2026 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships
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The 2026 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships are the 89th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams will participate at several levels of competition based on their 2025 results. The competition will also serve as qualifications for division placements in the 2027 edition.
As a test, two divisions will play their tournament with two groups, with a knockout stage to follow and the winner of the final to be promoted. The last-placed teams of each group will play a two-game series to determine the relegated team.[1]
Championship (Top Division)
The tournament is being held in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, from 15 to 31 May 2026.[2]
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Switzerland (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 9 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 |  Finland |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 9 | |
| 3 |  Austria |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 9 | |
| 4 |  Hungary |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3 | |
| 5 |  United States |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 3 | Qualified for the 2027 IIHF World Championship |
| 6 |  Latvia |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 3 | |
| 7 |  Germany |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 0 | |
| 8 |  Great Britain |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | −12 | 0 | Relegated to the 2027 Division I A |
Updated to match(es) played on 19 May 2026. 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
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Canada |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 9 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 |  Slovakia |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 8 | |
| 3 |  Czechia |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 7 | |
| 4 |  Norway |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 6 | |
| 5 |  Sweden |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 3 | Qualified for the 2027 IIHF World Championship |
| 6 |  Slovenia |
3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 3 | |
| 7 |  Denmark |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 0 | |
| 8 |  Italy |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | −13 | 0 | Relegated to the 2027 Division I A |
Updated to match(es) played on 19 May 2026. 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
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
Bracket
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 28 May | ||||||||||
1A | ||||||||||
| 30 May | ||||||||||
4B | ||||||||||
| 28 May | ||||||||||
1B | ||||||||||
| 31 May | ||||||||||
4A | ||||||||||
| 28 May | ||||||||||
2A | ||||||||||
| 30 May | ||||||||||
3B | ||||||||||
| 28 May | ||||||||||
| Third place | ||||||||||
2B | ||||||||||
| 31 May | ||||||||||
3A | ||||||||||
Final standings
Teams finishing fifth in the preliminary round were ranked ninth and tenth, teams finishing sixth were ranked 11th and 12th, and so on.[3]
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Final Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Champions | |
| 2 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Runners-up | |
| 3 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Third place | |
| 4 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fourth place | |
| 5 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Eliminated in Quarterfinals | |
| 6 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Eliminated in Preliminary round | |
| 10 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 11 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 13 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 14 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 15 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegated to the 2027 IIHF World Championship Division I | |
| 16 | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 15 May 2026. Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) position in the group; 2) number of points; 3) goal difference; 4) goals scored; 5) seeding before tournament.
Rules for classification: 1) position in the group; 2) number of points; 3) goal difference; 4) goals scored; 5) seeding before tournament.
Division I
Group A
The tournament was held in Sosnowiec, Poland from 2 to 8 May 2026.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kazakhstan |
5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 8 | +12 | 13 | Promotion to the 2027 Top Division |
| 2 |  Ukraine |
5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 10 | |
| 3 |  France |
5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 8[a] | |
| 4 |  Poland (H) |
5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 8[a] | |
| 5 |  Lithuania |
5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 4 | |
| 6 |  Japan |
5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 19 | −10 | 2 | Relegation to the 2027 Division I 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
Notes:
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
Notes:
- France 3–2 (GWS) Poland
Group B
The tournament was held in Shenzhen, China from 29 April to 5 May 2026.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Estonia |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 10 | +17 | 13 | Promotion to the 2027 Division I A |
| 2 |  China (H) |
5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 16 | +5 | 10[a] | |
| 3 |  Romania |
5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 9 | +10 | 10[a] | |
| 4 |  South Korea |
5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 17 | +3 | 9 | |
| 5 |  Spain |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 3 | |
| 6 |  Netherlands |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 26 | −21 | 0 |
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
Notes:
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
Notes:
- Romania 3–4 (OT) China
Division II
Group A
The tournament was scheduled to be held in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates from 20 to 26 April 2026.[4] On 18 March 2026, the tournament was postponed due to the 2026 Iran war.[5] It was cancelled on 7 April 2026.[6]
Teams
Group B
The tournament was held in Sofia, Bulgaria from 6 to 12 April 2026.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Israel |
5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 14 | +12 | 13 | |
| 2 |  New Zealand |
5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 20 | +9 | 10 | |
| 3 |  Iceland |
5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 18 | +3 | 9 | |
| 4 |  Bulgaria (H) |
5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 21 | −6 | 6 | |
| 5 |  Kyrgyzstan |
5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 23 | −7 | 4 | |
| 6 |  Chinese Taipei |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 28 | −11 | 3 | Relegated to the 2027 Division III A |
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
Division III
Group A
The tournament was held in Cape Town, South Africa from 13 to 19 April 2026.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Turkey |
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 10 | +18 | 15 | Promotion to the 2027 Division II B |
| 2 |  Mexico |
5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 20 | +6 | 9 | |
| 3 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 14 | +3 | 8 | |
| 4 |  South Africa (H) |
5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 26 | −9 | 7 | |
| 5 |  Thailand |
5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 29 | −11 | 5 | |
| 6 |  Turkmenistan |
5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 26 | −7 | 1 | 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
Group B
The tournament was held in Hong Kong from 13 to 19 April 2026.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Uzbekistan |
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 11 | +86 | 15 | Promotion to the 2027 Division III A |
| 2 |  North Korea |
5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 32 | −4 | 12 | |
| 3 |  Hong Kong (H) |
5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 20 | +15 | 9 | |
| 4 |  Luxembourg |
5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 33 | −20 | 6 | |
| 5 |  Mongolia |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 56 | −29 | 3 | |
| 6 |  Philippines |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 63 | −48 | 0 |
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
