World Lacrosse and the Japan Lacrosse Association today announced that the 2027 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship will be held in the city of Tokyo from June 18-27.
Similar to the 2026 WL Women’s Championship set to begin Friday, Oi Stadium will be used for most games in the 16-team championship, with Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium hosting medal matches and the semifinal round.
WL CEO Jim Scherr said: “As we are welcoming the world’s best women’s teams to compete starting Friday in Tokyo, it is fitting to also look ahead to 2027, when the world’s best men’s teams will also have the opportunity to play in this remarkable city. Tokyo has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to deliver world-class international sporting events, and we are excited to continue building our partnership with the Japan Lacrosse Association, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and our local stakeholders. With lacrosse’s return to the Olympic Games at LA28 on the horizon, staging consecutive world championships in Tokyo will provide an incredible platform to grow the sport in Japan, across Asia and around the world.”
JLA Chairman SASAKI Yusuke said: “The value of sport is becoming even greater: people gathering in the same place, experiencing the world’s best athletes live and sharing moments of inspiration together. Hosting another celebration of lacrosse in the very heart of Japan’s capital is a great opportunity for us to share with the world one of the ideas we have long cherished: ‘Lacrosse Makes Friends.’ Through lacrosse, friendships are built across borders, and those friendships can help shape a better future.”
Tokyo has a distinguished history of hosting major international sporting events, including the 1964 and 2020 Olympic Games and the Rugby World Cup. As one of the world’s leading global cities, Tokyo offers exceptional public infrastructure, world-class transportation and accommodations, and iconic cultural and sightseeing destinations, making it an ideal setting to welcome the international lacrosse community for the 2027 WLMC.
Tokyo Governor KOIKE Yuriko said: “I am thrilled to welcome the 2027 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship to Tokyo. This international competition will be held at the Oi Hockey Stadium, a legacy of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Lacrosse has been added to the official programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. Amid this renewed spotlight on the sport, the 2027 event will mark Tokyo’s second consecutive year as the site of a World Lacrosse championship, following the women’s championship that kicks off tomorrow. I highly anticipate that the reach of lacrosse will expand even further beyond Tokyo. Let’s continue to use the power of sports to energize Japan and the world.”
Japan will be hosting the WL Men’s Championship for the first time in its 15th edition. It has been held in the Asia-Pacific region three times prior, all in Australia (1974, 1990, 2002). It will mark the first time the event is held in the Asian continent.
Japan has one of the most successful programs at the international level, first appearing at a WL championship in 1993 (women’s championship) prior to participation in the men’s championship starting in 1994. The Japanese men’s team won bronze at The World Games 2022 in sixes lacrosse – the Olympic discipline – and has never fallen below a top eight ranking in the world, even as the number of active teams has approached 50. At the last WLMC in 2023, Japan finished fifth and will be looking to make its way onto the WL championship podium for the first time in Tokyo.
The 2027 Men’s Championship will mark the second in WL’s new championship format – and first for the men – with 16 teams competing based on results from continental qualifiers. All 16 teams must earn their place in the championship at a qualifying event, with 11 spots already secured.
Seven teams from the European Lacrosse Federation earned qualification in July 2025, with three more teams from the Asia Pacific Lacrosse Union joining Japan as the host in the field at a qualifier in January of this year.
The Pan-American Lacrosse Association will hold its championship next month in Jamaica, where the remaining five teams will fill out the field.
