Twenty teams, ten days, one stadium in Williamsport that turns into the center of the baseball world every August. The 2026 Little League World Series schedule opens Wednesday with four games on ESPN and doesn’t let up until the championship on ABC eleven days later — and this year comes with a real storyline attached: can an international team finally snap the U.S. team’s recent winning streak?
Who’s Playing: The 2026 Field
United States Teams
- Great Lakes: West Side LL (Hamilton, Ohio)
- Metro: Bayonne Central LL (Bayonne, New Jersey)
- Mid-Atlantic: East Side LL (West Chester, Pennsylvania)
- Midwest: Davenport Northwest LL (Davenport, Iowa)
- Mountain: Paseo Verde LL (Henderson, Nevada)
- New England: Bridgewater Joe Lozaro LL (Bridgewater, Massachusetts)
- Northwest: Soundview LL (Tacoma, Washington)
- Southeast: Phenix City Youth Baseball LL (Phenix City, Alabama)
- Southwest: Boerne LL (Boerne, Texas)
- West: Sweetwater Valley LL (Bonita, California)
International Teams
- Asia-Pacific: West Seoul (B) LL (Seoul, South Korea)
- Australia: Ryde Little League (Sydney, New South Wales)
- Canada: Little Mountain LLC (Vancouver, British Columbia)
- Caribbean: Los Nacionales LL (Santiago, Dominican Republic)
- Curaçao: Pariba LL (Willemstad, Curaçao)
- Europe-Africa: South Czech Republic LL (Brno, Czechia)
- Japan: Joto LL (Tokyo, Japan)
- Latin America: Ministerio Sobre Las Alas Del Aguila LL (Leon, Nicaragua)
- Mexico: Municipal De Tijuana LL (Tijuana, Baja California)
- Panama: David Doleguita LL (Chiriquí, Panama)
2026 Little League World Series Schedule (All Times ET)
Wednesday, August 19
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin America vs. Caribbean | 1:00 PM | ESPN |
| 2 | Southeast vs. Northwest | 3:00 PM | ESPN |
| 3 | Canada vs. Asia-Pacific | 5:00 PM | ESPN |
| 4 | Metro vs. New England | 7:00 PM | ESPN |
Thursday, August 20
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Australia vs. Mexico | 12:00 PM | ESPN |
| 6 | Great Lakes vs. Mountain | 2:00 PM | ESPN |
| 7 | Curaçao vs. Japan | 4:00 PM | ESPN |
| 8 | West vs. Midwest | 6:00 PM | ESPN2 |
Friday, August 21
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Panama vs. Winner of Game 1 | 1:00 PM | ESPN |
| 10 | Southwest vs. Winner of Game 2 | 3:00 PM | ESPN |
| 11 | Europe-Africa vs. Winner of Game 3 | 5:00 PM | ESPN |
| 12 | Mid-Atlantic vs. Winner of Game 4 | 7:00 PM | ESPN |
Saturday, August 22
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 5 | 1:00 PM | ESPN |
| 14 | Loser of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 6 | 4:00 PM | ESPN |
| 15 | Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 7 | 5:00 PM | ESPN |
| 16 | Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 8 | 7:00 PM | ESPN |
Sunday, August 23
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 10 | 9:00 AM | ESPN |
| 18 | Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 9 | 11:00 AM | ESPN |
| 19 | Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 12 | 1:00 PM | ABC |
| 20 | Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 11 | 2:00 PM | ESPN |
Monday, August 24
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Loser of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 13 | 1:00 PM | ESPN |
| 22 | Loser of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 14 | 3:00 PM | ESPN |
| 23 | Loser of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 15 | 5:00 PM | ESPN |
| 24 | Loser of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 16 | 7:00 PM | ESPN |
Tuesday, August 25
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Loser of Game 18 vs. Winner of Game 23 | 1:00 PM | ESPN |
| 26 | Loser of Game 17 vs. Winner of Game 24 | 3:00 PM | ESPN |
| 27 | Loser of Game 20 vs. Winner of Game 21 | 5:00 PM | ESPN |
| 28 | Loser of Game 19 vs. Winner of Game 22 | 7:00 PM | ESPN |
Wednesday, August 26
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Winner of Game 18 vs. Winner of Game 20 | 1:00 PM | ESPN |
| 30 | Winner of Game 17 vs. Winner of Game 19 | 3:00 PM | ESPN |
| 31 | Winner of Game 25 vs. Winner of Game 27 | 5:00 PM | ESPN |
| 32 | Winner of Game 26 vs. Winner of Game 28 | 7:00 PM | ESPN |
Thursday, August 27
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Loser of Game 29 vs. Winner of Game 31 | 3:00 PM | ESPN |
| 34 | Loser of Game 30 vs. Winner of Game 32 | 7:00 PM | ESPN |
Saturday, August 29 — Championship Day
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | International Championship: Winner of Game 29 vs. Winner of Game 33 | 12:30 PM | ABC |
| 36 | U.S. Championship: Winner of Game 30 vs. Winner of Game 34 | 3:30 PM | ABC |
Sunday, August 30 — World Championship
| Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Third-Place Game: Loser of Game 35 vs. Loser of Game 36 | 10:00 AM | ESPN |
| 38 | World Championship: Winner of Game 35 vs. Winner of Game 36 | 3:00 PM | ABC |
Two Champions Before There’s One Champion
The bracket structure here is worth explaining if you’re new to the LLWS format. Teams get split into a U.S. bracket and an International bracket, and each one crowns its own champion — the International Championship (Game 35) and the U.S. Championship (Game 36), both on August 29. Only then do those two winners meet in the actual World Championship on August 30. It’s a two-stage crown before the real trophy gets handed out.
Can Anyone Stop the U.S. Streak?
Chinese Taipei enters as the defending champion, and the storyline the broadcast keeps coming back to is simple: American teams have controlled the World Championship game in recent years, and every international entry — from South Korea to the Dominican Republic to Curaçao — is playing with that streak in mind. Nicaragua, Japan, and South Korea all arrive with the pedigree to make a real run at ending it.
MORE: 2026 Little League World Series Game Today: Full Schedule, Scores, Teams
FAQ
Q: When does the 2026 Little League World Series start?
A: The 2026 Little League World Series schedule opens Wednesday, August 19, with four games starting at 1:00 PM ET on ESPN.
Q: When is the Little League World Series championship game in 2026?
A: The LLWS championship game 2026 is set for Sunday, August 30, at 3:00 PM ET on ABC, following the third-place consolation game earlier that morning.
Q: How many teams are in the 2026 Little League World Series?
A: Twenty teams make up the Little League World Series teams 2026 field — ten from the United States and ten international squads, split into separate U.S. and International brackets.
Q: How can I watch the 2026 Little League World Series?
A: Games air across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, with select games also streaming on ESPN+.
