Twenty teams competed in the 2026 Little League World Series.
The field consisted of 10 teams from the United States and 10 teams from international regions. Each team entered through a designated U.S. or international regional pathway.
The United States side included regions such as Mountain, Great Lakes, Midwest, Metro, Northwest, and Southwest. The international field included regions such as Japan, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Panama, and Curaçao.
The 20-team format created separate United States and international brackets before the championship game. The winners of those two brackets met for the overall title, which Curaçao won over Mountain.