2026 World Snooker Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 April – 4 May 2026 |
| Venue | Crucible Theatre |
| City | Sheffield |
| Country | England |
| Organisation | World Snooker Tour |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Defending champion | Zhao Xintong (CHN) |
← 2025 | |
The 2026 World Snooker Championship is an upcoming professional snooker tournament that will take place from 18 April to 4 May 2026 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the 50th consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship will be staged at the venue. Zhao Xintong will be the defending champion, having defeated Mark Williams 18–12 in the 2025 final to win his maiden world title.[1] Zhao will be the 21st player to face the so-called Crucible curse, referring to the fact that no first-time champion has retained the title since the tournament moved to the Crucible in 1977.[2]
Background
The inaugural 1927 World Snooker Championship, then known as the Professional Championship of Snooker, took place at various venues in England between November 1926 and May 1927. Joe Davis won the final—held at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham from 9 to 12 May 1927—and went on to win the tournament 15 consecutive times before retiring undefeated after the 1946 edition (no tournaments were held from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II).[3][4][5] The tournament went into abeyance after only two players contested the 1952 edition, due to a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC). The PBPA established an alternative tournament, the World Professional Match-play Championship, of which the six editions held between 1952 and 1957 are retroactively regarded as legitimate continuations of the World Snooker Championship. However, due to waning public interest in snooker during the post-war era, that tournament was also discontinued, and the world title was uncontested between 1958 and 1963.[3][4]
Then-professional player Rex Williams was instrumental in reviving the World Snooker Championship on a challenge basis in 1964. John Pulman, winner of the 1957 World Professional Match-play Championship, defended the world title across seven challenge matches between 1964 and 1968. The World Snooker Championship reverted to an annual knockout tournament for the 1969 edition, marking the beginning of the championship's "modern era".[6][7] The 1977 edition was the first staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where it has remained since.[8][9] The most successful players in the modern era are Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan, each having won the title seven times.[10] Hendry is the tournament's youngest winner, having captured his first title at the 1990 event, aged 21 years and 106 days.[11] O'Sullivan became the oldest winner when he secured his seventh title at the 2022 event, aged 46 years and 148 days.[12] O'Sullivan, who made his 33rd consecutive appearance at the 2025 event, has featured at the Crucible more times than any other player.[13][14]
Zhao Xintong will be the defending champion, having defeated Mark Williams 18–12 in the 2025 final to win his first world title.[15]
Format
The main stage of the tournament will take place from 18 April to 4 May at the Crucible Theatre.[16][17]
References
- ^ Sutcliffe, Steve (5 May 2025). "World Snooker Championship 2025: Zhao Xintong claims historic victory over Mark Williams in Crucible final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ Chowdhury, Tasnim (17 April 2025). "What is the Crucible curse at the World Snooker Championship?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ a b Everton, Clive (1986). The History of Snooker and Billiards. Haywards Heath: Partridge Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-85225-013-3.
- ^ a b Turner, Chris (2008). "World Professional Championship". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Joe Davis, a snooker champion who retired unbeaten, Was 77". The New York Times. 11 July 1978. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Nunns, Hector; Hendon, David. "Full history". WPBSA. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Wright, Joe (30 April 2023). "Who has won the most World Snooker Championship titles? Hendry, O'Sullivan, Davis and the players with the most trophies". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "Halo World Championship". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ "World Snooker Championship in Sheffield". Sheffield City Council. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Sutcliffe, Steve (3 May 2022). "World Snooker Championship 2022: Ronnie O'Sullivan plays down record-equalling seventh title". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ Millington, Sarah (2 February 2024). "Looking back to 1990: when Stephen Hendry became a snooker champion". News and Star. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ Hammer, Chris (22 January 2024). "Ronnie O'Sullivan's career statistics and records as he targets an eighth World Snooker Championship title at the Crucible". Sporting Life. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "World Snooker Championship 2025: Ronnie O'Sullivan set for return". BBC Sport. 22 April 2025. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ Emons, Michael (22 April 2025). "World Snooker Championship: Returning Ronnie O'Sullivan holds lead over Ali Carter". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ Sutcliffe, Steve (5 May 2025). "Zhao claims historic victory over Williams in Crucible final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "World Championship 2026". World Snooker Tour. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "World Championship 2026". snooker.org. Retrieved 6 May 2025.