Category: Sport

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LAFC sent a loud message in their 3-0 dismantling of Inter Miami, and it wasn’t just about the scoreline. Los Angeles FC looked sharp, organized, and ruthless, while Inter Miami CF looked frustrated and overwhelmed. We break down what went wrong for Miami, what this result means long-term, and whether Lionel Messi’s heated postgame interaction with referees is a sign of deeper cracks. Plus, we recap the rest of MLS opening weekend and highlight the teams that set the tone early.

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Across the pond, the Premier League title race is heating up once again. Manchester City and Arsenal continue to push each other to the limit at the top of the table. Can City pull off another late surge, or is this finally Arsenal’s year? We examine the remaining fixtures, squad depth, and pressure points that could decide the title.

Off the pitch, concerns are growing around the 2026 tournament. With New Jersey canceling its World Cup fan zone and Gillette Stadium reportedly resisting FIFA licensing without additional funding, we ask whether the 2026 World Cup is starting to show serious organizational strain. Is this just early logistical turbulence—or a warning sign for what’s ahead?

Timestamps:

(7:00) – LAFC thrash Messi and Inter Miami

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(23:00) – MLS opening weekend recap

(32:00) – Arsenal and Man City continue to battle in PL title race

(47:45) – World Cup in danger of falling apart already?

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

A record-setting performance by Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics drew fantastic ratings. An average of 23.5 million viewers in the United States tuned in to watch Team USA set a national record with 12 gold medals across the event, per NBCSports.com.

That figure was a massive upgrade over the 2022 Olympics, making the Milan Cortina Games the most-watched Winter Olympics since 2014.

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It helped that Team USA was competitive throughout the entire Olympics. The team found itself in surprising contention early, earning a mixed doubles curling medal in the first couple days of the Olympics. It finished out with a gold-medal hockey game by the men’s team, which defeated Canada 2-1 in an overtime thriller.

Additionally, some athletes drew eyes and stole the show with their performances and stories of redemption. Though Lindsey Vonn’s time at the 2026 Winter Olympics was short, fans were eager to see her compete. While Vonn was unable to secure one more medal, Mikaela Shiffrin came away with some redemption in 2026, winning her first gold since 2018. And toward the end of the Olympics, figure skater Alysa Liu captivated fans with her gold-medal performance and NSFW celebration.

Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams also kept things interesting, winning nearly identical overtime games vs. Canada to take home gold medals.

That consistent success by Team USA led to consistent viewership across the Olympics. All 15 days of the Games topped 20 million viewers, per NBCSports.com

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Whether Team USA can deliver better numbers in 2030 will depend on a myriad of factors, including the talent and athletes who make the 2030 Games, which will be held in the French Alps. With the 2026 Games drawing big numbers, partially due to some niche events standing out more than expected, that viewership momentum could carry over four years later as fans become more familiar with the rules of curling and ski mountaineering, which had a fun debut at the Olympics in 2026.

When the NFL’s free-agent signing period opens in March, one more veteran quarterback will be added to the list of available players. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will be released on the first day of the 2026 league year, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday.

Cunningham made those comments during a local radio interview. He said he spoke to both Cousins and his agent about the move.

Cousins, 37, still showed some ability with the Falcons down the stretch. Following a season-ending injury to Michael Penix Jr., Cousins started the final seven games of the regular season for Atlanta. He threw for 1,471 yards, 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions during those contests. The Falcons went 5-2 with Cousins under center down the stretch, but that wasn’t good enough to push the team into the playoffs.

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While Cousins already knows his fate, the Falcons will wait until March 11 — when the 2026 league year begins — to make the move for salary cap reasons.

Once he becomes available, Cousins will join a free-agent quarterback market littered with older veterans like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco. All four of those players could draw interest from teams, though none of them, with the exception of Rodgers, seems likely to be guaranteed a starting job.

Cousins turned in an excellent 12 seasons to start his NFL career, but an Achilles injury in his final season with the Minnesota Vikings cast doubt on his future. Cousins returned quickly from that injury, but struggled in his first year with the Falcons in 2024, eventually being benched for Penix.

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While Cousins showed signs of life down the stretch, it’s unclear whether that will lead to a significant role in 2026. The veteran might still have some ability in his right arm, and could help a team win some games next season, but he may have to compete for playing time on his new club.

Charles Bediako isn’t giving up on his quest to play for No. 17 Alabama again this season. But he suffered another setback on Tuesday.

Bediako has appealed the ruling preventing him from competing with the Crimson Tide to the Alabama Supreme Court. As part of that appeal, Bediako asked Monday for interim injunctive relief so that he could get back on the court before the court hears the appeal.

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Tuesday, Judge Daniel Pruet denied Bediako’s request for the injunctive relief, meaning Bediako is still ineligible. Pruet previously ruled that Bediako was ineligible to continue playing with the program.

Bediako had filed the request for the interim injunction because since Alabama’s regular season is almost over, his appeal to attempt to play again would “become moot without interim relief.” Bediako has been helping the Crimson Tide as a scout team member ever since he was deemed ineligible.

The Crimson Tide hold a 20-7 record and sit second in the SEC standings entering Wednesday’s game against Mississippi State. They have four games left in the regular season, which will end with a rivalry matchup against Auburn on March 7.

Charles Bediako’s saga continues

Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA earlier this year in order to return to Alabama, where he had last played during the 2022-23 campaign. Bediako entered the NBA Draft after that season, but was not selected. He then spent the last few seasons in the G League, playing in six games for the Motor City Cruise this season.

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Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order in January, which allowed him to play with Alabama again after the NCAA had initially denied the request. Bediako ended up appearing in five games with the Crimson Tide, and averaged 10 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest over that span. Alabama went 3-2 with him.

[Get more Crimson Tide news: Alabama team feed]

But then earlier this month, Pruet overruled the temporary restraining order that Bediako was granted. The judge who had originally granted that order to allow him to play was removed from the case after revelations that he was an active donor to Alabama athletics. The new ruling then made Bediako ineligible once more, and Alabama has been playing without him since.

The NCAA praised the decision, and said that “common sense won a round.” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey argued against granting Bediako eligibility in an affidavit, saying that it could fuel “disruption in college sports.”

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Bediako is one of several former professional players trying to make their way into the college ranks again. Baylor signed former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji in December, though he never played in an NBA game and instead was with FC Barcelona since 2020. Two other G League players are set to play for programs next season.

“There’s a reason … there’s a lot of G League players trying to come back to college,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said after Bediako was ruled ineligible again. “The money’s a lot better. The development is a lot better. You get a full-time dietician, full-time strength coach, you’re not traveling on commercial flights, spending all your time in airports, not being able to develop.

“Charles actually has lost weight since he went to the G League. His development wasn’t what you would think being a pro. You’re more of a professional able to focus on getting your body right in college. He’s here. He’s in school. We’re going to help him try to gain weight back he’s lost since he was in the G League. We’re going to continue to help his basketball development. We’re going to continue to help his development as a student, as a student-athlete.”

Even in the offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles can create plenty of drama. Head coach Nick Sirianni met with reporters at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday, where he was non-committal on whether mercurial wideout A.J. Brown would remain with the team for the 2026 season.

When asked about the situation, Sirianni said he wants Brown to be on the team, but the coach said he “can’t guarantee” that, per ESPN.

“Will A.J. be here next season? I think we’re still in a spot, like, I can’t guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season. I’m thinking I’m going to be the coach next season but you can’t guarantee anything past tomorrow,” he said.

Sirianni was making a larger point about how nothing is guaranteed. So, his comments shouldn’t be viewed as a direct shot at Brown. But Sirianni also could have just said, “Yes, I expect him to be here and I want him to be here,” and left it at that. The fact that he did not take that track will undoubtedly fuel some rumors about Brown’s availability.

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Team general manager Howie Roseman also fed into those rumors, saying he would listen to trades on any player.

“You never know what someone is willing to do. Certainly, we’ve been in situations where there were guys we didn’t anticipate trading that we got an offer that was too good, and then you balance it with what you can get there.”

While the 28-year-old Brown has turned in some fantastic seasons with the Eagles, his frustrations with the team seemed to boil over at times in 2025. Brown had a few sideline outbursts and comments aimed at his usage and lack of targets.

His numbers rebounded after a slow start, but Brown finished with his second-lowest yardage total since entering the league and posted his lowest catch rate since 2022.

If the Eagles are going to part ways with Brown in the offseason, it would almost certainly come via a trade. Brown signed a three-year, $96 million extension with the club in 2024. That deal doesn’t kick in until next season, meaning Brown is under contract with the Eagles through 2029.

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While Brown is owed a lot of money over the next couple seasons, he’s still talented enough to draw interest from other teams around the league.

Brown seems certain to bounce back after somewhat of a down year in 2025. The only question now is whether that resurgent season will come with the Eagles.

Spring Training is underway and we’re about a month or so before the start of the 2026 MLB regular season. We have a few weeks to prepare for fantasy baseball drafts and in most formats, we’re monitoring for injuries or surprise performances during exhibition games. That will help us be more informed for our season-long drafts. But if you’re in a dynasty or keeper format, you likely have to do more prep likendigging deeper in the player pool, looking at some of the top prospects in baseball.

For those in keeper and dynasty formats, or managers who are looking to be prepared for later in the season when prospects could get called up, we’re going to go over some key players to monitor this spring.

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[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

Before we dive in, this list will include prospects who haven’t debuted in MLB yet and are generally going undrafted or past the top 200 picks in Yahoo fantasy baseball — you won’t see Roman Anthony on this list, but you will see …

Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Pirates

MLB.com prospect ranking: No. 1 overall

Griffin is the top prospect in baseball heading into this spring and the 2026 season. A first-round pick back in 2024 by Pittsburgh, Griffin has true 5-tool potential, standing at 6-foot-4 and 225 lbs. He’ll begin this season as a teenager at 19, turning 20 in late April. And while we rarely see anyone this young in MLB, Griffin could force the Pirates’ hand this season if he has a season anything close to resembling 2025.

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Last season, Griffin posted insane numbers across Single-A, High-A and Double-A ball. In 122 games, he had 21 HRs, 95 RBI, 65 stolen bases and a .941 OPS. While it’s a long shot for a 20-year-old to get called up, Griffin is simply too good and the Pirates may be wise to fast-track him to the big leagues. If he starts in AA, there’s a good chance he’ll get promoted to AAA at some point this season. That could mean Griffin gets a September call-up if Pittsburgh sells big at the deadline.

Keep an eye on Griffin this spring. If he puts on an offensive display, that could put more pressure on management to get him up quicker.

We’re trying to focus on players who aren’t being drafted on Yahoo but Griffin has an ADP of 206.1 early on. This is likely in keeper formats where managers will try and stash him in hopes of the call-up.

Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners

MLB.com prospect ranking: No. 9 overall

The reigning AL West champions could give Emerson, a 2023 first-rounder, a long look this spring. Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told MLB.com this month that “it’s not out of the question that [Emerson] earns a spot” on the team” for 2026. The 20-year-old was one of the best hitters in the minors last year, posting 16 HRs and 78 RBI with a .285/.383/.458 slash line in 130 games spanning High-A, AA and a brief stint in AAA-Tacoma, where he should begin 2026.

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JP Crawford and Josh Naylor are locked in at SS and 1B, respectively, for the M’s going into this season (pending an injury or something unforeseen). Newly-acquired Brendan Donovan should settle in at 2B while Cole Young, Miles Mastrobuoni, Leo Rivas and Ryan Bliss will fight for the 3B job/platoon work coming off the bench. It isn’t crazy to think Emerson can beat out that group and force the Mariners’ hand this spring.

We also know Seattle isn’t shy about keeping a youngster on the roster and giving him a chance to shine; we saw it with Julio Rodríguez back in 2022 as a 21-year-old rookie. That said, Emerson’s most likely path is in 2027, when Crawford becomes a free agent and SS opens up. But the M’s could have Emerson play other infield spots in AAA to prep him for a potential call-up this season. Eventually, he could help your fantasy team in batting average, plus he has some pop and speed.

Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins

MLB.com prospect ranking: No. 14 overall

The Twins aren’t expected to compete much in the AL Central behind Detroit, Cleveland and Kansas City this season (though you never know). If that’s the case, we could see Jenkins at some point later in the season. The Twins don’t have much talent behind Byron Buxton in the outfield with Matt Wallner likely to hold down RF in some type of platoon with Trevor Larnach and Ryan Kreidler. Austin Martin, James Outman and Alan Roden will also be in the mix for playing time/roster spots.

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It’s a crowded competition but one that doesn’t have a ton of standout options. That could leave the door open for Jenkins, who was the fifth overall pick in 2023. He’s played nearly 200 games at the minor-league level, which is significant for a 20-year-old. In 84 games last season between Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A, Jenkins had 10 HRs with 34 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a .286/.399/.451 slash line.

With Buxton at the World Baseball Classic, that could give Jenkins some more looks during the spring. Players could get dealt throughout the season in Minnesota if the team isn’t competitive by the summer. If that’s the case, Jenkins could get a call-up late in the season.

Thomas White, SP, Marlins

MLB.com prospect ranking: No. 17 overall

We usually see pitchers take a bit longer to develop in the minors but White has a legit shot to make it to the big leagues this season and be a difference-maker. He started last season as a 20-year-old in High-A ball and finished the campaign in Triple-A Jacksonville. A first-rounder back in 2023, White made 21 minor-league starts and had a 2.31 ERA with a pretty gaudy 14.6 K/9.

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As a left-handed pitcher, White already has an upper hand when it comes to getting to the next level. As do most lefties, he has a plus-slider that should help him miss plenty of bats in the big leagues. FanGraphs did a great interview with White heading into spring training to give you a better sense of the type of prospect he is.

The Marlins are one of the easier teams for a prospect to break into the league with since they generally aren’t competing; the franchise has made the playoffs just twice since winning the World Series in 2003. Sandy Alcantara and Chris Paddack could be trade fodder, which would open up a few spots in the rotation this season. White could occupy one of those spots if he has a solid spring and/or performs well at Triple-A early on in 2026. White could be a great source of strikeouts whenever the call comes.

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Andrew Painter, SP, Phillies

MLB.com prospect ranking: No. 28 overall

Painter is getting selected toward the end of drafts with an ADP of 203.5 on Yahoo. We could see that ADP rise over the course of this spring and that’s why Painter is a player to watch. We know Zack Wheeler is going to miss the start of the season and right now, FanGraphs has Painter penciled in as the fifth starter in the Philly rotation.

Painter has a high pedigree as the 13th overall pick in the 2021 draft and has plenty of minor-league experience. He’s also physically imposing at 6-foot-7 on the mound. He made 22 starts at Triple-A last season and while the numbers left much to be desired (5.40 ERA, 1.54 WHIP), Painter will have a chance in spring training to show he belongs in MLB.

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If Painter looks good over the course of the next few weeks, he’s not a bad deep sleeper pick in redraft formats, plus he has keeper appeal. The Phillies should boast a top-10 offense, which would give Painter plenty of run support. If he can refine his command and limit the long-balls, Painter has a shot to provide fantasy value in 2026 right away.

Other prospects to monitor: Kevin McGonigle, INF, DET; Spencer Jones, OF, NYY; Carlos Lagrange, SP, NYY; Travis Bazzana, INF, CLE

The Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock for the 2026 NFL Draft, but they have a big veteran question to figure out first.

There has been another round of trade rumors involving defensive end Maxx Crosby. Crosby reportedly wasn’t happy when the team put him on injured reserve late last season, a move that appeared to be an effort to secure the first pick of the draft. The Raiders did get that first pick after finishing 3-14, but there were lingering questions about the future of Crosby, one of the NFL’s best pass rushers.

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General manager John Spytek was asked if he anticipated Crosby being on the Raiders next season.

“I do, yes,” Spytek said at the NFL scouting combine.

That isn’t a guarantee the five-time Pro Bowler will remain in Las Vegas. Spytek could be holding onto whatever trade leverage he has. But the Raiders have resisted trading Crosby before, and Spytek said he’s confident Crosby will remain in Las Vegas.

“Maxx is an elite player,” Spytek said. “I’ve been very up front from the start when I got here: We’re in the business of having very good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them. It’s hard to build an elite team without them.”

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Spytek said Crosby has been in the Raiders’ building “every day” getting healthy. He said he believes Crosby wants to be with the Raiders still.

“Maxx and I have had great conversations, I’m comfortable there, yeah,” Spytek said.

It’s incredibly rare for an offensive lineman to become a big talking point coming out of the Super Bowl. But everyone saw New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell struggle against the Seattle Seahawks.

Campbell, the fourth overall pick of last year’s NFL Draft, was attacked by the Seahawks on defense and he allowed too many pressures in the biggest game of the season. Campbell struggled throughout the playoffs, but he had an injury excuse. Campbell revealed days after the Super Bowl that he was playing through a torn knee ligament.

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That’s a major reason the Patriots have defended Campbell after his rough postseason.

“When he came back from that injury, I personally didn’t see the same level of lower-body strength that you saw before the injury, and I think the film would attest to that,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday. “He probably had three of his four worst games in the playoffs. But before that, I thought Will played really well all year.”

There has been discussion of Campbell moving to guard. Part of that is he has shorter arms than usual for a left tackle. Earlier this offseason, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was adamant that Campbell wouldn’t switch positions, and Wolf echoed that he doesn’t have concerns about Campbell at left tackle.

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“I think everyone talks about the arm length, but he has a set of skills that enable him to play with that arm length,” Wolf said. “He’s really quick out of his stance, he’s technically sound, he’s adding more and more pass sets to his tool bag that he can use to combat different rushes. He’s 22 years old, and we expect some improvement out of him as well.”

The Patriots became the first team to start two rookies on the offensive line in a Super Bowl, with Campbell at left tackle and Jared Wilson at left guard. The line still seems like an area of need for the Patriots after it struggled to protect Drake Maye in the playoffs, but Wolf didn’t sound too concerned.

“With our best five out there we won a lot of football games,” Wolf said. “Obviously the last game was not very productive in a lot of areas on offense, and we’re just excited Will and Jared are made of the right stuff, and we’re excited about what they’re going to do moving forward.”

The High Score 100 — the top-100 players in Yahoo’s newest fantasy basketball format — is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production. Each weekly update captures who’s actually delivering value and who’s fading.

[It’s not too late to create or join a High Score league, a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring]

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Here’s a breakdown of the biggest movement heading into the season’s final weeks — with the complete High Score 100 at the bottom of the article. I’ll be updating my rankings every Tuesday throughout the fantasy season.

📈 Risers — Opportunity is knocking

Jarrett Allen — FC, Cleveland Cavaliers: 69th overall (⬆️ 21)

James Harden is a big man whisperer. Outside of Allen’s outlier 40-point, 17-rebound, 5-assist, 4-block performance in early February, he’s been regular for most of the season. He landed on the fallers’ list a few times, but since Harden’s arrival, it’s unlocked a more aggressive side of Allen.

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He’s getting three more touches in the paint per game from Harden while being on the receiving end of 31% of his assists with the Cavs (leads the team). Over his last six games, he’s averaged 20.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and more than a stock per game. He’s shooting an insane 75% from the field. His bump in production led to a 21-spot jump in the ranks, as he’s been producing as a top-50 player over the past two weeks.

Hopefully, the stocks go up, but fantasy managers can’t be complaining with the substantial rise in scoring and rebounding these days. Allen is one of the deadline winners who could man the center spot for many champions by the end of the season.

Bennedict Mathurin — G/FC, LA Clippers: 74th overall (⬆️ 18)

Mathurin’s fantasy upside has been shining since landing in L.A. at the deadline. Over his first three games post-All-Star break, he’s averaging 28.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 32 minutes per game. That includes tying a career-high 38-point performance against Denver on Feb. 20, followed by 26 against the Lakers and 21 versus Orlando.

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The Clippers are letting him rock as the 1B to Kawhi Leonard, with PG Darius Garland still unable to make his debut since the trade. Mathurin’s putting up three more shots per game while getting a star whistle, going to the line almost nine times per game as a Clipper. When adding in his significant jump in usage rate to 31% with this unexpected rise in steals and assists, he’s been ballin’ in High Score formats.

Mathurin ranked 23rd in High Score over the last 7 days and 36th over the last 14 days. If he keeps this scoring pace up, there’s room to climb even higher.

Isaiah Collier — G, Utah Jazz: 87th overall (⬆️ 14)

Collier’s been awesome in relief of Keyonte George and is taking full advantage of his promotion to the starting lineup. Collier’s been one of the best facilitators in basketball in February, dishing out over 10 assists, while chipping in 16 points with 3 boards and 2.5 steals per contest. He’s been a top-20 player in High Score for a month, so the leap into the top 90 is no surprise despite ranking just outside the top 100 for the season.

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Until George is back, continue starting Collier with confidence. Even when George returns, he’s more than capable of providing enough counting stats — especially steals in less than a 30-minute per game capacity. The Jazz want to see what they have with their young players, so keep Collier locked in.

📉 Fallers — Injuries leading to setbacks

Franz Wagner — FC, Orlando Magic: 95th overall (⬇️ 45)

Wagner’s fantasy season is likely finished. I’ve left some margin in case he beats his recovery timeline, but don’t be surprised if he’s off the list by next week. He’s missed 28 games already thanks to his lingering ankle injury. He tried to return for two contests before the All-Star break, but recent tests confirmed he needs more time to rehab. The Magic will re-evaluate him in three weeks, which means he’s missing at least 10 more games.

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Wagner averaged 21.3 PPG in 28 games this season, but sitting on the bench won’t help fantasy managers at the most dire stretch of the season. He ranks 52nd among players in High Score on a per-game basis, so the production was strong when he was available. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, they need to decide whether it’s worth holding out hope in an injured list spot or cut bait.

Darius Garland — G, LA Clippers: 82nd overall (⬇️ 12)

Garland’s been out with an ankle injury since Jan. 24, so Clippers fans and fantasy managers are anxious to get him back into the lineup. Garland’s been participating in practice but not taking contact, so being deemed week-to-week doesn’t leave much optimism for an immediate return. Still, fantasy managers should continue to hold. The latest dip stems from his return timeline moving further to the right. At least the Clippers are teetering between the 9th and 10th seeds and are still actively competing for a playoff spot. That push should get him on the floor at some point in the next couple of weeks. When he’s ready, he’ll likely be second in usage to Kawhi and offers plenty of potential as the future lead guard in L.A.

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Kristaps Porziņģis — FC, Golden State Warriors: 90th overall (⬇️ 11)

The 11-spot slide is a bit generous considering we’ve only seen KP play in 18 games this season. It’s not his fault, as POTS is a very unpredictable disease where you don’t know when he’ll feel healthy enough to play. The Warriors had hoped to see him on the floor since they desperately need his scoring and rim protection, but he’ll miss at least the next two games — possibly more. When healthy, KP is a easily a top-100 player in High Score. However, I don’t expect to see him on a consistent enough basis to trust him for fantasy, which is unfortunate.

Complete High Score 100 rankings

The High Score 100 is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production.

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Note: Kings FC Domantas Sabonis was removed from the High Score 100 rankings after being ruled out for the remainder of the season.

After three years off, the World Baseball Classic is back, and the United States is looking to win its first title since 2017. The U.S. lost in the 2023 final to Japan, culminating with the memorable moment of Japan’s Shohei Ohtani striking out Mike Trout in the ninth inning.

This time around, the United States is the heavy favorite, opening at +140 to win the title at BetMGM sportsbooks, and currently the odds-on favorite at -105. Not surprisingly, the U.S. has generated the most bets (35.5%) and total dollars wagered (38.7%) among the 20 teams. The U.S. is the sportsbook’s biggest liability as well.

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The United States will begin its World Baseball Classic campaign in Pool B, with Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil.

Team Japan, led by Ohtani, has the next-best odds at +350 as it looks to defend its title, followed by the Dominican Republic at +400. Venezuela has 10-1 odds, but then no other team has better than 25-1 odds.

Puerto Rico opened with 12-1 odds, but currently has 25-1 odds, in large part due to New York Mets star Francisco Lindor announcing he wouldn’t be participating in the tournament after he was unable to get the mandatory insurance required for international competition.

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Six teams — Brazil, Israel, Great Britain, Australia, Nicaragua and Czechia — share the longest odds to win the 2026 World Baseball Classic at 500-1.

For everything you need to know about the event — which runs from March 5-17 — be sure to check out Yahoo Sports’ preview.

Title odds for every team

USA, -110

Japan, +350

Dominican Republic, +400

Venezuela, 10-1

Puerto Rico, 25-1

Mexico, 25-1

Canada, 50-1

Korea, 66-1

Cuba, 100-1

Netherlands, 100-1

Colombia, 100-1

Italy, 100-1

Chinese Taipei, 250-1

Panama, 250-1

Brazil, 500-1

Israel, 500-1

Great Britain, 500-1

Australia, 500-1

Nicaragua, 500-1

Czechia, 500-1