World Championships History
Every Pokémon World Championships since the series began in 2004. Host cities, venues, and the Masters Division champions in the TCG and the video games, through to Worlds 2026 in San Francisco.
2026 World Championships soundtrack
The official soundtrack for the 2026 Pokémon World Championships is out now on the official Pokémon YouTube channels.
Every Worlds-winning TCG deck
All 20 Masters Division championship decks, 2004 to 2025, as complete 60-card galleries with the printing of every card.
Every Worlds since 2004
Host city, venue, and Masters Division champions · held each August
| Year | Host city | TCG Masters Champion | Video Game Masters Champion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | San Francisco, CA United StatesMoscone Center & Chase Center | 28–30 August 2026 | First season on Pokémon Champions |
| 2025 | Anaheim, CA United StatesAnaheim Convention Center | Riley McKay CanadaDeck → | Giovanni Cischke United States |
| 2024 | Honolulu, HI United StatesHawai‘i Convention Center | Fernando Cifuentes ChileDeck → | Luca Ceribelli Italy |
| 2023 | Yokohama JapanPacifico Yokohama | Vance Kelley United StatesDeck → | Shohei Kimura Japan |
| 2022 | London United KingdomExCeL London | Ondřej Škubal CzechiaDeck → | Eduardo Cunha Portugal |
| 2020–21 | Not held — cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2019 | Washington, D.C. United StatesWalter E. Washington Convention Center | Henry Brand AustraliaDeck → | Naoto Mizobuchi Japan |
| 2018 | Nashville, TN United StatesMusic City Center | Robin Schulz GermanyDeck → | Paul Ruiz Ecuador |
| 2017 | Anaheim, CA United StatesAnaheim Convention Center | Diego Cassiraga ArgentinaDeck → | Ryota Otsubo Japan |
| 2016 | San Francisco, CA United StatesSan Francisco Marriott Marquis | Shintaro Ito JapanDeck → | Wolfe Glick United States |
| 2015 | Boston, MA United StatesHynes Convention Center | Jacob Van Wagner United StatesDeck → | Shoma Honami Japan |
| 2014 | Washington, D.C. United StatesWalter E. Washington Convention Center | Andrew Estrada CanadaDeck → | Se Jun Park South Korea |
| 2013 | Vancouver CanadaVancouver Convention Centre | Jason Klaczynski United StatesDeck → | Arash Ommati Italy |
| 2012 | Waikoloa Village, HI United StatesHilton Waikoloa Village | Igor Costa PortugalDeck → | Ray Rizzo United States |
| 2011 | San Diego, CA United StatesHilton San Diego Bayfront | David Cohen United StatesDeck → | Ray Rizzo United States |
| 2010 | Waikoloa Village, HI United StatesHilton Waikoloa Village | Yuta Komatsuda JapanDeck → | Ray Rizzo United States |
| 2009 | San Diego, CA United StatesHilton San Diego Bayfront | Stephen Silvestro United StatesDeck → | Video game event held without a Masters division |
| 2008 | Orlando, FL United StatesHilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista | Jason Klaczynski United StatesDeck → | Video game invitational held |
| 2007 | Waikoloa Village, HI United StatesHilton Waikoloa Village | Tom Roos FinlandDeck → | — |
| 2006 | Anaheim, CA United StatesHilton Anaheim | Jason Klaczynski United StatesDeck → | — |
| 2005 | San Diego, CA United StatesTown and Country Resort | Jeremy Maron United StatesDeck → | — |
| 2004 | Orlando, FL United StatesWyndham Palace Resort & Spa | Tsuguyoshi Yamato JapanDeck → | — |
Records
Drawn from the results above
Jason Klaczynski has three (2006, 2008, 2013), the most of any player.
Ray Rizzo won three in a row (2010, 2011, 2012), the only VGC Masters three-peat.
London 2022 at ExCeL London. Yokohama 2023 followed as the first Worlds held in Japan.
Se Jun Park of South Korea won VGC Masters 2014 with a team famously featuring Pachirisu.
Other game divisions
Masters / open champions at Worlds by game
| 2022 | Shadowcat United States |
| 2019 | Subutan Japan |
| 2018 | ThankSwalot United States |
| 2017 | Tonosama Japan |
| 2016 | Potetin Japan |
| 2025 | Beelzeboy India |
| 2024 | Yekai0904 Hong Kong |
| 2023 | ItsAXN United States |
| 2022 | DancingRob Germany |
| 2025 | PERÚ Unite Peru |
| 2024 | Fennel Japan |
| 2023 | Luminosity Gaming United States |
| 2022 | BLVKHVND United States |
Before the modern series
1999–2002 · the Wizards of the Coast years
The unified World Championships series began in Orlando in 2004, run by Play! Pokémon. Before that, competitive play was split across separate events. Wizards of the Coast ran invitational TCG events including the Tropical Mega Battle in Hawaii, and a TCG World Championship was held in Seattle in 2002. Nintendo held a one-off video game world championship in Sydney in 2000.
Records from these early events are patchier than the modern era, which is why the table on this page starts at 2004.
Results cover the Masters Division (the oldest age bracket). Junior and Senior Division champions are crowned at every Worlds alongside these results.
Spotted an error? Let us know.
This page is updated after each World Championships.