Everything you need to know about the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals

After a thrilling round of pool play, the World Baseball Classic is about to level up.

Eight teams -- two from each pool -- are still alive in their pursuit of a WBC title as the event takes on a tournament-style, single-elimination format. The quarterfinals begin with a two-game slate on Friday, with two more games to follow on Saturday.

On Friday night, the Dominican Republic will face Korea (6:30 p.m. ET, FS2), while Team USA will take on Canada (8 p.m. ET, FOX). On Saturday, Italy will battle Puerto Rico (3 p.m. ET, FS1), while Japan will face Venezuela (9 p.m. ET, FOX).

Here’s a breakdown of each WBC semifinal matchup as the tournament moves to the next round.

KOREA AT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

When and where: 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday at loanDepot park in Miami.

How you can watch: The Korea-Dominican Republic quarterfinal clash is available on FS2.

How you can listen: There is a free English-language audio stream available for every Classic game.

How they got here: It was a downright dominant pool performance from the Dominican Republic, who went a perfect 4-0 and earned every bit of their record. The DR beat Nicaragua 12-3 in the first game and took it up a notch in the second game, beating the Netherlands 12-1 in seven innings thanks to a run rule that was finalized by Juan Soto’s two-run homer. It was more of the same in the third game when the Dominican Republic beat Israel 10-1. In the final game against a stacked Venezuelan team, the Dominican Republic won 7-5.

A three-way tie among Korea, Australia and Chinese Taipei triggered the run quotient tiebreaker, inciting a bit of chaos in Pool C. As it turns out, Korea’s five-run victory over Australia on Monday was just enough for Team Korea to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009. Hyun Min Ahn’s sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning proved to be the decisive run; had Korea not scored, it would have gone home.

What’s at stake: The Dominican Republic has a chance to advance to the semifinals for the third time. The DR won the 2013 tournament against Puerto Rico and lost in the 2006 semifinals against Cuba. Korea, meanwhile, is looking to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2009, when they lost to Japan in the finals.

Matchup history: This is the first time that the Dominican Republic and Korea have ever played in the World Baseball Classic.

USA AT CANADA

When and where: 8 p.m. ET on Friday at Daikin Park in Houston

How you can watch: The USA-Canada game will air live on FOX.

How you can listen: There is a free English-language audio stream available for every Classic game.

How they got here: Canada clinched the top spot in Pool A with a 7-2 win over Cuba on Wednesday, finishing pool play with a 3-1 record. That was tied with Puerto Rico for first place in Pool A, but Canada’s win over Puerto Rico on Tuesday gave the Canadians the head-to-head tiebreaker. Canada began pool play with a win over Colombia on Saturday before suffering a one-run loss to Panama on Sunday, its lone blemish in the tournament thus far.

The U.S. tore through pool play with three wins in as many games before a surprising loss to Italy on Tuesday. Team USA out-scored its first three opponents by a total of 20 runs, but faced potential elimination before Italy’s win over Mexico on Wednesday pushed the Americans through to the quarterfinals.

What's at stake: This is the first time that Canada has qualified for the WBC quarterfinals, and the national team will look to keep this magical ride going with another monumental victory. On the other hand, the Americans are still alive in their quest for a third consecutive championship game appearance. The winner of this game will advance to the semifinals to play the winner of Korea vs. Dominican Republic on Sunday.

Matchup history: It’s been 20 years since Canada’s lone win over the U.S. in a WBC contest, an 8-6 game that came as part of Pool B play back in the inaugural Classic in 2006. The U.S. beat Canada in pool play in each of the next four tournaments, with 2026 marking the first WBC in which the two North American neighbors fell into separate pools. Most recently, in 2023, the U.S. drubbed Canada 12-1 in a game that ended in seven innings because of the run rule.

PUERTO RICO AT ITALY

When and where: 3 p.m. ET on Saturday at Daikin Park in Houston

How you can watch: Puerto Rico-Italy will air live on FS1.

How you can listen: There is a free English-language audio stream available for every Classic game.

How they got here: Puerto Rico finished as the runner-up in Pool A with a 3-1 record in pool play, losing out to Canada on a head-to-head tiebreaker. Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Canadians was Team Rubio’s only defeat, as Puerto Rico won its three other games in pool play, including a dramatic 10-inning victory over Panama in walk-off fashion.

Italy’s stunning 8-6 win over the U.S. highlighted a 4-0 record in Pool B play, booking Italy a trip to the quarterfinals for the second straight WBC. On Wednesday, Italy closed out pool play with a historic 9-1 win over Mexico, headlined by a three-homer game from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino -- the first three-homer game in Classic history.

What's at stake: Puerto Rico will look to improve on its 2023 WBC run, which ended with a crushing loss to Mexico in the quarterfinals. Puerto Rico is hoping that this trip to the quarterfinals results in another trip to the title game, as it did in 2013 and 2017.

Meanwhile, this is the third time that Italy has advanced past pool play. It’s still looking to win a game in the quarterfinals. The winner of this quarterfinal showdown will advance to the semifinals to play the winner of Venezuela-Japan on Monday.

Matchup history: Puerto Rico and Italy faced off in WBC play in both 2013 and 2017, with Puerto Rico coming out on top both times. In the first matchup between the two countries, Puerto Rico’s 4-3 win in a second-round elimination contest set the stage for an improbable run to the championship game. The two were both part of Pool D in the 2017 Classic, with Puerto Rico beating Italy 9-3 en route to finishing in first place in pool play.

VENEZUELA AT JAPAN

When and where: 9 p.m. ET on Saturday at loanDepot park in Miami.

How you can watch: Venezuela-Japan will be broadcast live on Fox.

How you can listen: There is a free English-language audio stream available for every Classic game.

How they got here: Japan dominated their way through pool play with a perfect 4-0 record. After beating Chinese Taipei 13-0 in their opening game, Japan won an 8-6 nailbiter against Korea in the second game and another close 4-3 win in the third game against Australia. Japan finished with a 9-0 shutout against Czechia in their final game.

Venezuela, meanwhile, got off to a hot 3-0 start before they ran into the buzzsaw that is the Dominican Republic. Venezuela started pool play with a 6-2 win over Netherlands before beating Israel 11-3 and Nicaragua 4-0. Their only loss was a 7-5 defeat at the hands of the Dominican Republic in the pool finale.

What’s at stake: With a win, Japan would advance to the semifinals for the sixth time in as many tries. Japan has won three World Baseball Classic titles (2006, ‘09 and 2023) and lost in the semifinals in 2013 to Puerto Rico and in 2017 to the United States. Perhaps surprisingly, Venezuela has only advanced to the semifinals once in WBC history. They made it to the semifinals in the 2009 edition, when Venezuela lost 10-2 against South Korea. While Japan is a force to be reckoned with, Venezuela’s roster is in a strong position to advance to the next round.

Matchup history: This will be the first matchup between Japan and Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. Both teams picked a great time to face off for the first time in what should be a dandy of a matchup.