Editing UPBF World Championship (section)

== History ==

=== Establishment ===

The first UPBF World Championship took place in 2013, the year in which the federation established its international championship programme.[1]

The competition developed from existing European national-team tournaments and the international championship structure associated with the [[European Paintball Federation]] (EPBF).

During its early years, the UPBF organised international competitions involving national representative teams from Europe, North America and other regions.

The championship subsequently expanded to incorporate women's, veterans' and youth categories.

=== International expansion ===

During the 2010s, the World Championship attracted increasing participation from national federations outside Europe.

In 2019, the championship recorded participation from 26 countries, establishing a national participation record that remained unbeaten as of 2026.[1]

The 2019 championship programme included separate competitions in the Netherlands and Czech Republic.

The men's championship took place in Prague, while the veterans', women's and youth categories competed in the Netherlands.

Russia won the men's championship and the women's five-player competition. Ukraine won the veterans' title, Norway the under-19 championship and Sweden the under-16 championship.

The United States also won the women's three-player category.[3]

=== Resumption following the pandemic ===

International competition was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The championship resumed its broader international programme during 2021 and 2022.

The 2022 World Championship took place in Dreux, France, in conjunction with the NXL European Championships.

The event attracted 45 national teams representing 18 countries across men's, women's, veterans', under-19 and under-16 categories.[4]

The relationship with NXL Europe allowed the UPBF to use established international tournament facilities, referees and event infrastructure.

=== 2023 championship ===

The 2023 World Championship was held in Dreux, France, during the [[NXL European Championships]].

The event featured men's, women's, veterans', under-19 and under-16 competition.

The United States won all five championship categories.

The UPBF's official season review recorded five gold medals for the United States, followed by France in the overall medal standings.[5]

=== 2024 championship ===

The 2024 World Championship took place at Ace Paintball in Dreux on 28 and 29 August.

The event attracted 62 teams representing 19 countries across five categories.

The United States won all five championships for a second consecutive year.[6]

=== 2025 championship ===

The 2025 World Championship took place in Dreux on 27 and 28 August.

Twenty-one countries participated, fielding 60 teams across the five championship categories.

France won the men's championship, defeating the United States 4-2 in the final.

France also won the veterans' championship, while the United States claimed the women's, under-19 and under-16 titles.[7]

=== 2026 championship ===

The 2026 UPBF World Championship took place at Ace Paintball in Dreux, France, on 2 and 3 September.

Twenty-five countries participated, making it the largest championship by national participation since 2019.

Four countries made their first World Championship appearances: Colombia, Denmark, Kuwait and Malta.[8]

The United States won four of the five championship categories.

Poland won the men's championship for the first time, defeating the United States 4-1 in the final.

The United States won the veterans' title by defeating Poland 4-3, while its women's team defeated Germany 3-2.

The American under-19 team defeated Norway 4-1, securing its fifth consecutive championship in that category.

The United States also won the under-16 championship.[8][9]