World Snooker Championship 2026: All 32 Players Ranked by Current Form
The 2026 World Snooker Championship commences this weekend, as thirty-two of the planet's finest cue masters converge at Sheffield's legendary Crucible Theatre to contest the sport's most prestigious trophy. Defending champion Zhao Xintong, who made history last year as China's first world snooker champion, returns as the clear favorite to retain his title. However, the notorious "Crucible Curse"—where no first-time champion has ever successfully defended their title at this venue—looms large. Many experts believe Zhao possesses the talent to shatter this longstanding jinx.
A Star-Studded Field and Fresh Faces
Zhao faces formidable opposition, with eight other former world champions returning to South Yorkshire this year. The field also features four exciting debutants, including young English prospects Liam Pullen and Stan Moody, who will experience the unique Crucible atmosphere for the first time. This analysis ranks all thirty-two competitors based strictly on their current form, judged primarily on performances in the last four major events: the Players Championship, Welsh Open, World Open, and Tour Championship. For the sixteen qualifiers, their successful qualification matches are also factored into the assessment.
The Form Rankings: From Bottom to Top
32. Ding Junhui: The Chinese legend, seeded sixteenth, barely secured his Crucible spot after a prolonged quiet spell. He failed to qualify for the Players or Tour Championships, skipped the Welsh Open, and suffered a first-round exit at the World Open. His last match victory dates back to December 4 at the UK Championship.
31. Si Jiahui: Another top-sixteen player struggling for form, Si also recorded no wins across the last four tournaments, losing his opening matches at the Welsh and World Opens. The twenty-three-year-old's most recent victories came earlier this year at the Championship League, World Grand Prix, and German Masters.
30. Ali Carter: "The Captain's" season has been disrupted by health issues and off-table matters, making his form difficult to gauge. He had disappointing campaigns in Wales and Yushan but showed resilience in qualification, defeating Julien Leclercq and Anthony McGill.
29. He Guoqiang: The debutant will attract significant attention when he faces Ronnie O'Sullivan in his opening match. He impressed in qualifying with wins over Jack Lisowski and Long Zehuang, though his only other recent victory was a narrow 5-4 triumph over Amir Sarkosh at the World Open.
28. Lei Peifan: Entering qualifiers with minimal form, Lei efficiently dispatched Jordan Brown and Ryan Day to reach the Crucible. Previously, he managed just one win over Michal Szubarczyk in the four lead-up events.
27. Matthew Stevens: The forty-eight-year-old veteran returns to the Crucible after a four-year absence, thanks to qualifying wins over Peter Lines and a notable upset against Stuart Bingham. His pre-Sheffield form was lackluster, with early exits in Wales and Yushan.
26. Fan Zhengyi: After a poor season, Fan revived his fortunes with three strong qualifying victories over Lan Yuhao, Jimmy Robertson, and Ben Mertens. He appeared robust at the English Institute of Sport following a lean period that yielded just one win in two months.
25. Dave Gilbert: "The Angry Farmer" secured only one match win at the Welsh and World Opens and withdrew before facing Matt Selt in Yushan. The two-time Crucible semi-finalist beat Irish opponents Leone Crowley and Aaron Hill in qualifying.
24. Pang Junxu: Pang has been relatively inactive, with a single win at the Welsh Open prior to qualifiers. He narrowly overcame Welsh duo Dylan Emery and Jackson Page to secure his Crucible berth.
23. Liam Highfield: The thirty-five-year-old delivered a dominant qualifying performance, winning four matches with commanding scorelines, including a 10-2 thrashing of Oliver Lines. He also notched two wins in Wales before falling to John Higgins.
22. Antoni Kowalski: The Polish debutant preserved his professional status by winning three qualifying matches, notably defeating Joe O'Connor and Jamie Jones. He also recorded wins at the Welsh and World Opens earlier.
21. Jak Jones: The 2024 finalist navigated a tough qualifying section by beating Marco Fu and Luca Brecel. He won two matches in Wales, narrowly lost to Neil Robertson, and withdrew from the World Open due to illness after winning his qualifier.
20. Kyren Wilson: Despite a profitable season highlighted by Masters and Shanghai Masters titles, Wilson has disappointed in ranking events, missing the Players and Tour Championships. He managed only one win in Wales and three in Yushan.
19. Stan Moody: The nineteen-year-old debutant won two matches at both the Welsh and World Opens, including a brilliant victory over John Higgins in Yushan. He qualified despite battling tonsillitis and a hospital visit between wins.
18. Liam Pullen: Arguably the qualifiers' standout, Pullen won four matches to earn his Crucible debut, defeating Alfie Burden, Amir Sarkosh, and Thai stars Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Noppon Saengkham. He also secured three good wins at the Welsh Open.
17. Xiao Guodong: Xiao qualified for the Players Championship but lost his opener in Telford. He won once in Wales and twice in Yushan, experiencing a lean spell after a World Grand Prix semi-final in February.
16. Mark Selby: A mid-season purple patch has faded, with early losses at the Players Championship, Welsh Open, and Tour Championship, plus a withdrawal from Yushan. This leaves him with just two match wins in his last four tournaments.
15. Mark Williams: An opening win over Barry Hawkins at the Players Championship was positive, but Williams has had little else to celebrate recently. He qualified for the Tour Championship but lost his opener to John Higgins, with two wins each in Wales and Yushan.
14. Chris Wakelin: While deep runs have eluded him, Wakelin won his opening matches at both the Players and Tour Championships—a commendable feat. He withdrew from Yushan and lost early in Wales but recorded good wins over Xiao Guodong and Wu Yize.
13. Gary Wilson: A quarter-final run at the World Open, including a victory over champion Zhao Xintong, was encouraging. Two qualifying wins give him a chance to cap an inconsistent season strongly.
12. Hossein Vafaei: Another World Open quarter-finalist, Vafaei beat Mark Williams and Zhang Anda in Yushan. His only recent defeats came against Neil Robertson and Judd Trump. He looked excellent in qualifying, thrashing Michal Szubarczyk and Gao Yang.
11. Zhou Yuelong: Enjoying a solid season, Zhou reached the Welsh Open quarter-finals and World Open last sixteen, though he suffered a 6-0 loss to Judd Trump at the Players Championship. "The Jumping Dragon" breezed through qualifying with comfortable wins.
10. Zhang Anda: Last-sixteen runs at the Welsh and World Opens were solid, and he qualified for the Players Championship. He looked superb in qualifying, notably firing five centuries in a 10-3 win over Zak Surety.
9. Shaun Murphy: Murphy's last outing was a narrow 10-9 defeat to Judd Trump at the Tour Championship, having also reached the Players Championship quarter-finals. He lost to an inspired Chang Bingyu in Wales and to Ronnie O'Sullivan in Yushan.
8. Neil Robertson: A Welsh Open quarter-final and Tour Championship semi-final are encouraging signs. He lost early in Telford to John Higgins and did not compete in Yushan.
7. Mark Allen: "The Pistol" has had a strange season but buoyed by runs to the Players Championship semi-finals and World Open quarter-finals. Victories over Mark Selby and Jack Lisowski were highlights, though an early loss to David Grace in Wales exemplified his inconsistency.
6. Wu Yize: Semi-finals at both the Welsh and World Opens were strong efforts, losing deciders to Ronnie O'Sullivan and Barry Hawkins. However, he was poor in opening losses at the Players and Tour Championships.
5. Ronnie O'Sullivan: "The Rocket" ranks high despite playing only one counting event, reaching the World Open final and making a record 153 break. He also won the Snooker 900 John Virgo Trophy this month, boosting his confidence.
4. Barry Hawkins: One of only two players here to win a recent tournament, "The Hawk" brilliantly claimed the Welsh Open title, beating Mark Williams, Neil Robertson, Wu Yize, and Jack Lisowski. He also defeated Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in Manchester.
3. John Higgins: Nearing his fifty-first birthday, Higgins has been remarkably consistent, reaching the Players Championship final and semi-finals in Wales and Manchester. A 5-4 loss to Stan Moody in Yushan was his sole early exit.
2. Judd Trump: The world number one may be struggling for silverware but consistently goes deep, with semi-finals at the Players and World Opens, and a Tour Championship final. He did not enter the Welsh Open.
1. Zhao Xintong: The undisputed form player, Zhao won both the Players Championship and Tour Championship in fine style, adding to his World Grand Prix title in February. The defending champion defeated Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen, John Higgins (twice), Chris Wakelin, and Judd Trump recently, also reaching the last sixteen in Wales and Yushan. He enters the Crucible as the man to beat.
