Major changes to World Curling competition structure for 2026–2030 Olympic cycle confirmed

World Curling has confirmed a comprehensive overhaul of its competition structure, set to take effect from 2026–2027 season.

These changes follow extensive consultation with the Member Associations (MAs) and Athlete Commission over the past 18 months, and aim to enhance global competitions, streamline qualification pathways, and expand opportunities for MAs across all levels of the sport.

World Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships expanded

From Season 2026–2027, the World Men’s and World Women’s Curling Championships will expand from 13 to 18 teams. The new format will feature:

Two pools of nine teams
Pool winners progressing directly to the semi-finals
Second and third placed teams from each pool will play crossover qualification games for the remaining semi-final spots

The top 14 teams from each championship will retain their place for the following season, while the bottom four teams will be relegated to the newly introduced World Curling Championships B-Division.

Introduction of World Curling Championships B- and C-Divisions

To support the expanded format, a new tiered system will be introduced featuring a World B-Division and regional C-Division championships.

World Curling Championships B-Divisions

The World Curling Championships B-Divisions will be held annually in November and feature 16 women’s and 16 men’s teams.

The championships will see the top four teams promoted to the World Curling Championships, while the bottom four teams will be relegated to the regional C-Divisions.

World Curling Championships C-Divisions

The World Curling Championships C-Divisions will feature the four relegated B-Division teams and any remaining Member Associations and will be split into the Europe and Pan Continental regions.

The top two teams from each region will be promoted to the B-Divisions for the following season.

These championships will take place at the end of the season, replacing the spot currently held by the European C-Division Curling Championships.

This new structure replaces the current world qualification system through the European and Pan Continental Curling Championships.

As a result, the Pan Continental Curling Championships 2025 will be the final edition of this event.

European Curling Championships A-Division to continue

The European Curling Championship A-Division will continue as a standalone event, featuring the top ten European Member Associations from the previous season’s World Championships. The event will take place in October to begin the international season.

In this new championship format, during the round-robin, teams will be separated into two pools of five.

Each team will play five round-robin games, all of which will be against opposition from the other pool. The top two finishers from each pool will then progress to a semi-final round.

World Junior Curling Championships revamped

From 2027 onward, the World Junior Curling Championships will also see significant changes. The event will:

Expand to 16 teams per gender
Feature two pools of eight teams
Top three teams from each pool advance to play-offs
Bottom three teams relegated to World Junior-B Curling Championships
All games will be played over eight ends

Later this month, the Competition and Rules Commission will announce how Member Associations will be allocated to these new divisions. The full allocation will be implemented following the 2025–2026 season, once all existing championships have been completed.

Frequently Asked Questions for these changes can be found here.

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