World Snooker Championship 2026 schedule and results with Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, Zhao Xintong in Crucible action
Ronnie O'Sullivan bids for a record-breaking eighth world title at the 50th World Championship in Sheffield; China's Zhao Xintong will try and avoid the 'Crucible Curse' at the tournament which begins on April 18 and runs until May 4
Last Updated: 18/04/26 7:23am
The 2026 World Snooker Championship gets underway this weekend, as Ronnie O’Sullivan bids for a record-breaking eighth world title and Zhao Xintong attempts to defend his crown.
They will be challenged by world No 1 Judd Trump and four-time champion Mark Selby, as well as Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy for the tournament at Sheffield's Crucible from 18 April to May 4.
Zhao, aiming to snap the 'Crucible Curse' and become the first maiden winner to successfully defend the trophy, returns to action at 10am on Saturday, playing to a finish from 7pm. The other seeds in action on the first day are Mark Allen, Xiao Guodong, Mark Williams and Barry Hawkins.
Trump gets his bid for a second world title under way with morning and evening sessions on Tuesday April 21. O'Sullivan gets started on the same day at 2.30pm, and concludes the following day in the same afternoon slot.
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World Snooker Championship schedule
First round
All first-round matches are best of 19 frames. Seeds are in brackets.
Zhao Xintong (1) vs Liam Highfield
Session 1: Sat 18 Apr 10:00
Session 2: Sat 18 Apr 19:00
Ding Junhui (16) vs David Gilbert
Session 1: Sun 19 Apr 10:00
Session 2: Mon 20 Apr 10:00
Xiao Guodong (9) vs Zhou Yuelong
Session 1: Sat 18 Apr 14:30
Session 2: Sun 19 Apr 19:00
Shaun Murphy (8) vs Fan Zhengyi
Session 1: Mon 20 Apr 19:00
Session 2: Tue 21 Apr 19:00
John Higgins (5) vs Ali Carter
Session 1: Sun 19 Apr 14:30
Session 2: Mon 20 Apr 14:30
Ronnie O'Sullivan (12) vs He Guoqiang
Session 1: Tue 21 Apr 14:30
Session 2: Wed 22 Apr 14:30
Chris Wakelin (13) vs Liam Pullen
Session 1: Tue 21 Apr 10:00
Session 2: Wed 22 Apr 10:00
Neil Robertson (4) vs Pang Junxu
Session 1: Wed 22 Apr 19:00
Session 2: Thu 23 Apr 19:00
Kyren Wilson (3) vs Stan Moody
Session 1: Mon 20 Apr 10:00
Session 2: Mon 20 Apr 19:00
Mark Allen (14) vs Zhang Anda
Session 1: Sat 18 Apr 10:00
Session 2: Sun 19 Apr 10:00
Barry Hawkins (11) vs Matthew Stevens
Session 1: Sat 18 Apr 19:00
Session 2: Sun 19 Apr 14:30
Mark Williams (6) vs Antoni Kowalski
Session 1: Sat 18 Apr 14:30
Session 2: Sun 19 Apr 19:00
Mark Selby (7) vs Jak Jones
Session 1: Wed 22 Apr 10:00
Session 2: Wed 22 Apr 19:00
Wu Yize (10) vs Lei Peifan
Session 1: Mon 20 Apr 14:30
Session 2: Tue 21 Apr 14:30
Si Jiahui (15) vs Hossein Vafaei
Session 1: Wed 22 Apr 14:30
Session 2: Thu 23 Apr 13:00
Judd Trump (2) vs Gary Wilson
Session 1: Tue 21 Apr 10:00
Session 2: Tue 21 Apr 19:00
World Snooker Championship first round draw
- Zhao Xintong (1) vs Liam Highfield
- Ding Junhui (16) vs David Gilbert
- Xiao Guodong (9) vs Zhou Yuelong
- Shaun Murphy (8) vs Fan Zhengyi
- John Higgins (5) vs Ali Carter
- Ronnie O'Sullivan (12) vs He Guoqiang
- Chris Wakelin (13) vs Liam Pullen
- Neil Robertson (4) vs Pang Junxu
- Kyren Wilson (3) vs Stan Moody
- Mark Allen (14) vs Zhang Anda
- Barry Hawkins (11) vs Matthew Stevens
- Mark Williams (6) vs Antoni Kowalski
- Mark Selby (7) vs Jak Jones
- Wu Yize (10) vs Lei Peifan
- Si Jiahui (15) vs Hossein Vafaei
- Judd Trump (2) vs Gary Wilson
High break prize
In addition to the highest break prize, bonuses of £40,000 and £10,000 will be offered for maximum breaks made at the main stage and in the qualifying rounds respectively.
An additional bonus of £147,000 is also on offer to any player who makes two maximums across this season's Triple Crown events and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
2026 Halo World Championship Prize Money
- Winner: £500,000
- Runner-up: £200,000
- Semi-finals: £100,000
- Quarter-finals: £50,000
- Last 16: £30,000
- Last 32: £20,000
- Last 48: £15,000
- Last 80: £10,000
- Last 112: £5,000
- High break: £15,000
- Total: £2,395,000
The Champions
Since 1977 there have been 24 different champions, most recently China’s Zhao Xintong who lifted the trophy in 2025, becoming the first champion from Asia. Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan share the record of seven crowns apiece.
1977 John Spencer bt Cliff Thorburn 25-21
1978 Ray Reardon bt Perrie Mans 25-18
1979 Terry Griffiths bt Dennis Taylor 24-16
1980 Cliff Thorburn bt Alex Higgins 18-16
1981 Steve Davis bt Doug Mountjoy 18-12
1982 Alex Higgins bt Ray Reardon 18-15
1983 Steve Davis bt Cliff Thorburn 18-6
1984 Steve Davis bt Jimmy White 18-16
1985 Dennis Taylor bt Steve Davis 18-17
1986 Joe Johnson bt Steve Davis 18-12
1987 Steve Davis bt Joe Johnson 18-14
1988 Steve Davis bt Terry Griffiths 18-11
1989 Steve Davis bt John Parrott 18-3
1990 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-12
1991 John Parrott bt Jimmy White 18-11
1992 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-14
1993 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-5
1994 Stephen Hendry bt Jimmy White 18-17
1995 Stephen Hendry bt Nigel Bond 18-9
1996 Stephen Hendry bt Peter Ebdon 18-12
1997 Ken Doherty bt Stephen Hendry 18-12
1998 John Higgins bt Ken Doherty 18-12
1999 Stephen Hendry bt Mark Williams 18-11
2000 Mark Williams bt Matthew Stevens 18-16
2001 Ronnie O'Sullivan bt John Higgins 18-14
2002 Peter Ebdon bt Stephen Hendry 18- 17
2003 Mark Williams bt Ken Doherty 18-16
2004 Ronnie O'Sullivan bt Graeme Dott 18-8
2005 Shaun Murphy bt Matthew Stevens 18-16
2006 Graeme Dott bt Peter Ebdon 18-14
2007 John Higgins bt Mark Selby 18-13
2008 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Ali Carter 18-8
2009 John Higgins bt Shaun Murphy 18-9
2010 Neil Robertson bt Graeme Dott 18-13
2011 John Higgins bt Judd Trump 18-15
2012 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Ali Carter 18-11
2013 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Barry Hawkins 18-12
2014 Mark Selby bt Ronnie O’Sullivan 18-14
2015 Stuart Bingham bt Shaun Murphy 18-15
2016 Mark Selby bt Ding Junhui 18-14
2017 Mark Selby bt John Higgins 18-15
2018 Mark Williams bt John Higgins 18-16
2019 Judd Trump bt John Higgins 18-9
2020 Ronnie O‘Sullivan bt Kyren Wilson 18-8
2021 Mark Selby bt Shaun Murphy 18-15
2022 Ronnie O’Sullivan bt Judd Trump 18-13
2023 Luca Brecel bt Mark Selby 18-15
2024 Kyren Wilson bt Jak Jones 18-14
2025 Zhao Xintong bt Mark Williams 18-12
