Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, has been chosen to be the venue for next year's World Judo Championships, which will take place from 4 to 11 October, 2026.
Following the 2025 edition held in Budapest, Hungary, another major judo city will now take centre stage. Azerbaijan, a nation renowned for producing world-class judoka such as Olympic Champions Hidayat Heydarov and Zelym Kotsoiev, will once again become the capital of world judo in 2026.
The last time Baku hosted the event was in 2018, a tournament still remembered for its exceptional atmosphere and top-level performances.
The World Championships stand as the flagship event of the International Judo Federation. They represent the pinnacle of the judo season, offering athletes the chance to earn valuable world ranking points, to test themselves against the very best and secure key positions on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Blog posts
Distria Krasniqi (KOS) was the queen of the -52's in Zagreb. She won all her matches by ippon, There was no one even close to her.
Team USA got a total of 3 golds, 9 silvers and 5 bronzes. The three gold medalists were Christoper Velazco at -60kg, Daniel Liubimovski at -100kg and Mariah Holguin at -57kg.
An overview of the winners from Day 3 of the Zagreb Grand Prix, including the performance of American players.