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The '''UPBF Paintball World Championship''' is an international national-team [[paintball]] competition organised by the [[United Paintball Federation]] (UPBF). First held in 2013, the championship brings together national representative teams competing in different age and gender categories.[1]

The competition is distinct from professional club tournaments such as the [[National Xball League]] and [[NXL European Championships]]. Participating countries are represented through national paintball federations or other organisations recognised by the UPBF.[2]

By 2026, the championship had recorded participation by 52 countries since its establishment.[1]

== 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]

== Competition structure ==

The UPBF World Championship uses national representative teams rather than independent professional or amateur club teams.

Each country may enter one team per championship category, subject to UPBF regulations and approval by its recognised national governing organisation.[2]

As of 2026, the competition comprised five categories:

{| class="wikitable"
! Category
! Format
! Eligibility
|-
| Men's
| Five-player X-Ball
| Open men's competition
|-
| Women's
| Five-player X-Ball
| Open women's competition
|-
| Veterans
| Five-player X-Ball
| Players aged 40 and over
|-
| Under-19
| Five-player X-Ball
| Youth competition
|-
| Under-16
| Three-player X-Ball
| Junior competition
|}

The championship uses timed, multi-point competition based on [[X-Ball]].

The UPBF's published competition format uses Race-to-4 scoring, with teams attempting to score points by activating the opposing team's buzzer.

Equipment regulations include electronic markers and ammunition limits intended to standardise competition between national teams.[1][10]

=== National-team eligibility ===

National teams are selected or approved by organisations recognised by the UPBF.

The federation operates a one-representative-organisation-per-country membership structure.

Player eligibility is governed by the championship rulebook, including requirements relating to citizenship or permanent residence in the country represented.

Support staff are subject to separate eligibility provisions.[2][10]

== Recent world champions ==

The following table records championship-winning countries from 2023 to 2026.

{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Men
! Women
! Veterans
! Under-19
! Under-16
|-
| 2023
| United States
| United States
| United States
| United States
| United States
|-
| 2024
| United States
| United States
| United States
| United States
| United States
|-
| 2025
| France
| United States
| France
| United States
| United States
|-
| 2026
| Poland
| United States
| United States
| United States
| United States
|}

Results are taken from official UPBF championship reviews.[5][6][7][8]

== Relationship with NXL Europe ==

The UPBF World Championship has frequently been organised alongside the NXL European Championships.

The two competitions share tournament facilities and may use common operational infrastructure.

However, the competitions have different purposes.

The UPBF World Championship is contested by national representative teams, while NXL Europe organises professional and amateur club competition.

At the 2026 event in Dreux, the UPBF World Championship took place on 2 and 3 September, while the wider NXL European Championships continued through 6 September.[8]

== International participation ==

The championship expanded from its European origins into an international competition involving countries from multiple continents.

The UPBF reported that 52 countries had participated at least once between 2013 and 2026.

The 2019 championship remained the largest by national participation, with 26 countries.

The 2026 event approached that record, attracting 25 countries and more than 500 players.[8][11]

The addition of Colombia, Denmark, Kuwait and Malta in 2026 demonstrated the continuing development of national-team competition in regions with different levels of organised paintball activity.

== See also ==

* [[United Paintball Federation]]
* [[European Paintball Federation]]
* [[NXL Europe]]
* [[NXL European Championships]]
* [[National Xball League]]
* [[X-Ball]]
* [[History of tournament paintball]]
* [[Paintball World Cup]]

== References ==

# [https://www.upbf.net/paintball-sport United Paintball Federation, Paintball Is a Sport. Official history of the World Championship and competition categories.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/membership/criteria United Paintball Federation, Membership Criteria. Official national federation recognition and participation requirements.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/2019-upbf-paintball-world-championship-medal-review United Paintball Federation, Paul Grobler, 2019 UPBF Paintball World Championship Medal Review, 6 July 2020.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/2022-upbf-paintball-world-championship-review United Paintball Federation, Paul Grobler, 2022 UPBF Paintball World Championship Review, 25 September 2022.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/upbf-2023-review United Paintball Federation, Paul Grobler, UPBF 2023 Review, 4 September 2023.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/upbf-2024-review United Paintball Federation, Paul Grobler, UPBF 2024 Review, 2 September 2024.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/upbf-paintball-world-championship-2025-final-recap United Paintball Federation, Paul Grobler, UPBF Paintball World Championship 2025 Final Recap, 31 August 2025.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/upbf-world-championship-2026-dreux-review United Paintball Federation, World Championship 2026: The Story of Dreux, 11 September 2026.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/under-19-world-championship-2026-usa-norway United Paintball Federation, Under 19 World Championship 2026: USA Extend the Run, Norway Push Them All the Way, 11 October 2026.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/upbf-invitation-and-rulebook-changes United Paintball Federation, Paul Grobler, UPBF Invitation and Rulebook Changes, 3 July 2023; and official championship rules available from the UPBF website.]
# [https://www.upbf.net/articles/four-new-nations-2026-colombia-denmark-kuwait-malta United Paintball Federation, Four New Nations Make Their UPBF World Championship Debut in 2026, 8 August 2026.]

== External links ==

* [https://www.upbf.net/ United Paintball Federation official website]
* [https://www.upbf.net/articles/upbf-world-championship-2026-dreux-review 2026 World Championship official review]
* [https://www.upbf.net/paintball-sport UPBF competition structure and history]

[[Category:Paintball tournaments]]
[[Category:International paintball competitions]]
[[Category:Paintball world championships]]
[[Category:Paintball history]]

UPBF World Championship - Revision history