The2026 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships will be the 89th suchevent hosted by theInternational Ice Hockey Federation. Teams will participate at several levels of competition based on their2025 results. The competition will also serve as qualifications for division placements in the2027 edition.
As in2025, teams fromRussia andBelarus will not be allowed to enter, as they remain suspended by the IIHF due to the countries'invasion of Ukraine.[1]
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.[2]
The tournament will be held inZurich andFribourg, Switzerland, from 15 to 31 May 2026.[3]
Teams
Austria
Canada
Czechia
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Great Britain
Hungary
Italy
Latvia
Norway
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland – Host
United StatesThe tournament will be held inSosnowiec, Poland from 2 to 8 May 2026.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Promoted to the2027 Top Division |
| 2 |  France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 |  Ukraine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 |  Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 |  Poland(H) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 |  Lithuania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegated to the2027 Division I B |
The tournament will be held inShenzhen, China from 29 April to 5 May 2026.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Romania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Promoted to the2027 Division I A |
| 2 |  South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 |  Estonia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 |  China(H) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 |  Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 |  Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegated to the2027 Division II A |
The tournament will be held inAl-Ain, United Arab Emirates from 20 to 26 April 2026.[4]
Teams
The tournament will be held inSofia, Bulgaria from 6 to 12 April 2026.[4]
Teams
The tournament will be held inCape Town, South Africa from 13 to 19 April 2026.[4]
Teams
The tournament will be held inHong Kong from 13 to 19 April 2026.[4]
Teams
The tournament will be held inKuwait City, Kuwait from 12 to 18 April 2026.[5]
Teams
