World Snooker Championship Final Dates Announced
The final of the 2026 World Snooker Championship is scheduled for Sunday, 3 May, and Monday, 4 May.
O'Sullivan Begins Quest for Eighth Title Against He Guoqiang
Seven-time World Snooker Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will commence his pursuit of a record-breaking eighth world title by competing against China's debutant He Guoqiang at the Crucible Theatre.
O'Sullivan, aged 50, will start his first-round match on Tuesday at the Sheffield venue and complete it on Wednesday.
Qualifiers Join Top 16 for Tournament
This week, sixteen players advanced through qualifying rounds held at the English Institute of Sport, joining the world's top 16 ranked players in the tournament.
He Guoqiang, ranked 47th globally, secured his first Crucible qualification by defeating England's Jack Lisowski on Wednesday.
Defending Champion Zhao Xintong to Play Liam Highfield
Zhao Xintong made history as the first Chinese player to win the world title by capturing the 2025 championship. He will participate in the opening session on Saturday at 10:00 BST, facing England's Liam Highfield, who progressed through four qualifying rounds.
Draw Announced on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast
The tournament draw was revealed on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast on Thursday.
World number one Judd Trump will compete against Gary Wilson, while Masters champion Kyren Wilson is set to face 19-year-old debutant Stan Moody.
Four-time champion John Higgins will play two-time runner-up Ali Carter, and Mark Selby, also a four-time Crucible winner, will meet 2024 runner-up Jak Jones.
O'Sullivan and Hendry Share Modern Era Record
Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry each hold seven world titles in the modern era. O'Sullivan won his first championship 25 years ago, in 2001.
Competition Schedule and Venue Details
The 17-day tournament begins on Saturday, with the final scheduled for Sunday, 3 May, and Monday, 4 May. The BBC will provide full live coverage of the event.
The Crucible Theatre has hosted the World Championship annually since 1977. Last month, it was announced that the venue will continue to host the event until 2045. Plans include redevelopment to increase seating capacity by up to 500 additional seats.
Additional Tournament News
Former champion Luca Brecel did not secure a spot at the Crucible this year.
Matthew Stevens returned to the Crucible despite limited practice.
Teenager Stan Moody qualified for the tournament after recovering from a hospital stay.
World Snooker Championship First-Round Draw
All first-round matches are best of 19 frames. Seedings are indicated in brackets.
- Zhao Xintong (China, 1) v Liam Highfield (England)
- Ding Junhui (China, 16) v David Gilbert (England)
- Xiao Guodong (China, 9) v Zhou Yuelong (China)
- Shaun Murphy (England, 8) v Fan Zhengyi (China)
- John Higgins (Scotland, 5) v Ali Carter (England)
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (England, 12) v He Guoqiang (China)
- Chris Wakelin (England, 13) v Liam Pullen (England)
- Neil Robertson (Australia, 4) v Pang Junxu (China)
- Kyren Wilson (England, 3) v Stan Moody (England)
- Mark Allen (Northern Ireland, 14) v Zhang Anda (China)
- Barry Hawkins (England, 11) v Matthew Stevens (Wales)
- Mark Williams (Wales, 6) v Antoni Kowalski (Poland)
- Mark Selby (England, 7) v Jak Jones (Wales)
- Wu Yize (China, 10) v Lei Peifan (China)
- Si Jiahui (China, 15) v Hossein Vafaei (Iran)
- Judd Trump (England, 2) v Gary Wilson (England)
The first-round matches will be played from Saturday, 18 April to Thursday, 23 April.
