2026 IIHF World U18 Championship Division III
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International ice hockey competition
Host countries
Hong Kong
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hong Kong
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVenues2 (in 2 host cities)
Dates2–8 March 2026 (A)
13–19 February 2026 (B)
13–19 February 2026 (B)
Teams12
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host countries | Hong Kong Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Venues | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
| Dates | 2–8 March 2026 (A) 13–19 February 2026 (B) |
| Teams | 12 |
The 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship Division III consisted of two international under-18 ice hockey tournaments organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Divisions III A and III B represent the sixth and the seventh tier of the IIHF World U18 Championship.
Participating teams
International ice hockey competition
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Hong Kong |
| City | Hong Kong |
| Venue | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Dates | 2–8 March 2026 |
| Teams | 6 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 152 (10.13 per game) |
| Attendance | 4,650 (310 per game) |
| Scoring leader |  Emin İnandı (20 points) |
| Official website | |
| www.iihf.com | |
The Division III Group A tournament will be played in Hong Kong, China, from 2 to 8 March 2026.[1][2]
| Team | Qualification |
|---|---|
 Bulgaria | Placed 6th in Division II B last year and were relegated |
| Turkey | Placed 2nd in Division III A last year |
 Israel | Placed 3rd in Division III A last year |
| Hong Kong | Hosts; placed 4th in Division III A last year |
 New Zealand | Placed 5th in Division III A last year |
 Uzbekistan | Placed 1st in Division III B last year and were promoted |
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 16 | +21 | 14 | Promotion to the 2027 Division II B |
| 2 | Hong Kong (H) |
5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 14 | +19 | 12 | |
| 3 | Israel |
5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 23 | +7 | 9 | |
| 4 | Turkey |
5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 7 | |
| 5 | Bulgaria |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 32 | −17 | 3 | |
| 6 | New Zealand |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 42 | −34 | 0 | Relegation to the 2027 Division III B |
Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host
Match results
All times are local (Hong Kong Time; UTC+8).
| 2 March 2026 13:00 | Israel | 9–5 (2–1, 1–2, 6–2) | Bulgaria | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 225 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||
| 51 | Shots | 22 | ||
| 2 March 2026 16:30 | Turkey | 10–2 (2–2, 4–0, 4–0) | New Zealand | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 245 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 min | Penalties | 12 min | ||
| 51 | Shots | 28 | ||
| 2 March 2026 20:30 | Uzbekistan | 6–2 (2–1, 2–1, 2–0) | Hong Kong | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 450 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 min | Penalties | 12 min | ||
| 37 | Shots | 34 | ||
| 3 March 2026 13:00 | Turkey | 5–6 (2–1, 2–1, 1–4) | Israel | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 175 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 min | Penalties | 10 min | ||
| 32 | Shots | 49 | ||
| 3 March 2026 16:30 | New Zealand | 2–13 (1–5, 0–4, 1–4) | Uzbekistan | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 230 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||
| 19 | Shots | 65 | ||
| 3 March 2026 20:30 | Bulgaria | 0–11 (0–3, 0–2, 0–6) | Hong Kong | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 450 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 min | Penalties | 4 min | ||
| 17 | Shots | 65 | ||
| 5 March 2026 13:00 | Bulgaria | 5–3 (0–1, 3–1, 2–1) | New Zealand | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 125 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||
| 54 | Shots | 23 | ||
| 5 March 2026 16:30 | Turkey | 6–7 OT (2–2, 1–4, 3–0) (OT: 0–1) | Uzbekistan | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 270 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 min | Penalties | 12 min | ||
| 45 | Shots | 36 | ||
| 5 March 2026 20:30 | Israel | 4–6 (0–2, 1–3, 3–1) | Hong Kong | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 475 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 min | Penalties | 47 min | ||
| 61 | Shots | 47 | ||
| 6 March 2026 13:00 | Uzbekistan | 5–3 (3–0, 1–2, 1–1) | Bulgaria | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 130 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||
| 41 | Shots | 15 | ||
| 6 March 2026 16:30 | New Zealand | 1–8 (0–6, 1–0, 0–2) | Israel | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 190 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 min | Penalties | 0 min | ||
| 23 | Shots | 60 | ||
| 6 March 2026 20:30 | Hong Kong | 8–4 (2–2, 4–2, 2–0) | Turkey | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 500 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 min | Penalties | 6 min | ||
| 47 | Shots | 39 | ||
| 8 March 2026 13:00 | Israel | 3–6 (1–1, 1–4, 1–1) | Uzbekistan | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 350 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 min | Penalties | 10 min | ||
| 50 | Shots | 47 | ||
| 8 March 2026 16:30 | Bulgaria | 2–4 (1–2, 1–1, 0–1) | Turkey | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 235 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 min | Penalties | 10 min | ||
| 34 | Shots | 42 | ||
| 8 March 2026 20:30 | Hong Kong | 6–0 (1–0, 4–0, 1–0) | New Zealand | DB Ice Rink Attendance: 600 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||
| 77 | Shots | 15 | ||
Division III B
International ice hockey competition
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| City | Sarajevo |
| Venue | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Dates | 13–19 February 2026 |
| Teams | 6 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 135 (9 per game) |
| Attendance | 1,570 (105 per game) |
| Scoring leader |  Theetachthan Luang-On (16 points) |
| Official website | |
| www.iihf.com | |
The Division III Group B tournament was played in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 13 to 19 February 2026.[3][4]
This tournament was played under a new format. The teams were divided into two groups of three using the serpentine system. In the group stage, each team from Group A faced all three opponents from Group B, and vice versa. The top two teams from each group advanced to the semifinals, which were played as A1 vs. A2, and B1 vs. B2.[5]
Participating teams
| Team | Qualification |
|---|---|
 Iceland | Placed 6th in Division III A last year and were relegated |
| Thailand | Placed 2nd in Division III B last year |
 Turkmenistan | Placed 3rd in Division III B last year |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Hosts; placed 4th in Division III B last year |
 South Africa | Placed 5th in Division III B last year |
 Luxembourg | placed 6th in Division III B last year |
Group stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 6 | +13 | 6 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (H) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 18 | −5 | 5 | |
| 3 | South Africa |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 3 | Relegation round |
Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) total goals; 4) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) total goals; 4) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 9 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Turkmenistan |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 3 | |
| 3 | Luxembourg |
3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 26 | −16 | 1 | Relegation round |
Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) total goals; 4) seeding before tournament.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) total goals; 4) seeding before tournament.
Match results
All times are local (Central European Time; UTC+1).
| 13 February 2026 12:30 | South Africa | 3–4 (1–1, 1–2, 1–1) | Turkmenistan | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 50 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||
| 33 | Shots | 32 | ||
| 13 February 2026 16:00 | Luxembourg | 1–12 (0–2, 0–4, 1–6) | Iceland | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 50 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 min | Penalties | 30 min | ||
| 8 | Shots | 61 | ||
| 13 February 2026 19:30 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3–12 (0–4, 2–2, 1–6) | Thailand | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 250 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 min | Penalties | 18 min | ||
| 25 | Shots | 36 | ||
| 14 February 2026 12:30 | Iceland | 5–1 (3–0, 2–1, 0–0) | Turkmenistan | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 50 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 min | Penalties | 18 min | ||
| 55 | Shots | 21 | ||
| 14 February 2026 16:00 | Thailand | 4–2 (2–0, 1–1, 1–1) | South Africa | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 50 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 min | Penalties | 14 min | ||
| 43 | Shots | 19 | ||
| 14 February 2026 19:30 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 7–6 OT (5–0, 0–3, 1–3) (OT: 1–0) | Luxembourg | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 300 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||
| 33 | Shots | 33 | ||
| 16 February 2026 12:30 | South Africa | 7–3 (1–2, 2–0, 4–1) | Luxembourg | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 30 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 min | Penalties | 14 min | ||
| 39 | Shots | 19 | ||
| 16 February 2026 16:00 | Iceland | 2–4 (1–1, 0–1, 1–2) | Thailand | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 30 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 min | Penalties | 10 min | ||
| 32 | Shots | 25 | ||
| 16 February 2026 19:30 | Turkmenistan | 0–3 (0–0, 0–1, 0–2) | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Skenderija Sports Arena |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 min | Penalties | 6 min | ||
| 21 | Shots | 49 | ||
Playoffs
Brackets
| Semifinals | Final | ||||||||
| B1 | Thailand
| 14 | |||||||
| B2 | Turkmenistan
| 0 | |||||||
| Thailand (OT)
| 4 | ||||||||
| Iceland
| 3 | ||||||||
| A1 | Iceland
| 8 | |||||||
| A2 | Bosnia and Herzegovina
| 2 | Third place game | ||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina
| 4 | ||||||||
| Turkmenistan
| 1 | ||||||||
| Relegation round | ||||||
| A3 | South Africa
| 2 | 9 | 1 | ||
| B3 | Luxembourg
| 6 | 2 | 0 | ||
Relegation round
| 18 February 2026 12:30 | South Africa | 2–6 (1–2, 0–3, 1–1) | Luxembourg | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 30 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 min | Penalties | 14 min | ||
| 33 | Shots | 34 | ||
| 19 February 2026 12:30 | Luxembourg | 2–9 (0–4, 1–1, 1–4) | South Africa | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 30 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 min | Penalties | 14 min | ||
| 31 | Shots | 41 | ||
| An extra overtime period was played following the conclusion of the game since both teams had won one game each. Latita Ngqola scored at 4:59 to win the relegation round for South Africa. |
Semifinals
| 18 February 2026 16:00 | Thailand | 14–0 (5–0, 5–0, 4–0) | Turkmenistan | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 30 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 min | Penalties | 16 min | ||
| 58 | Shots | 12 | ||
| 18 February 2026 19:30 | Iceland | 8–2 (3–2, 3–0, 2–0) | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 200 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 min | Penalties | 10 min | ||
| 45 | Shots | 23 | ||
Third place game
| 19 February 2026 16:00 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4–1 (1–0, 3–0, 0–1) | Turkmenistan | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 100 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 min | Penalties | 20 min | ||
| 28 | Shots | 25 | ||
Final
| 19 February 2026 19:30 | Thailand | 4–3 OT (1–1, 0–1, 2–1) (OT: 1–0) | Iceland | Skenderija Sports Arena Attendance: 70 |
| Game reference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 min | Penalties | 10 min | ||
| 27 | Shots | 36 | ||
Source: Match schedule
Final standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 10 | +28 | 14 | First place / Promoted to the 2027 Division III A |
| 2 | Iceland |
5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 12 | +18 | 10 | Second place |
| 3 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 27 | −8 | 8 | Third place |
| 4 | Turkmenistan |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 29 | −23 | 3 | Fourth place |
| 5 | South Africa |
5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 19 | +5 | 6 | Fifth place |
| 6 | Luxembourg |
5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 38 | −20 | 4 | Sixth place, possible relegation |
Source: IIHF
References
- ↑ 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship Division III A official website, www.iihf.com
- ↑ 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship Division III A statistics, stats.iihf.com
- ↑ 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship Division III B official website, www.iihf.com
- ↑ 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship Division III B statistics, stats.iihf.com
- ↑ "IIHF to trial new format for lower division tournaments". www.iihf.com.
Current champions (2025):  Canada | |
| 2026 Championship teams | |
| Championships |
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| Division I | |
| Division II | |
| Division III | |
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| National team tournaments |
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| Leagues |
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