The World Baseball Classic has been around since 2006, so as of 2026 it’s been going for about 20 years.

Quick Scoop: World Baseball Classic Timeline

  • The idea for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) was formally pushed by MLB and the MLB Players Association in the mid‑2000s and announced in May 2005.
  • The first World Baseball Classic tournament was played in March 2006.
  • Since then, editions have been held in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2023, and a 2026 tournament is scheduled, making it a roughly every‑four‑years event after the second one.
  • That means the WBC has existed for about two decades and has become the main officially sanctioned world championship for international baseball, replacing the old Baseball World Cup after 2011.

Mini timeline (fast view)

  1. 2005 – Tournament officially announced by MLB and the MLBPA.
  1. 2006 – Inaugural WBC is held; this is the starting point for “how long it’s been around.”
  1. 2009–2017 – Grows into a recurring global event, then shifts to a four‑year cycle.
  1. 2023–2026 – Modern era, expanded field, big‑name stars, and continued global hype.

TL;DR: The World Baseball Classic has been around since 2006, making it a 20‑year fixture on the international baseball calendar in 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.