The qualification race for the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 continues to accelerate as 11 more teams per gender have officially secured their spots through the updated November 2025 ITTF World Team Rankings. With these additions, the field for next year’s historic centenary edition is nearing its final form.
A hundred years after the very first World Championships were held in London in 1926, table tennis is returning to its birthplace for a celebration unlike any other. The 2026 edition marks both the 100-year anniversary of the tournament and the founding of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), making London 2026 one of the most significant events in the sport’s history.
Continental Events Filled the First 48 Spots
Before the latest rankings were released, 48 teams per gender had already qualified through continental championships held across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. These events ensured broad global representation and provided the first wave of confirmed participants for the 2026 Championships.
The November 2025 ITTF World Team Rankings now contribute the next set of qualifiers, rewarding consistent performance across international competitions during the current cycle.
Men’s Teams Qualified via November World Rankings
Based on the updated rankings, the following 11 men’s national teams have secured their positions in the London 2026 Finals:
Austria
Hungary
Czechia
Cuba
Ecuador
South Africa
Côte d’Ivoire
Cameroon
Fiji Islands
Angola
Peru
These ranking-based qualifiers join 52 teams from continental events and host nation England, completing the full 64-team men’s field.
Women’s Teams Qualified via November World Rankings
On the women’s side, the following 11 national teams have booked their places through the November 2025 rankings:
Italy
Cuba
Uzbekistan
Angola
Nauru
Ethiopia
Wales
Türkiye
Venezuela
Congo
Ecuador
These nations now join the previously confirmed continental qualifiers to form a complete and diverse 64-team women’s field for the London 2026 Championships.
How the Qualification System Works
The qualification structure for London 2026 is grounded in both continental performance and world ranking consistency:
• 52 teams per gender qualify through continental championships.
• 11 teams per gender qualify through the November 2025 ITTF World Team Rankings.
• 1 place per gender is reserved for host nation England.
This system ensures global representation while highlighting the importance of year-round performance in ITTF and WTT events.
What Comes Next
Once the Championships begin, the 64 qualified teams will compete across two phases:
• Group Stage (Stage 1a and Stage 1b) – round-robin play determining advancement
• Main Draw – a 32-team knockout competition leading to the finals at Wembley Arena
The event will take place from 28 April to 10 May 2026, marking the grand return of the World Championships to London exactly one century after the inaugural edition.
As national teams finalize preparations and the field reaches its full strength, anticipation for the London 2026 centenary celebration continues to grow. With the November ranking qualifiers confirmed, the countdown to the world’s biggest team table tennis event enters its final stage.
