Quick Answer
The Wrestling World Championships 2026 run from 24 October to 1 November at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan. Men's freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling each awarded ten world titles. Greco-Roman opens the event, women's wrestling follows, and freestyle closes it. UWW+ is UWW's streaming service, and FloWrestling covers UWW events for US viewers, so confirm Astana rights before the first session.
This guide covers Olympic-style wrestling run by United World Wrestling, not WWE or other pro wrestling.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Wrestling World Championships 2026 at a Glance
- Why the World Championships Moved to Astana
- Wrestling World Championships 2026 Schedule
- Start Times in the USA, UK and Australia
- Watch Wrestling Live: How to Watch the 2026 World Championships
- Barys Arena: The Venue
- Astana and Kazakhstan: What to Know About the Host
- Format and Rules: How the Tournament Works
- Entries and Weight Classes
- Previous World Champions: 2025 Zagreb Winners
- Top Contenders to Watch
- Wrestling News Before the 2026 World Championships
- Key Storylines
- Season So Far and What Comes Next
- Key Numbers for the 2026 World Championships
- World Championships History: Past Winners and Records
- FAQ
Introduction
The Wrestling World Championships 2026 start on 24 October in Astana, Kazakhstan, and finish on 1 November. Wrestlers compete for 30 world titles in men's freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling at Barys Arena. If you want the latest wrestling news from the sport's biggest event, this guide covers the schedule, entries, previous champions, and how to watch.
Iran swept both men's team titles in 2025, and Japan won the women's title. The 2026 event also arrives with a new host. UWW moved it from Bahrain to Astana in May. The entry lists show a deep 97 kg freestyle field and a return for four-time world champion Kyle Dake.
Wrestling World Championships 2026 at a Glance
The Wrestling World Championships 2026 take place from 24 October to 1 November at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan. United World Wrestling (UWW) runs the senior event. The Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation acts as the local organizer.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Senior World Championships (UWW) |
| Dates | 24 October to 1 November 2026 |
| City and venue | Astana, Kazakhstan; Barys Arena |
| Organizer | Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation, with UWW |
| Styles | Men's freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling |
| Weight classes | 10 per style, 30 world titles in total |
| Opening style | Greco-Roman, on 24 October |
| Freestyle entries | 320 wrestlers (UWW entry list, 8 October) |
| Greco-Roman entries | Close to 300 wrestlers (UWW entry list, 6 October) |
| Women's wrestling entries | Information is not currently available. |
| 2025 team champions | Freestyle: Iran; Greco-Roman: Iran; Women: Japan |
| Prize money | |
| Ranking points |
UWW states that entries stay open to change until 72 hours before the draw of each style. The lists in this guide reflect the entries published in early October.
Why the World Championships Moved to Astana
Manama, Bahrain, was the original host. UWW awarded the 2026 event to Bahrain at the 2025 World Championships in Zagreb.
The UWW Bureau met on 22 May 2026 and changed the host. It cited the geopolitical situation and the uncertainty around international travel. UWW and Bahrain also issued a joint statement that postponed the Bahrain edition.
The Kazakhstan Wrestling Federation became the replacement host after site visits and inspections. UWW selected Barys Arena as the venue. The announcement marks the return of the World Championships to Astana, which hosted the event in 2019.
UWW expects full attendance for the nine-day event, as it saw in 2019.
Wrestling World Championships 2026 Schedule
The competition runs for nine days. Greco-Roman starts on 24 October. Women's wrestling follows on 27 October. Freestyle begins on 29 October and ends the tournament on 1 November.
Each weight class follows the same pattern. Qualification rounds start in the morning. Semifinals and repechage rounds follow. Finals and medal ceremonies take place in the evening session.
Day-by-Day Programme
The table below uses the competition programme listed for the event. Times are Astana local time. Finals for each group of weight classes take place the day after that group's qualification rounds, the same pattern used in Zagreb in 2025.
| Date | Qualification rounds (morning) | Finals (evening) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 October | Greco-Roman 55, 77, 82, 130 kg | None listed |
| 25 October | Greco-Roman 60, 72, 97 kg | Greco-Roman 55, 77, 82, 130 kg |
| 26 October | Greco-Roman 63, 67, 87 kg | Greco-Roman 60, 72, 97 kg |
| 27 October | Women's 50, 57, 65, and 76 kg | Greco-Roman 63, 67, 87 kg |
| 28 October | Women's 53, 62, 68, and 72 kg | Women's 50, 57, 65, and 76 kg |
| 29 October | Women's 55, 59 kg; Freestyle 65, 97 kg | Women's 53, 62, 68, and 72 kg |
| 30 October | Freestyle 61, 70, 86, 125 kg | Women's 55, 59 kg; Freestyle 65, 97 kg |
| 31 October | Freestyle 57, 74, 79, 92 kg | Freestyle 61, 70, 86, 125 kg |
| 1 November | Repechage for freestyle 57, 74, 79, 92 kg | Freestyle 57, 74, 79, 92 kg |
A note on the data: the program lists the women's second group as "53, 62, 62, 72 kg," which is a typo. This guide shows 68 kg because the women's event has ten weight classes. Confirm the final program on the UWW website before you plan your viewing.
Session Times in Astana
- Qualification rounds: about 10:30 to 14:30 on most days
- Semifinals: about 16:45 to 17:45 on the days when they are listed
- Finals and medal ceremonies: 18:00 to 20:00
On 1 November, the repechage runs from 16:30 to 17:30 before the freestyle finals.
Start Times in the USA, UK, and Australia
The programme listing on Wikipedia marks its times as UTC+3. Kazakhstan uses one time zone, UTC+5, so this guide uses UTC+5. Treat the conversions below as unconfirmed until UWW publishes the final programme.
The table covers the main sessions. Clock changes matter this week. The UK moves back to GMT on 25 October. The US moves back to standard time on 1 November. Australia's eastern states stay on daylight time.
| Session | Astana | USA (ET) | UK | Australia (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualification start | 10:30 | 1:30 am | 5:30 am (6:30 am BST on 24 October) | 4:30 pm |
| Semifinals | 16:45 | 7:45 am | 11:45 am | 10:45 pm |
| Finals start | 18:00 | 9:00 am (8:00 am EST on 1 November) | 1:00 pm | 12:00 am the next day |
| Finals end | 20:00 | 11:00 am (10:00 am EST on 1 November) | 3:00 pm | 2:00 am the next day |
For Australian viewers, finals fall after midnight. The 25 October finals, for example, start at midnight on 26 October.
Watch Wrestling Live: How to Watch the 2026 World Championships
If you want to watch wrestling from Astana, UWW streams its events on UWW+, which you can use on uww.org and in the UWW+ app. UWW has used this service for its recent continental championships. Check the event page for the Astana streaming details before the first session.
US and Canadian viewers have another route. UWW states that its Pan-American Championships were live on FloWrestling in those two countries. FloWrestling also streamed the 2025 World Championships and has published bracket guidance for the 2026 event. Confirm rights for the Astana event on the FloWrestling site, because the platform has not confirmed them in the sources checked for this guide.
You can follow brackets, results, and live match order on uww.org. UWW also posts updates on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
The first weight classes, scheduled for 24 October, will draw on 23 October.
Barys Arena: The Venue
Barys Arena opened on 9 August 2015. It sits in Astana and serves as the home of Barys Astana, a team in the Kontinental Hockey League. The arena seats 11,578 for ice hockey, so wrestling capacity may differ. Information about the wrestling seating plan is not currently available.
The arena also hosted the 2017 Winter Universiade.
UWW also lists a separate training venue, the Kazakhstan Wrestling Academy, on Karkaraly Highway in Astana. Teams use it for warm-ups and preparation during the week.
Astana and Kazakhstan: What to Know About the Host
Astana became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997. The International Ice Hockey Federation has described it as the youngest modern capital city in the world. From 2019 to 2022, the city carried the name Nur-Sultan, which is why some older UWW material uses that name.
Astana has hosted wrestling at a high level more than once.
- 2019 World Championships: Close to 1,000 wrestlers took part, which made it one of the best-attended editions on record. The event used Daulet Arena.
- 2023 Asian Championships: The tournament ran from 9 to 14 April at the Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace. It moved to Astana after the original New Delhi plan changed.
- 2026 grappling event: A June 2026 UWW report placed the Grappling Asian Championships in Astana.
The 2019 edition produced a match that many fans still discuss. Abdulrashid Sadulaev beat Kyle Snyder at 97 kg in a bout that many called the "Match of the Century." Kyle Dake also won the 79 kg world title in Astana that year.
Kazakhstan has its own reasons to follow the event. UWW entry lists show Kazakh wrestlers in every weight class in freestyle and Greco-Roman. The home crowd will watch them closely.
Format and Rules: How the Tournament Works
If you are new to the sport, these basics help you follow the brackets.
Three Styles, 30 Titles
- Men's freestyle: Wrestlers can attack the whole body, including the legs.
- Greco-Roman: Wrestlers may attack only above the waist. They cannot use their legs to attack or hold.
- Women's wrestling: The rules follow freestyle.
Each style has ten weight classes. That gives 30 world titles.
Bracket and Repechage
Each weight class is a single-elimination bracket. The two finalists wrestle for gold and silver. Every wrestler who loses to a finalist moves into the repechage. The repechage produces two bronze medal matches. Semifinal losers each face the remaining repechage wrestler from their side of the bracket.
This system gives each weight class four medals. Greco-Roman alone has 40 medals at stake in Astana.
Scoring Basics
A bout has two periods of three minutes. A wrestler wins by pin, which the sport calls a fall. A wrestler also wins by technical superiority, which means a large points lead. The lead is 10 points in freestyle and women's wrestling and 8 points in Greco-Roman. If no one reaches that margin, the wrestler with more points wins at the end of the bout.
Team Rankings
UWW also tracks team points by style. Iran won the freestyle and Greco-Roman team titles in 2025. Japan won the women's title. Information on the 2026 team scoring system is not currently available in the sources checked.
Entries and Weight Classes
The 2026 weight classes are as follows.
| Style | Weight classes (kg) |
|---|---|
| Men's freestyle | 57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 79, 86, 92, 97, 125 |
| Greco-Roman | 55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 77, 82, 87, 97, 130 |
| Women's wrestling | 50, 53, 55, 57, 59, 62, 65, 68, 72, 76 |
The women's list comes from the programme grouping and is unconfirmed until UWW publishes the draw sheets.
Freestyle Entries
UWW lists 320 freestyle wrestlers. Eight returning world champions will defend their titles. Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States have entries in all ten weight classes.
The entry lists also show wrestlers under the code RUS, and a small number under the neutral UWW code. For example, Farhad Nouri appears under UWW at 74 kg. UWW can change entries until 72 hours before each draw, so confirm the final flags on the brackets.
Greco-Roman Entries
Close to 300 Greco-Roman wrestlers will compete in ten weight classes. Eight world champions return. The 60 kg, 63 kg and 130 kg classes will crown new champions. The 63 kg champion, Aytjan Khalmakhanov of Uzbekistan, is entered but moved up to 67 kg.
Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Japan and Kazakhstan have entries in all ten Greco-Roman weight classes.
Previous World Champions: 2025 Zagreb Winners
The 2025 World Championships ran from 13 to 21 September at Arena Zagreb. Japan won the most gold medals with seven. Iran won six, the United States four, and North Korea three. UWW's own preview said 18 wrestlers became world champions for the first time.
The tables below list every 2025 champion. They also show whether the wrestler appears on the Astana entry lists published in early October. Entries can change until 72 hours before each draw.
Men's Freestyle
| Weight | 2025 champion | Astana entry list |
|---|---|---|
| 57 kg | Han Chong-song (North Korea) | Entered at 57 kg |
| 61 kg | Zaur Uguev (UWW neutral in 2025) | Entered at 61 kg under the RUS code |
| 65 kg | Rahman Amouzad (Iran) | Entered at 65 kg |
| 70 kg | Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan) | Entered at 74 kg |
| 74 kg | Kota Takahashi (Japan) | Not on the list |
| 79 kg | Georgios Kougioumtsidis (Greece) | Entered at 86 kg |
| 86 kg | Zahid Valencia (United States) | Not on the list |
| 92 kg | Trent Hidlay (United States) | Entered at 92 kg |
| 97 kg | Kyle Snyder (United States) | Entered at 97 kg |
| 125 kg | Amir Hossein Zare (Iran) | Entered at 125 kg |
Eight freestyle champions return, which matches UWW's count. Two of them, Aoyagi and Kougioumtsidis, moved to a different weight class.
Greco-Roman
| Weight | 2025 champion | Astana entry list |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | Vakhtang Lolua (Georgia) | Entered at 55 kg |
| 60 kg | Aidos Sultangali (Kazakhstan) | Not on the list |
| 63 kg | Aytjan Khalmakhanov (Uzbekistan) | Entered at 67 kg |
| 67 kg | Saeid Esmaeili (Iran) | Entered at 67 kg |
| 72 kg | Ulvu Ganizade (Azerbaijan) | Entered at 72 kg |
| 77 kg | Malkhas Amoyan (Armenia) | Entered at 77 kg |
| 82 kg | Gholamreza Farrokhi (Iran) | Entered at 82 kg |
| 87 kg | Aleksandr Komarov (Serbia) | Entered at 87 kg |
| 97 kg | Mohammad Hadi Saravi (Iran) | Entered at 97 kg |
| 130 kg | Amin Mirzazadeh (Iran) | Not on the list |
Eight Greco-Roman champions return. The 60 kg, 63 kg and 130 kg classes will crown new champions, as UWW states. Khalmakhanov now shares 67 kg with Esmaeili.
Women's Wrestling
| Weight | 2025 champion |
|---|---|
| 50 kg | Won Myong-gyong (North Korea) |
| 53 kg | Haruna Murayama (Japan) |
| 55 kg | Oh Kyong-ryong (North Korea) |
| 57 kg | Helen Maroulis (United States) |
| 59 kg | Sakura Onishi (Japan) |
| 62 kg | Sakura Motoki (Japan) |
| 65 kg | Miwa Morikawa (Japan) |
| 68 kg | Ami Ishii (Japan) |
| 72 kg | Alla Belinska (Ukraine) |
| 76 kg | Génesis Reasco (Ecuador) |
Japan won five of the ten women's titles, and North Korea won two. The women's entry list for Astana is not currently available, so the table does not show who returns. UWW has confirmed that Maroulis made the US team.
Top Contenders to Watch
The returning champions above lead the list. Several other wrestlers have strong recent form.
- Spencer Lee (USA), 57 kg: He won the Zagreb Open gold in February. Roman Bravo-Young (MEX) took silver, and Milad Valizadeh (IRI) took bronze. All three are on the Astana list.
- Kyle Dake (USA), 86 kg: He has four world titles and returns after three years away. Kamran Ghasempour (IRI), a two-time world champion, is also entered.
- 97 kg freestyle: Snyder, Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN), Arash Yoshida (JPN), Hassan Yazdani (IRI) and Abdulrashid Sadulaev (RUS) are on the entry list.
- Iran, Greco-Roman: UWW says Iran's team includes three champions among seven returning medalists. Ali Oskou makes his World Championships debut at 77 kg, and Ali Ahmadi Vafa, a former U20 world champion, is entered at 60 kg.
- Riza Kayaalp (TUR), 130 kg Greco-Roman: He has five world titles. Fardin Hedayati (IRI) makes his senior World Championships debut in the same class.
- Women's wrestling: Maroulis (USA), Morikawa (JPN) and Ishii (JPN) are among the reigning champions to watch. Morgan Turner, a U17 world champion, won the US Final X series at 50 kg, and Kayla Miracle, a former world medalist, also made the US team.
Wrestling News Before the 2026 World Championships
These are the latest confirmed developments before the first session.
- 22 May: UWW moved the championships from Manama, Bahrain, to Astana.
- 19 June: Kyle Dake beat defending world champion Zahid Valencia at Final X to win the US 86 kg place.
- 6 October: UWW published the Greco-Roman entries. Close to 300 wrestlers are entered, and 60 kg, 63 kg, and 130 kg will have new champions.
- 8 October: UWW published the freestyle entries. 320 wrestlers are entered, and eight world champions return.
- This week: The U23 World Championships start in Las Vegas.
- 23 October: Draws for the first weight classes take place the day before the opening session.
Follow uww.org for confirmed entry changes. The 72-hour rule means names can still move before each draw.
Key Storylines
Iran Tries to Repeat Its Zagreb Sweep
Iran won the freestyle and Greco-Roman team titles in Zagreb in September 2025. The team scored 325 points and made history by sweeping both men's styles. Japan won the women's team title.
UWW's 2026 season preview asked a direct question: will 2026 be Iran's year again? The Astana entries give the answer a hard test. Iran has entered the world champion Zare at 125 kg, a Greco-Roman squad with three champions, and Yazdani at 97 kg.
A Deep 97 kg Freestyle Field
UWW's reporting says the 97 kg class could hold four Olympic champions in Astana. Snyder returns as world champion. Tazhudinov won Olympic gold in Paris and took world bronze. Yoshida also owns a world bronze.
Yazdani moved up to 97 kg after two shoulder surgeries. He is 31 and chases his fourth world title. He won his Iran team spot by beating Amirali Azarpira, 4-2 and 5-3. Sadulaev, a two-time Olympic champion, appears on the entry list.
The class will produce several matches that fans have waited years to see.
Dake Returns at 86 kg
Dake had not been on a World Championships team for three years. He lost his first match at Final X, then won the next two against Valencia, the 2025 world champion. That result earned him the US place in Astana.
At 86 kg, he faces a field that includes Ghasempour of Iran and wrestlers from Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan and Turkey. No result is predicted here. The draw will set the path.
New Greco-Roman Champions at Three Weights
UWW says the 60 kg, 63 kg and 130 kg classes will crown new world champions. At 63 kg, the defending champion, Khalmakhanov, moved up to 67 kg. Sultangali at 60 kg and Mirzazadeh at 130 kg do not appear on the entry lists.
Hedayati is the story at 130 kg for Iran. He earned his place by beating two-time world champion Mirzazadeh, 5-1, in the selection trials. He has waited more than two years for a world team spot. In Astana, he faces entries such as Kayaalp of Turkey.
Japan and North Korea in Women's Wrestling
Japan won the 2025 women's team title and five of the ten individual golds. UWW's season preview noted that Japan faces a challenge from DPR Korea. North Korea won two golds in Zagreb, through Won Myong-gyong and Oh Kyong-ryong.
Morikawa and Ishii, both reigning world champions, met in the 68 kg final of the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships in May. UWW called it the first of several possible clashes between Japanese stars.
The Host Nation's Chance
Kazakhstan hosted the 2019 World Championships and now hosts again. The 2026 entry lists show Kazakh wrestlers in every freestyle and Greco-Roman weight class. Home support will shape the atmosphere in Astana. No Kazakh medal total is predicted here.
Season So Far and What Comes Next
Season So Far
UWW's season ran through several events before Astana.
- Zagreb Open (4 to 8 February): The first Ranking Series event of 2026 ended with the United States first in freestyle, Iran first in Greco-Roman, and Japan first in women's wrestling. Lee won at 57 kg.
- Asian Championships (6 to 12 April): Results are not covered in the sources checked.
- European Championships (20 to 26 April, Tirana): Azerbaijan won the freestyle and Greco-Roman team titles. Ukraine won the women's title.
- Final X (19 June): The United States chose its Astana team. Dake beat Valencia at 86 kg.
- Iran selection trials: Hedayati beat Mirzazadeh at 130 kg Greco-Roman. Yazdani beat Azarpira at 97 kg freestyle.
Current world rankings by weight class: Information is not currently available.
What Comes Next
The next senior World Championships follow in 2027. An events database lists Las Vegas, United States, as the host city. The exact dates: Information is not currently available. The same database lists Amman, Jordan, for 2028.
The U23 World Championships start in Las Vegas this week.
Key Numbers for the 2026 World Championships
- 9 days of competition
- 30 world titles across three styles
- 320 freestyle entries
- Close to 300 Greco-Roman entries
- 40 Greco-Roman medals
- 8 returning world champions in freestyle
- 8 returning world champions in Greco-Roman
- 3 new Greco-Roman world champions guaranteed, at 60, 63 and 130 kg
- 11,578 seats at Barys Arena for ice hockey
World Championships History: Past Winners and Records
The Greco-Roman World Championships began in 1904. UWW treats the events before 1921 as unofficial. Men's freestyle joined in 1951, and women's wrestling in 1987.
Recent Team Champions
| Year | Host | Freestyle | Greco-Roman | Women's |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan | Russia | Russia | Japan |
| 2021 | Oslo, Norway | Russian Wrestling Federation | Russian Wrestling Federation | Japan |
| 2022 | Belgrade, Serbia | United States | Turkey | Japan |
| 2023 | Belgrade, Serbia | United States | Azerbaijan | Japan |
| 2024 | Tirana, Albania | Japan | Azerbaijan | Japan |
| 2025 | Zagreb, Croatia | Iran | Iran | Japan |
| 2026 | Astana, Kazakhstan | To be decided | To be decided | To be decided |
Japan has won the women's team title at every edition since 2013 where one was awarded. The 2024 event ran from 28 to 31 October in Tirana and covered non-Olympic weight classes only. The 2025 event was the first World Championships hosted by Croatia.
All-Time Medal Leaders
The Soviet Union leads the combined medal table with 253 golds. Japan follows with 146, Russia with 110, the United States with 90, and Iran with 77. Japan's total comes mostly from women's wrestling.
Individual Records
- Saori Yoshida (Japan): 13 women's world titles, the most of any wrestler
- Aleksandr Karelin (Russia): 9 Greco-Roman titles
- Valentin Yordanov (Bulgaria): 7 freestyle titles
- Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia): 6 freestyle titles
- Riza Kayaalp (Turkey): 5 Greco-Roman titles and 10 medals through 2023
The Last Time in Astana
The 2019 World Championships took place in Astana, then named Nur-Sultan. Close to 1,000 wrestlers entered, which made it one of the best-attended editions. Sadulaev beat Snyder at 97 kg in a bout that many called the "Match of the Century", and Dake won the 79 kg title.
The 2026 edition returns to the city but uses Barys Arena instead of Daulet Arena.
FAQ
Where will the 2026 Wrestling World Championships be held?
They are held at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan. Bahrain was the original host, but UWW moved the event in May 2026.
When are the Wrestling World Championships 2026?
They run from 24 October to 1 November 2026. Greco-Roman starts the event on 24 October.
How many world titles are awarded?
There are 30 world titles. Men's freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling each have ten weight classes.
What time do the finals start?
The programme lists finals at 18:00 Astana time. Using UTC+5, that is 9:00 am ET and 1:00 pm in the UK. In Australia (AEDT), it is midnight. These conversions are unconfirmed until UWW publishes the final programme.
Who won the 2025 World Wrestling Championships?
Iran won the freestyle and Greco-Roman team titles, and Japan won the women's title. Japan led the gold medal count with seven, followed by Iran with six.
Who are the defending world champions in 2026?
Eight freestyle and eight Greco-Roman champions from 2025 are entered. They include Kyle Snyder at 97 kg, Rahman Amouzad at 65 kg, and Amir Hossein Zare at 125 kg. The women's list is not currently available.
Where can I watch wrestling from the 2026 World Championships?
UWW+ is the platform UWW uses for its events. FloWrestling carries UWW events for US and Canadian viewers. Confirm Astana rights for your country before 24 October.
Which country has won the most world titles?
The Soviet Union has the most golds with 253. Japan is next with 146, followed by Russia with 110.