FIPV Pelota World Championships

What are the Pelota World Championships?

The world titles of Basque pelota, staged by the Federación Internacional de Pelota Vasca since 1952, when the first edition was held at San Sebastián. They ran triennially until 1958 and have been quadrennial since; the 2026 edition is the twentieth. The championships are amateur, and crown champions across roughly fifteen categories.^[1] [2]

Recent editions — leading nations and the size of the field.

Fifteen games, four walls

The programme is organised by court type rather than by event. Trinquete holds hand-pelota singles and doubles, paleta goma for men and women, paleta cuero and xare; Frontón 30 m holds paleta goma and frontenis for both sexes; Frontón 36 m holds hand-pelota singles and doubles, paleta cuero and pala corta; and the Frontón 54 m holds cesta punta — jai alai. Women's events were added progressively from 1990, and the 2026 programme adds frontball and adapted pelota.^[1] [3]

How do players qualify?

Through their national federation — and with one unusual feature: Euskadi, the Basque Country, competes as its own selección alongside Spain and France. For the 2026 edition the FIPV published a per-modality qualification list derived from placings in the Nations Leagues staged in 2024 and 2025, so that cycle now functions as the qualifying pathway.^[1] [3]

Who wins?

Spain and France lead the all-time table on 80 and 71 golds, with Mexico on 53 and Argentina on 48 — and the results are less predictable than that suggests: France topped the table in Barcelona in 2018 and Spain topped it in Biarritz in 2022, each on the other's home ground. Biarritz drew 32 nations, by far the largest field in the championship's history. The 2026 edition is the first hosted by Argentina — a return to the city where the federation was founded in 1929 — and is staged jointly with Uruguay.^[2] [4]