2026 Roundnet World Championship Recap

Full Recap and Results from Paris

From September 2-6, the 2026 Roundnet World Championships brought 695 athletes from 36 countries to Paris, France, to battle for the title of ‘best-in-the-world. In the third edition of the event, across five days, teams played 3,134 matches in front of 1,279 spectators, the largest crowd in the event's history. Here is how that week unfolded.

Wednesday: The opening ceremony

Wednesday was the biggest day off the courts. From 13:00, the main stage hosted a full program of panels. From the inventor of roundnet, to previous world champions, to equipment manufacturers to the IRF founders – the panels gave insight into how the sport started, the current state of the sport, and what the sport is destined for in the future.

The day was closed out with the opening ceremony for the tournament – bringing together all the countries for the first time since 2024. The countries included 22 European, 6 Asia/Oceania, 4 South American, 3 North American and 1 African.

Thursday: Mixed, mens and womens individual begins.

The individual championships opened on Thursday, with each country having the opportunity to enter seven pairs: three in the men's division, three in the women's division and one in the mixed division.

Italy's Elena Rossetto and Jacopo Dudine controlled the mixed bracket and beat the USA's Tess Dolan and Kyle Fowler in the gold medal match. In the bronze medal match, the Netherlands won their first ever medal when Lauma Ernestsone and Aleksandrs Juška emerged victorious. By the end of the day, the men's and women's brackets were down to their final four.

Top results for each region for mixed out of 28 teams: Europe – Italy – 1st. North America – USA – 2nd. Asia – Taiwan – 7th. South America – Argentina – 19th. Africa – Europe – 22nd.

Friday: Squad begins, individual concludes.

Friday morning began with the pool play of the squad championship. Each country featured squads of 10 players, split into 5 pairs – seeded 1 to 5. These pairs played another country – needing to win 3 out of 5 games to achieve the victory. There were two rounds of pool play – which then seeded countries for the bracket on Saturday.

The afternoon belonged to the individual semifinals and finals. In the women's final, Switzerland's Selina Amsler and Laura Kunzelmann beat reigning champions Austria, Megan Leybourne and Daniela Kadlec. The USA's Karah Hui and Elle Lowe were victorious in the bronze medal match.

In the men's final, the USA's Connor Nelson and Kieran Rose beat Germany's Georg Seiffarth and Paul Siemer to win gold. Italy's Nicola Bazzani and Andrea Borsotti won bronze.

Top results for each region for individual women out of 72 teams: Europe – Switzerland – 1st. North America – USA – 3rd. Asia – Taiwan – 19th. South America – Brazil – 37th.

Top result for each region for individual men out of 105 teams: North America – USA – 1st. Europe – Germany – 2nd. Asia – Australia – 13th. South America – Argentina – 35th. Africa – Egypt – 67th.

Saturday: Squad elimination rounds

Saturday drew the biggest crowd of the week, with 1,022 spectator tickets for the day. Squads played through the elimination rounds, and two bronze medals were decided. Italy beat Austria for men's squad bronze. Host nation France beat Austria for women's squad bronze in front of a home crowd.

Sunday: Germany and the USA split the squad titles

The men's squad final opened Championship on Sunday, as Germany played against USA. With the score locked at 2-2, the final came down to the number 3 net – where Germany closed out the third set to win the net, the match and the championship, 3-2.

The women's squad final was a match between the same two countries. In a hard-fought match, the USA prevailed for the 3rd straight tournament, defeating Germany 3-2 in the contest.

Top results for each region for squad men out of 34 teams: Europe – Germany – 1st. North America – USA – 2nd. Asia – Australia – 9th. South America – Brazil – 21st. Africa – Egypt – 28th.

Top results for each region for squad women out of 26 teams: North America – USA – 1st. Europe – Germany – 2nd. Asia – Taiwan – 14th. South America – Brazil – 17th.

Final Standings

Medal Table

Worlds 2026 by the Numbers

Thank you to our sponsors

Worlds 2026 was only made possible by our sponsors. A huge thank you to our major equipment supplier, Premier Spike who not only provided financial support for the event but also equipped players with 200 sets and 1,000 balls during the tournament. Not a single rim broke throughout the whole tournament – an incredible testament to the quality they provide.

We are also thankful to our other wonderful sponsors including: VC Ultimate, Aptol, Val de Marne, Koko Kombucha, Bucket Golf, The Roundnetwork, Tokay, Valentin Environment and Oxobio.

What's next

The Roundnet World Championships are held every two years, and the IRF will announce the host of the 2028 edition in late 2027. Organizers have shared detailed recommendations from Paris with National Governing Bodies so the next host can build on what worked in 2026.

The finals, panels and opening ceremony are being posted to the IRF YouTube channel, and an official Worlds aftermovie from The Roundnetwork is coming this fall. Thank you to every athlete, coach, volunteer, sponsor and fan who made Paris 2026 the biggest Worlds yet.

Frequently asked questions

How many athletes and countries competed? 695 athletes from 37 countries competed, with 26 countries entering women's teams and 34 entering men's teams. They played 3,134 matches over four days of competition.

What is the squad format? In the squad championship, each country fields five pairs. Each pair plays the opposing country's pair of the same seed.

Where can I watch the 2026 Worlds finals? The finals, panels and opening ceremony are being posted to the IRF YouTube channel. An official Worlds aftermovie produced by The Roundnetwork is coming this fall.

When is the next Roundnet World Championships? The World Championships are held every two years, so the next edition will be in 2028.