The Crucible is back. Sheffield’s famous theatre is hosting its 50th World Snooker Championship, and if the opening frames are anything to go by, it’s shaping up to be one of the most compelling editions in years. Defending champion Zhao Xintong got his title defence off to a winning start on Saturday, edging out Liam Highfield 10-7 in a match that was tighter than the final score suggests.
We’ll be keeping this page updated throughout every session — draws, results, schedules, prize money. Bookmark it and check back whenever you need to know what’s happening at the baize.
First round results and draw
The top 16 ranked players are joined by 16 qualifiers who came through the pre-tournament rounds. First-round matches are the best of 19 frames — first to 10 wins. Here’s how things stand:
| # | Player 1 | Score | Player 2 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhao Xintong (1) | 10 – 7 | Liam Highfield | Done |
| 2 | Ding Junhui (16) | 7 – 2* | David Gilbert | Live |
| 3 | Xiao Guodong (9) | 5 – 4* | Zhou Yuelong | Live |
| 4 | Shaun Murphy (8) | – | Fan Zhengyi | Mon 19:00 |
| 5 | John Higgins (5) | 4 – 5* | Ali Carter | Live |
| 6 | Ronnie O’Sullivan (12) | – | He Guoqiang | Tue 14:30 |
| 7 | Chris Wakelin (13) | – | Liam Pullen | Tue 10:00 |
| 8 | Neil Robertson (4) | – | Pang Junxu | Wed 19:00 |
| 9 | Kyren Wilson (3) | – | Stan Moody | Mon 10:00 |
| 10 | Mark Allen (14) | 10 – 6 | Zhang Anda | Done |
| 11 | Barry Hawkins (11) | 10 – 4 | Matthew Stevens | Done |
| 12 | Mark Williams (6) | 6 – 3* | Antoni Kowalski | Live |
| 13 | Mark Selby (7) | – | Jak Jones | Wed 10:00 |
| 14 | Wu Yize (10) | – | Lei Peifan | Mon 14:30 |
| 15 | Si Jiahui (15) | – | Hossein Vafaei | Wed 14:30 |
| 16 | Judd Trump (2) | – | Gary Wilson | Tue 10:00 |
* Score in progress at time of last update. All times BST.
What happens after the first round?
Once the dust settles on the first round, the distance increases. Second-round matches and quarter-finals are both best of 25, played across three sessions each. Semi-finals push out to 33 frames across four sessions, while the final — the jewel of the whole thing — is best of 35, played over four sessions from Sunday 3 May.
Second-round action gets going Thursday 23 April, with the quarter-finals following from Tuesday 28 April. Semi-finals run from Thursday 1 May, setting things up perfectly for a Bank Holiday Monday finish on the 4th.
Prize money breakdown
There’s serious money on the table this year. Whoever lifts the trophy at the end of it all takes home £500,000 — the same as 2025. Runner-up collects £200,000, and even losing in the first round at the venue pays £20,000. It’s a long way from the sport’s amateur roots.
| Round / Position | Prize |
|---|---|
| Winner | £500,000 |
| Runner-up | £200,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £100,000 each |
| Quarter-finalists | £50,000 each |
| Last 16 | £30,000 each |
| Last 32 | £20,000 each |
| Highest break | £15,000 |
| Maximum break (147) | £40,000 |
There’s also an extra incentive floating around this season. Any player who makes two maximum breaks across the Triple Crown events — the UK Championship, the Masters and the World Championship — or at the Saudi Arabia Masters pockets a £147,000 bonus. Ronnie O’Sullivan has already claimed it with two 147s in Jeddah. Chang Bingyu got hers after maximums in both the UK Championship and the World Championship qualifiers.
Former champions in the field
What makes this draw genuinely exciting is the weight of history in the field. All eight of the top seeds have won the world title before. You don’t often see that.
Zhao Xintong arrives as defending champion and will attempt to sidestep the so-called Curse of the Crucible, which has tripped up several first-time winners trying to go back-to-back. He’s been in scintillating form throughout 2025/26, winning four titles, and looks like a real threat to do it again.
Judd Trump, ranked world number one, is chasing his second world crown seven years after his first. Mark Selby and John Higgins have each won it four times; Mark Williams three. Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Kyren Wilson round out the group of former champions still competing at the top end of the game.
Five other players in the draw know what it feels like to reach a final and come away empty-handed — Matthew Stevens, Ali Carter, Barry Hawkins, Ding Junhui and Jak Jones. For all of them, this tournament is unfinished business.
How to watch the 2026 World Snooker Championship
UK fans are well covered. The BBC carries live coverage across all 17 days — free, no subscription needed. TNT Sports also has the event live if you prefer that platform. International viewers can stream via WST Play on a subscription basis, and other territories are covered through WPBSA’s broadcast partners around the world.
