2026 World Snooker Championship’s Seeded Players Confirmed
by Roy Brindley,
2 April 2026
The seeded players are confirmed for the 2026 Snooker World Championship. Amongst them, Zhao Xintong is the joint-favourite to retain his title.
Zhao Xintong in action during his 10-6 victory over Zhang Anda in the 2026 World Grand Prix. © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- Chinese players Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui earn one and 16 seedings in Snooker’s World Championship.
- All three ‘Class of 92’ players are in the tournament and among the top 16 seeds.
- Bookmakers believe this year’s World Championship is wide-open.
- The BBC and TNT will broadcast the £2.39 million tournament live.
The 16 seeded players who will contest the 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship have been confirmed. The £2.39 million tournament will get underway at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on Saturday, April 18, with 32 hopefuls vying for the £500,000 first prize.
Zhao Xintong’s place in the first round was guaranteed, and, as the defending champion, he is seeded number one. Countryman and 2016 World Championship finalist, Ding Junhui, has scraped into the competition as the 16th seed.
Sixteen spots in the competition are still available. They will be decided through qualifiers played at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield from April 6 to 15. Last year’s champion had to win four qualifying matches before entering the main draw.
Who Do Bookmakers Like in the World Championship?
According to the bookmakers, this year’s competition is wide-open. Zhao Xintong’s World Championship crown appeared to weigh heavily on him for much of the early part of the 2025/26 season. However, World Grand Prix and Players Championship success in February means he is now categorised as ‘in form’ and, as a result, trades as the 4/1 joint-favourite.
Snooker fans and odds compilers will know that no first-time winner of the World Snooker Championship has retained their title since the tournament moved to Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in 1977. Only Joe Johnson (1987) and Ken Doherty (1998) have reached the final 12 months after their maiden victories.
Sharing the distinction of World Championship favouritism is Judd Trump. The world number one has reached four major finals this season, and he won the German Masters final on February 1. He was also the first player to book his place in the semi-final of the Tour Championship.
Ever Popular Ronnie O’Sullivan Is Third Favourite
Just behind the front two, a single point bigger in the World Championship betting, is the ever-popular Ronnie O’Sullivan. The 50-year-old was beaten in a deciding frame thriller in the £2.3 million Saudi Arabia Masters at the start of the season and made it to the final of the World Open just 10 days ago.
Ultimately, the bookmakers are not looking outside of the top-16 seeds for the competition winner. Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson, the third and fourth seeds, are 11/1 and 14/1, respectively. Mark Selby, who has been a top-10-ranked player every year since 2009, is 6/1.
The shortest-priced player that is not a former World Championship winner is Wu Yize. The winner of November 2025’s International Championship is the sixth name down the betting list, priced at 12/1.
Other interesting contenders include John Higgins and Mark Williams. Members of the famous ‘Class of 92′, they are both generally available at 25/1 odds. At 33/1, Chang Bingyu is the shortest-priced unseeded player.
Banned from the sport until December 2024, the 23-year-old made the final of the Scottish Open in December and sensationally sunk 143 balls without a single missed pot in a first-round match against Shaun Murphy at the Welsh Open a fortnight ago.
How Can I Watch Snooker’s World Championships?
The World Snooker Championship will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two. TNT Sports, formerly known as Eurosport, will also broadcast the 99-year-old event. The leading online betting sites will offer live-streamed coverage, but a qualifying bet on matches may be required.
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