With only a few days to go, the numbers paint a clear picture of just how big this year’s World Cup will be. Five delegations currently lead the field by athlete headcount: Argentina (386), Ireland (261), Spain (194), Norway (170) and England (159) — together accounting for 45% of the more than 2,600 athletes expected from 57 countries.
The age divisions tell their own story about the breadth of this event — competitors range from Pre-Junior, just 12 years old, all the way to Veteran, 46 and above. 55% of all competitors are Pre-Juniors and Juniors below 18 years. All compatitors – independet of age – share the same 11 rings at the Palau d’Esports l’Illa de Benidorm across six days of competition, spanning Patterns, Sparring, Special Technique, Power Breaking and Pre-Arranged Sparring.
What stands out beyond the top five is the sheer spread of the field: dozens of federations of every size. And as the ITF World Cup is a club event, the almost 260 different clubs competiting for medals are most impressive. Everyone is now preparing to arrive in Benidorm; after arriving in the hotels, the weigh-in is the next milestone — Monday, September 28 at the Centro Cultural Benidorm is when the full field officially checks in, ahead of Tuesday’s Opening Ceremony and the first day of competition.
On to the World Cup 2026
