act as the qualifying competition for the baseball event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced today (December 30) that one group of the qualifiers will be hosted by Zhongshan City in Guangdong Province, China, with matches held from November 26 to 29, 2026, at the Zhongshan International Baseball and Softball Center.

The WBSC’s choice of Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China, as the qualifier venue highlights China’s increasing influence in global baseball. Additionally, since Zhongshan is the hometown of Liang Fuchu, known as the “Father of Chinese Baseball,” hosting the qualifiers there carries special historical significance.

The first qualifier will take place from November 26 to 29, 2026, at the historically rich Zhongshan International Baseball and Softball Center. Four teams will compete for two spots to advance to the group stage. The host city and dates for the second qualifier will be announced later.

The tournament format is as follows:

By the end of 2025, teams ranked within the top 12 of the WBSC men’s baseball world rankings will directly qualify for the 12 Nations group stage.

Teams ranked 13th to 18th, along with two wildcard teams, will participate in the fourth edition’s qualifiers. These eight teams will be divided into two groups competing for the remaining four group stage spots.