World Snooker Championship facts for kids
.jpg) |
|
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Crucible Theatre (since 1977) |
| Location | Sheffield |
| Country | England |
| Established | 1927 |
| Organisation(s) | World Snooker Association |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Total prize fund | GB £2,395,000 |
| Recent edition | 2025 |
| Current champion(s) |  Zhao Xintong (CHN) |
The World Snooker Championship is the oldest and most important tournament in professional snooker. It also offers the biggest prizes, with a total of £2,395,000 in prize money in 2023. The winner took home £500,000. This championship started in 1927. It is now one of the three big tournaments that make up snooker's Triple Crown Series, along with the UK Championship and the Masters. The current world champion is Zhao Xintong.
Joe Davis was the first big star, winning the first 15 world championships. He retired in 1946 without ever losing. The special World Championship trophy, which has a Greek shepherdess statue on top, was bought by Davis in 1926 for £19. It is still used today. No tournaments were held between 1941 and 1945 because of World War II. Also, there were no official championships between 1952 and 1963 due to a disagreement between snooker groups. An unofficial event, the World Professional Match-play Championship, took place from 1952 to 1957. The official championship started again in 1964.
The World Snooker Championship changed back to a knockout tournament in 1969. This is known as the start of snooker's modern era. It has happened every year since then. Every championship since 1977 has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The way the tournament works has stayed mostly the same since 1982. Each year, 32 players reach the Crucible. The top 16 players in the world rankings get in automatically. Another 16 players earn their spots through a special qualifying tournament. Only four players who came through the qualifiers have ever won the tournament: Alex Higgins in 1972, Terry Griffiths in 1979, Shaun Murphy in 2005, and Zhao Xintong in 2025.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan have both won seven times, holding the record for the most world titles in the modern era. Ray Reardon and Steve Davis have won six titles each. John Higgins and Mark Selby have won four times. John Spencer and Mark Williams have won three times. Alex Higgins won two titles. Hendry is the youngest champion ever, winning his first title in 1990 when he was 21 years and 106 days old. O'Sullivan became the oldest champion in 2022 when he won his seventh title at 46 years and 148 days old. O'Sullivan also holds the record for playing at the Crucible the most times, with 33 appearances from 1993 to 2025. Fifteen maximum breaks have been made in the tournament's history by eleven different players. Cliff Thorburn made the first one in 1983, and Mark Allen made the most recent in 2025. A record 109 century breaks were made at the Crucible in 2022. As of 2025, 29 players have won the World Snooker Championship.
Contents
History of the Championship
Early Years (1927–1940)
| Year | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 |  Joe Davis (ENG) |
Tom Dennis (ENG) |
| 1928 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Fred Lawrence (ENG) |
| 1929 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Tom Dennis (ENG) |
| 1930 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Tom Dennis]] (ENG) |
| 1931 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Tom Dennis (ENG) |
| 1932 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
 Clark McConachy (NZL) |
| 1933 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Willie Smith (ENG) |
| 1934 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Tom Newman (ENG) |
The first championship was held in 1927. It was called the Professional Snooker Championship. Ten professional players entered. The first match was played in London. The final was between Joe Davis and Tom Dennis in Birmingham. Davis won 20–11.
For the 1928 Championship, players had to challenge Davis to play him in the final. This system was stopped in 1929. Davis kept winning, often against Tom Dennis. In 1930, the final was held at Thurston's Hall in London for the first time. Davis won easily. In 1931, only two players entered, Davis and Dennis. Davis won a close match 25–21.
In 1932, Davis made a new record break of 99. He won the title again. By 1934, only two players entered again. Davis won his eighth title.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Willie Smith (ENG) |
| 1936 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
 Horace Lindrum (AUS) |
| 1937 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Horace Lindrum (AUS) |
| 1938 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Sidney Smith (ENG) |
| 1939 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Sidney Smith (ENG) |
| 1940 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Fred Davis (ENG) |
The 1935 Championship was the first to use "world" in its name. Matches were played one after another at Thurston's Hall in London. This helped players earn more money from ticket sales. Joe Davis made the first century break in the championship's history, scoring 110 points.
In 1936, a record 13 players entered. Joe Davis won again. In 1937, qualifying rounds were introduced for the first time. Davis won his 11th title, making the first century break during live play in a final. Davis continued his winning streak, beating Sidney Smith in 1938 and 1939. The 1940 Championship saw Joe Davis play his younger brother, Fred Davis, in the final. Joe won, making a 101 break. Thurston's Hall was destroyed during World War II, and no tournaments were held until 1946.
Post-War Era and Disputes (1946–1968)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Joe Davis (ENG) |
Horace Lindrum (AUS) |
| 1947 |  Walter Donaldson (SCO) |
Fred Davis (ENG) |
| 1948 | Fred Davis (ENG) |
Walter Donaldson (SCO) |
| 1949 | Fred Davis (ENG) |
Walter Donaldson (SCO) |
| 1950 | Walter Donaldson (SCO) |
Fred Davis (ENG) |
| 1951 | Fred Davis (ENG) |
Walter Donaldson (SCO) |
| 1952 | Horace Lindrum (AUS) |
Clark McConachy (NZL) |
The championship started again in 1946. Joe Davis won his 15th and final title. He then announced he would no longer play in the World Championship, having never lost a match.
After Joe Davis retired, his brother Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson became the main contenders. They played in many finals against each other.
In 1952, a disagreement between player groups led to a boycott of the official championship. Only two players entered. The players who boycotted started their own event, the World Professional Match-play Championship.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Fred Davis (ENG) |
Walter Donaldson (SCO) |
| 1953 | Fred Davis (ENG) |
Walter Donaldson (SCO) |
| 1954 | Fred Davis (ENG) |
Walter Donaldson (SCO) |
| 1955 | Fred Davis (ENG) |
John Pulman (ENG) |
| 1956 | Fred Davis (ENG) |
John Pulman (ENG) |
| 1957 | John Pulman (ENG) |
 Jackie Rea (NIR) |
The PBPA Snooker Championship started with ten players. Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson met in the final again, with Davis winning. They played in the final for the next two years as well. Fred Davis also beat John Pulman in the 1955 and 1956 finals. In 1957, Pulman won his first world title by defeating Jackie Rea.
| Date | Champion | Challenger |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 1964 | John Pulman (ENG) |
Fred Davis (ENG) |
| Oct 1964 | John Pulman (ENG) |
Rex Williams (ENG) |
| Mar 1965 | John Pulman (ENG) |
Fred Davis (ENG) |
| Sep–Dec 1965 | John Pulman (ENG) |
Rex Williams (ENG) |
| Dec 1965 | John Pulman (ENG) |
 Fred Van Rensburg (SAF) |
| Apr 1966 | John Pulman (ENG) |
Fred Davis (ENG) |
| Mar 1968 | John Pulman (ENG) |
Eddie Charlton (AUS) |
The official championship started again in 1964 with a "challenge" system. John Pulman was the champion and had to defend his title against challengers like Fred Davis and Rex Williams. Pulman successfully defended his title multiple times until 1968.
The Modern Era Begins (1969–1980)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | John Spencer (ENG) |
 Gary Owen (WAL) |
| 1970 | Ray Reardon (WAL) |
John Pulman (ENG) |
| 1971 | John Spencer (ENG) |
Warren Simpson (AUS) |
| 1972 | Alex Higgins (NIR) |
John Spencer (ENG) |
| 1973 | Ray Reardon (WAL) |
Eddie Charlton (AUS) |
| 1974 | Ray Reardon (WAL) |
Graham Miles (ENG) |
| 1975 | Ray Reardon (WAL) |
Eddie Charlton (AUS) |
| 1976 | Ray Reardon (WAL) |
Alex Higgins (NIR) |
In 1969, the championship became a knockout tournament again. This is seen as the start of the "modern era" of snooker. John Spencer won the first modern-era title. In 1970, Ray Reardon won his first title.
The 1972 saw Alex Higgins win the title on his first try. He was the youngest world champion at the time. The 1973 Championship changed to be played over two weeks at one place. Ray Reardon won his second title. He continued to dominate, winning in 1974, 1975, and 1976, making it four titles in a row.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | John Spencer (ENG) |
 Cliff Thorburn (CAN) |
| 1978 | Ray Reardon (WAL) |
Perrie Mans (RSA) |
| 1979 | Terry Griffiths (WAL) |
Dennis Taylor (NIR) |
| 1980 | Cliff Thorburn (CAN) |
Alex Higgins (NIR) |
In 1977, the championship moved to its current home, the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. John Spencer won the first Crucible championship. In 1978, Ray Reardon won his sixth world title, becoming the oldest world champion at 45 years old.
The 1979 championship was won by Terry Griffiths. He had only become a professional player seven months before and had to win two qualifying matches to get to the Crucible. He won the final, taking home a record £10,000 prize. In 1980, the number of players increased to twenty-four. Cliff Thorburn won the championship, beating Alex Higgins in the final.
Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry Eras (1981–1999)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Steve Davis (ENG)† |
Doug Mountjoy (WAL) |
| 1982 | Alex Higgins (NIR) |
Ray Reardon (WAL) |
| 1983 | Steve Davis (ENG)† |
Cliff Thorburn (CAN) |
| 1984 | Steve Davis (ENG)† |
Jimmy White (ENG) |
| 1985 | Dennis Taylor (NIR) |
Steve Davis (ENG)† |
| 1986 | Joe Johnson (ENG) |
Steve Davis (ENG)† |
| 1987 | Steve Davis (ENG)† |
Joe Johnson (ENG) |
| 1988 | Steve Davis (ENG)† |
Terry Griffiths (WAL) |
| 1989 | Steve Davis (ENG)† |
John Parrott (ENG) |
| † Steve Davis |
Steve Davis won his first world title in 1981. He was the second-youngest champion at 23 years old. In 1982, Alex Higgins won his second title in a very exciting final against Ray Reardon.
Cliff Thorburn made the first ever maximum break at the World Championship in 1983. Steve Davis went on to win the title that year. In 1984, Davis won again, beating Jimmy White in the final.
The 1985 final is famous as the "black ball final." Dennis Taylor beat Steve Davis 18–17 on the very last ball of the final frame. It was one of the closest matches ever and was watched by 18.5 million people in the UK. Joe Johnson surprisingly beat Steve Davis in the 1986 final. However, Davis got his revenge in 1987, winning his fourth title. Davis won again in 1988 and 1989, making it six world titles in total. His 18–3 win in 1989 was the biggest winning margin in a World Championship final.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Stephen Hendry (SCO)† |
Jimmy White (ENG) |
| 1991 | John Parrott (ENG) |
Jimmy White (ENG) |
| 1992 | Stephen Hendry (SCO)† |
Jimmy White (ENG) |
| 1993 | Stephen Hendry (SCO)† |
Jimmy White (ENG) |
| 1994 | Stephen Hendry (SCO)† |
Jimmy White (ENG) |
| 1995 | Stephen Hendry (SCO)† |
Nigel Bond (ENG) |
| 1996 | Stephen Hendry (SCO)† |
Peter Ebdon (ENG) |
| 1997 |  Ken Doherty (IRL) |
Stephen Hendry (SCO)† |
| 1998 | John Higgins (SCO) |
Ken Doherty (IRL) |
| 1999 | Stephen Hendry (SCO)† |
Mark Williams (WAL) |
| † Stephen Hendry |
In 1990, Stephen Hendry became the youngest world champion ever at 21 years old, beating Jimmy White in the final. John Parrott won in 1991.
In 1992, Jimmy White made the second maximum break in the World Championship. Stephen Hendry beat White in the final, winning ten frames in a row to take the title. Hendry continued his dominance, beating White in the finals of 1993 and 1994 as well. In 1995, Hendry made a maximum break in his semi-final match and went on to win his fifth title.
Hendry won his fifth title in a row in 1996, beating Peter Ebdon in the final. This was his sixth world title overall. In 1997, Ronnie O'Sullivan made the fastest maximum break in snooker history, taking just five minutes and eight seconds. The final was won by Ken Doherty, who ended Hendry's amazing winning streak.
In 1998, John Higgins won his first world title, beating Ken Doherty in the final. Stephen Hendry won his seventh and final world title in 1999, equalling the record for most modern-era titles. He beat Mark Williams in the final.
The "Class of '92" and New Champions (2000–2022)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Mark Williams (WAL)† |
Matthew Stevens (WAL) |
| 2001 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)† |
John Higgins (SCO)† |
| 2002 | Peter Ebdon (ENG) |
Stephen Hendry (SCO) |
| 2003 | Mark Williams (WAL)† |
Ken Doherty (IRL) |
| 2004 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)† |
Graeme Dott (SCO) |
| 2005 | Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
Matthew Stevens (WAL) |
| 2006 | Graeme Dott (SCO) |
Peter Ebdon (ENG) |
| 2007 | John Higgins (SCO)† |
Mark Selby (ENG) |
| 2008 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)† |
Ali Carter (ENG) |
| 2009 | John Higgins (SCO)† |
Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
| 2010 | Neil Robertson (AUS) |
Graeme Dott (SCO) |
| 2011 | John Higgins (SCO)† |
Judd Trump (ENG) |
| 2012 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)† |
Ali Carter (ENG) |
| 2013 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)† |
Barry Hawkins (ENG) |
| † Class of '92 players |
From 2000 to 2013, three players born in 1975, known as the "class of '92", won most of the titles. These were Ronnie O'Sullivan (five times), John Higgins (three times), and Mark Williams (twice).
In 2000, Mark Williams became the first left-handed champion. Ronnie O'Sullivan won his first world championship in 2001, beating John Higgins in the final. Peter Ebdon won a very close final in 2002 against Stephen Hendry. Mark Williams won his second title in 2003. Ronnie O'Sullivan made his second maximum break at the World Championship in 2003. He won his second world title in 2004.
Shaun Murphy won the 2005 championship. He was only the second qualifier ever to win the World Championship. Graeme Dott won in 2006 in a final that finished very late. John Higgins won his second title in 2007.
Ronnie O'Sullivan won his third world title in 2008. Both O'Sullivan and Ali Carter made maximum breaks in the same tournament for the first time ever. John Higgins won his third world title in 2009. Michaela Tabb became the first woman to referee a World Championship final. Neil Robertson won in 2010, becoming the fourth non-UK winner.
John Higgins won his fourth world title in 2011, beating young Judd Trump in the final. Ronnie O'Sullivan won his fourth title in 2012. Stephen Hendry made his third maximum break at the Crucible that year before retiring. O'Sullivan won again in 2013, his fifth title. He also broke Hendry's record for most century breaks at the Crucible.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Mark Selby (ENG)† |
Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)‡ |
| 2015 | Stuart Bingham (ENG) |
Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
| 2016 | Mark Selby (ENG)† |
Ding Junhui (CHN) |
| 2017 | Mark Selby (ENG)† |
John Higgins (SCO)‡ |
| 2018 | Mark Williams (WAL)‡ |
John Higgins (SCO)‡ |
| 2019 | Judd Trump (ENG) |
John Higgins (SCO)‡ |
| 2020 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)‡ |
Kyren Wilson (ENG) |
| 2021 | Mark Selby (ENG)† |
Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
| 2022 | Ronnie O'Sullivan (ENG)‡ |
Judd Trump (ENG) |
| † Mark Selby |
| ‡ Class of '92 players |
Mark Selby won his first world title in 2014, beating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final. He won a record £300,000 prize. In 2015, Stuart Bingham won his first world title at 38 years old. The tournament also set a new record for the most century breaks.
Mark Selby won his second title in 2016, beating Ding Junhui, who was the first Asian player to reach a World Championship final. Selby won his third title in 2017, successfully defending his title. In 2018, two "class of '92" players, Mark Williams and John Higgins, met in the final. Williams won his third title after a long gap since his last win.
Higgins reached the final again in 2019 but lost to Judd Trump. Their final set records for the most century breaks in a professional match. The 2020 championship was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ronnie O'Sullivan won his sixth title, setting a new record for most ranking titles. Mark Selby won his fourth title in 2021. In 2022, O'Sullivan won his seventh world title, equalling Stephen Hendry's modern-era record. At 46, he became the oldest world champion in history.
Recent Champions (2023–)
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 |  Luca Brecel (BEL)† |
Mark Selby (ENG) |
| 2024 | Kyren Wilson (ENG)† |
Jak Jones (WAL) |
| 2025 | Zhao Xintong (CHN)† |
Mark Williams (WAL) |
| † New Champion |
During the 2023 event, Luca Brecel became the first player from mainland Europe to win the title. He had never won a match at the Crucible before! He made a huge comeback in his semi-final, winning from 5–14 down. Kyren Wilson won his first world title at the 2024 event. At the 2025 event, Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese player and first Asian player to win the world title. He was also a qualifier, meaning he had to win extra matches to get into the main tournament. He was the youngest winner since Shaun Murphy in 2005.
How the Tournament Works
The World Championship uses a knockout system with 32 players. It lasts for 17 days, ending on the first Monday in May.
- 16 players are automatically chosen (seeded) for the main tournament.
- The other 16 players have to win their spots through a qualifying competition. This happens just before the main event at a different place.
The current world champion automatically gets a spot and is the number one seed. The other 15 seeded players are chosen based on their world rankings. Usually, the top 16 ranked players get into the main competition directly.
The length of the matches changes as the tournament goes on:
- First round: Best of 19 frames (played over two sessions).
- Second round and quarter-finals: Best of 25 frames (played over three sessions).
- Semi-finals: Best of 33 frames (played over four sessions on three days).
- Final: Maximum of 35 frames (played over four sessions on two days).
For the first 12 days, two snooker tables are used at the same time. For the last five days (semi-finals and final), only one table is used.
Since 2015, all players who are not seeded in the top 16 have to play in the first of three qualifying rounds. This means they have to win more matches to reach the Crucible. In 2020, the qualifying rounds started to be shown on television for the first time.
Who Has Won?
World Championship Winners and Finalists
From 1927, Joe Davis won the first 15 tournaments. He retired without ever losing. In 1952, a different championship, the World Professional Match-play Championship, started. Its winners are also seen as world champions. The championship was not held between 1957 and 1964. Then it came back as a challenge event until 1968.
The 'modern' era began in 1969 when it became a knockout tournament again. Since then, Stephen Hendry (1990–1999) and Ronnie O'Sullivan (2001–2022) have the best record, both winning seven times. Ray Reardon won six times in the 1970s, and Steve Davis won six times in the 1980s.
| Name | Sport country | Winner | Runner-up | Finals | Semi-final or better |
Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Davis | England |
15 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Fred Davis | England |
8 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 31 |
| John Pulman | England |
8 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 28 |
| Stephen Hendry | Scotland |
7 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 27 |
| Ronnie O'Sullivan | England |
7 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 33 |
| Steve Davis | England |
6 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 30 |
| Ray Reardon | Wales |
6 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 19 |
| John Higgins | Scotland |
4 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 31 |
| Mark Selby | England |
4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 21 |
| Mark Williams | Wales |
3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 27 |
| John Spencer | England |
3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 18 |
| Walter Donaldson | Scotland |
2 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 13 |
| Alex Higgins | Northern Ireland |
2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 19 |
| Horace Lindrum | Australia |
1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Shaun Murphy | England |
1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 23 |
| Cliff Thorburn | Canada |
1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Judd Trump | England |
1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| Peter Ebdon | England |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 24 |
| Graeme Dott | Scotland |
1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Ken Doherty | Ireland |
1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
| Dennis Taylor | Northern Ireland |
1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 21 |
| Kyren Wilson | England |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
| John Parrott | England |
1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 23 |
| Terry Griffiths | Wales |
1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19 |
| Joe Johnson | England |
1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Neil Robertson | Australia |
1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 20 |
| Stuart Bingham | England |
1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
| Luca Brecel | Belgium |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Zhao Xintong | China |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Jimmy White | England |
0 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 25 |
| Tom Dennis | England |
0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Eddie Charlton | Australia |
0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 21 |
| Rex Williams | England |
0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 17 |
| Matthew Stevens | Wales |
0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 18 |
| Sidney Smith | England |
0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| Willie Smith | England |
0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Ali Carter | England |
0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 21 |
| Clark McConachy | New Zealand |
0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Barry Hawkins | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 19 |
| Jackie Rea | Northern Ireland |
0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| Ding Junhui | China |
0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19 |
| Tom Newman | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Nigel Bond | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| Perrie Mans | South Africa |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| Gary Owen | Wales |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Fred Lawrence | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Doug Mountjoy | Wales |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| Graham Miles | England |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| Warren Simpson | Australia |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Jak Jones | Wales |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Fred Van Rensburg |  South Africa |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
- Active players are shown in bold.
- Only players who reached the final are included.
- Appearances means how many times a player has played in the main part of the tournament, not including qualifying matches.
- If players have the same records, they are listed in alphabetical order by their last name.
Champions by Country
| Country | Players | Total Wins | First Title | Last Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England |
14 | 58 | 1927 | 2024 |
| Scotland |
4 | 14 | 1947 | 2011 |
| Wales |
3 | 10 | 1970 | 2018 |
| Northern Ireland |
2 | 3 | 1972 | 1985 |
| Australia |
2 | 2 | 1952 | 2010 |
| Canada |
1 | 1 | 1980 | 1980 |
| Ireland |
1 | 1 | 1997 | 1997 |
| Belgium |
1 | 1 | 2023 | 2023 |
| China |
1 | 1 | 2025 | 2025 |
Sponsors of the Tournament
For many years, tobacco companies sponsored the championship. From 1976 to 2005, Imperial Tobacco sponsored it under the brand Embassy. However, laws changed in 2003, limiting tobacco advertising.
From 2006 to 2022, betting companies sponsored the championships. Different companies like 888.com and Betfred.com were sponsors during this time.
Since 2023, the online car retailer Cazoo has sponsored the tournament. In 2025, a software company called Halo became the new sponsor.
TV Coverage
Before the championship moved to the Crucible in 1977, there was very little TV coverage. The BBC sometimes showed snooker in the 1950s. Even after the show Pot Black started in color in 1969, there wasn't much coverage of the World Championship itself.
In 1977, when the championship moved to the Crucible, BBC TV coverage increased. They showed highlights of the semi-finals and some of the final. By 1978, there was daily BBC TV coverage with nightly highlights. In 1979, they added an early-evening "Frame of the Day" and some live coverage of the final. In 1980, daily live coverage started for the first time.
The BBC still holds the rights to broadcast the tournament until 2027.
See also
In Spanish: Campeonato Mundial de Snooker para niños
- Crucible curse – A "curse" for first-time winners at the Crucible Theatre.
- List of snooker ranking tournaments
