After 17 years, the Ice Hockey World Championship will return to Switzerland from May 15 to 31, 2026. In the arenas of Zurich and Fribourg, 16 nations will compete for the world championship title. The hosts will have a unique opportunity to win world championship gold for the first time in history.
The Swiss Life Arena in Zurich seats 12,000 spectators, the Fribourg Arena 9,000. 64 tournament games will be played in total in the two arenas. Zurich will host the prestigious semi-finals and the final on May 31, while Fribourg will make history as the smallest World Cup host city of the 21st century.
The grouping promises to be very exciting: Group A in Zurich features the USA as defending champions, Switzerland as hosts and Finland, Germany, Latvia, Austria, Hungary and Great Britain. Group B in Fribourg also features numerous stars, including Canada, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway, Slovenia and Italy.
Switzerland's chances of winning gold are better than ever before. As silver medal winners in 2025 and third in the world rankings, the team benefits from several favorable circumstances. As 2026 is an Olympic year and the Winter Games will be held in Milan-Cortina, many NHL superstars will save their strength for the Olympics, weakening the international competition.
Goalkeeper Leonardo Genoni, who proved his world-class credentials as MVP of the 2025 World Championship, will be particularly crucial. For key players such as Michael Fora, Sven Andrighetto and Dean Kukan, who are in the golden age of their careers, it may be their last chance for a major triumph.
The home advantage should not be underestimated. Switzerland last hosted the World Championships in Bern and Kloten in 2009. The World Cup planned for 2020 had to be canceled due to the pandemic, adding to the anticipation. The Swiss fans will give their "Nati" plenty of support after the team has already won three silver and eight bronze medals, but has never won gold at the World Championships.
The tournament gets off to a spectacular start: on 15 May, Germany opens against Finland at 16:20, before Switzerland takes on the USA at 20:20 - a repeat of the dramatic World Championship final from 2025. At the same time, Canada takes on Sweden and the Czech Republic plays Denmark in Fribourg.
The competition is strong: Team USA arrives as the reigning world champions, while Canada is aiming for gold again since 2015. The Czech Republic will travel from Prague as the 2024 world champions.
The organizing committee promises a "compact and emotionally charged World Championships" with short travel distances between the venues. Around 1,300 volunteers will be on duty during the 17 days of the tournament. Ticket sales will start on September 8, 2025 with Game Day packages, individual tickets will follow in February 2026.