World Team Championships: the Swaythling and Corbillon Cups

Table tennis is an individual sport, but some of its most nerve-racking matches happen in team play. At the World Team Championships, every point counts for the whole country, and a lower-ranked player can decide a world title in a fifth match.

Here is how the team Worlds work, where the names Swaythling and Corbillon come from and who dominates the event.

What are the World Team Championships?

They are the team side of the World Table Tennis Championships. Since 2003 the ITTF has alternated formats: individual Worlds in odd years and team Worlds in even years, with separate men's and women's competitions.

The 2026 edition was played in London in April and May to mark 100 years since the first Worlds, held in the same city in 1926. There were 64 teams per gender, qualified through continental events and the world team ranking, plus England as host.

The Swaythling Cup and the Corbillon Cup

The team trophies are the oldest in the sport:

So when you read that a country "won the Swaythling", it means it won the men's world team title.

How a team tie works

Each team fields three players for a tie. All matches are singles, and the first team to win three matches wins. A draw decides which side is "ABC" and which is "XYZ", and the order is fixed:

1. Match 1: A vs X.
2. Match 2: B vs Y.
3. Match 3: C vs Z.
4. Match 4: A vs Y, if neither team has three wins.
5. Match 5: B vs X, the decider.

Each match is a normal best-of-5 match with games to 11. Since the first two players in the lineup can play twice, coaches have to think hard about who goes where. A strong third player, who only plays once, can swing a tie.

The event starts with a group stage and ends with a knockout. For how those systems compare, see table tennis tournament formats.

What about the Olympics?

The Olympic team format is similar but not the same: there, a tie starts with a doubles match followed by singles. Details are in table tennis at the Olympics. For LA 2028, the men's and women's team events are replaced by a mixed team event.

Who has won the most?

The United States has a page in this history too: in 1937 both the US men's and women's teams were world champions.

In London 2026, China beat Japan in both finals. For the men, it was a 12th straight title. Chinese Taipei and France took the men's bronze medals, and Romania and Germany the women's. Why China keeps winning is covered in why China dominates table tennis.

The Americas at the team Worlds

Teams from the Americas qualify through continental events. The US, Canada and Brazil are regulars, and Brazil's men, led by world top-10 player Hugo Calderano, have become a dangerous draw for anyone. Meet more players from the region in Brazilian table tennis players.

Frequently asked questions