The year 2026 opens with a contrasting calendar for French baseball and softball. Between well-established national competitions, affirmed European ambitions, and some areas of uncertainty, the season promises to be strategic, if not abundant.
Division 1: Eight Clubs Seeking Confirmation
The Division 1 championship will resume on the weekend of April 4-5. Fourteen rounds will punctuate the regular season, before the final phases scheduled for September 19-20 and 26-27.
Eight teams will be present. Relegated to Division 2, Metz gives way to PUC. Béziers begins its second consecutive season among the elite, while Rouen puts its title back into play after its coronation in 2025.
Another highlight: the Challenge de France, which will bring together the eight Division 1 teams from May 14-17 in Toulouse and Bon-Encontre, in a seven-inning format. The 2025 edition was won by Savigny.
On the continental stage, the European Cup will take place from June 15-20 in Karlovac, Croatia. The French clubs Rouen Baseball 76 and Savigny Lions will attempt to shine against the locals of Karlovac, Brno, and Brasschaat. In 2025, Tenerife won the final against Montpellier, after eliminating Rouen in the semifinals. The objective is clear: to win the title for one of the two French teams and regain, in 2027, the higher level of European competitions.
Division 2 and Division 3: Density and Renewal
Division 2 will begin on April 12. After nine rounds, the finals will be played on September 13 and 20. In 2025, PUC dominated Meyzieu in the final, validating its return to the elite.
Division 3, a young and structuring championship, begins its second season. The kick-off is on April 12 for nine rounds, with sixteen teams divided into four pools. Montpellier is the title holder.
Softball: The Comanches in the Lead
The softball calendar will be marked by two Challenges de France:
- Men’s: from May 1-3 in Évry-Courcouronnes (2025 winner: Cavigal de Nice).
- Women’s: from May 23-30 (2025 winner: Comanches de Saint-Raphaël).
The women’s Division 1 championship will begin on the weekend of March 22. After ten rounds, the finals will take place on October 4 and 11. The Comanches de Saint-Raphaël, already crowned in 2025, will be the favorites.
On the European stage, the Comanches de Saint-Raphaël, winners of the European Cup last year, will compete in the European Cup B from August 17-22 in Hungary.
However, no official information has yet been released regarding a national men’s championship in 2026.
Baseball5: Heading to Toulouse and Dakar
The thriving discipline of Baseball5 will have two major appointments. The French Internationals will take place in Toulouse from July 3-5. In 2025, the French senior team won this edition.
But the flagship event will undoubtedly be the Youth Olympic Games, organized in Dakar from October 31 to November 13. For the first time, eight mixed junior teams, including France, will compete in an official tournament. An Olympic medal becomes a credible objective for the French selection.
Federal Events and International Scene
The French Federation will hold its General Assembly on March 14 at INSEP.
In terms of refereeing, Serge Makouchetchev will represent France from March 6-11 in Miami as part of the World Baseball Classic, within group D (Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Netherlands, Israel, Nicaragua).
Indeed, this World Baseball Classic, a major world tournament, will take place from March 5-17, with four pools of five teams divided between the United States, Japan, and Puerto Rico. The final will be held in Miami on March 17 at 8 pm local time (2 am in France). The reigning champion is Japan. Five European nations will be engaged: England, Italy, Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Israel.
The world federation has also announced the qualification modes for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games in both baseball and softball. It’s hard to see how our French senior teams could compete, but…
World Rankings: Stable Positions
At the beginning of 2026, the French teams occupy the following ranks:
- Men’s Baseball: 25th worldwide, 7th in Europe
- Men’s Softball: not ranked
- Women’s Softball: 21st worldwide, 8th in Europe
- Baseball5: 3rd worldwide
A Moderate Year, an Expected Awakening
On an international scale, 2026 appears relatively sparse for the French national teams, with few major competitions on the program and persistent uncertainty surrounding men’s softball.
Another constant: the still discreet communication from Division 1 clubs regarding their ambitions, recruitments, or infrastructure projects — with the notable exception of Rouen. As often, the real media kick-off will take place in March, on the eve of the first matches.
Transition season or pivotal year? The answer will come on the fields.
