World Lacrosse today announced the pools for the Nissin Foods 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, set for July 24-August 2 in Tokyo.
World Lacrosse determined the pools using a draw for the first time at one of its championships, and will do so for other senior championships, including the 2027 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship. Both senior field championships will feature 16 teams, with all teams outside of the host earning their spots through qualification at continental championships.
Based on performances at the 2022 WL Women’s Championship and continental championships in the last two years, the 16 teams were ranked ahead of the 2026 WL Women’s Championship.
The top four seeds – United States, Canada, England and Japan – were placed in Pools A through D, and the remaining 12 teams were drawn by pots into the four pools, with the only constraint capping the number of teams from any Continental Federation at two.
The pools can be found below, with teams listed alphabetically within each pool.
Pool A
Haudenosaunee
Ireland
Chinese Taipei
United States
Pool B
Australia
Canada
Germany
Wales
Pool C
Argentina
England
Puerto Rico
Scotland
Pool D
Czechia
Israel
Japan
Philippines
The top two teams from each pool will advance to the eight-team playoffs, with each pool finisher slotting into predetermined spots in the bracket. All four pool winners will face second-place teams in the quarterfinals.
Competition over the 10 days of action in Tokyo will be at Oi Stadium and Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium. The schedule and ticketing information will be announced in the coming weeks.
