Ali Carter became the latest player to confirm his spot in the 2026 Champion of Champions lineup after his victory at the 2026 English Open on Sunday.
The Captain secured his seventh career ranking title with a 9-6 triumph over Mark Williams at the Brentwood Centre.
Carter took home a top prize worth £100,000, a sum which helped him rejoin the top 16 on the official world rankings list.
But beyond that, his success could have plenty of added benefits including a ticket to the annual Champion of Champions invitational tournament.
This year’s edition of the prestigious event will be staged at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester from November 9 to 15, with a winner’s cheque of £150,000 up for grabs.
The 16-strong field typically comprises champions from the previous 12-month period.
Promoted by Matchroom Sport, the specific criteria for selection has come in for a degree of controversy in recent seasons.
But it all seems to be a lot clearer this year with the criteria having been set long ago – albeit conveniently “subject to change” as per the official announcement last December.
After emerging with the Steve Davis Trophy on Sunday, Carter has become the 14th player to qualify for the 2026 Champion of Champions draw as per that criteria.
It’ll mark the seventh time in the 47 year-old’s career that he has earned an invitation, with the tournament having relaunched back in 2013.
Mark Selby will be the defending champion, the Leicester man getting his hands on the silverware for the first time with a 10-5 final defeat of Judd Trump in 2025.
The likes of Trump, world champion Wu Yize, world number one Zhao Xintong, and Masters champion Kyren Wilson are also set to feature.
Others who will likely be involved include top 16 members Shaun Murphy, Barry Hawkins, and Chris Wakelin.
Murphy hasn’t actually won anything in the last 12-month span, but the Magician will get in as the Crucible runner-up as there have been so many repeat winners on the circuit during that time.
Chang Bingyu will make his debut in the event after winning last month’s Wuhan Open, while there will be second appearances for Jak Jones, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, and Alfie Burden.
Un-Nooh won’t be the only Thai in the field as countrywoman Panchaya Channoi seems set for a maiden bow as well courtesy of her success at the World Women’s Championship.
That leaves two spots left to fight for, with the winners of the Shenzhen Open and the Northern Ireland Open in October to be rewarded.
The 2026 International Championship takes place before this year’s Champion of Champions, but it doesn’t appear like it will feature in the qualifying criteria.
In previous years when there have been a surplus of repeat champions, the draw has been filled by players from the official world rankings.
As things stand, Neil Robertson and John Higgins would benefit should there be repeat winners in both Shenzhen and Belfast.
English Open runner-up Williams and record four-time Champion of Champions winner Ronnie O’Sullivan are other high-profile players who are yet to qualify.
2026 Champion of Champions Qualifying Criteria:
Champions of Champions 2025: Mark Selby
World Championship 2026: Wu Yize
UK Championship 2025: Mark Selby
The Masters 2026: Kyren Wilson
167 Riyadh Season Snooker Champs 2025: Zhao Xintong
World Grand Prix 2026: Zhao Xintong
Players Championship 2026: Zhao Xintong
Tour Championship 2026: Zhao Xintong
German Masters 2026: Judd Trump
International Championship 2025: Wu Yize
World Open 2026: Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
China Open 2026: Mark Selby
Wuhan Open 2026: Chang Bingyu
Shenzhen Open 2026: TBC
Northern Ireland Open 2026: TBC
Welsh Open 2026: Barry Hawkins
English Open 2026: Ali Carter
Scottish Open 2025: Chris Wakelin
British Open 2026: Jak Jones
Championship League Snooker Ranking 2026: Jak Jones
Women’s World Championship 2026: Panchaya Channoi
Shoot Out 2025: Alfie Burden
World Championship Runner-Up 2026: Shaun Murphy
Shanghai Masters 2026: Mark Selby
Championship League Snooker Invitational 2026: Judd Trump
Featured photo credit: Matchroom
>Panchaya Channoi seems set for a maiden bow as well
Honestly, that does not make much sense to me, competitively — given the rather poor record of women on the main WST, where they rarely win a match (or frame) even in qualifying against men with a low ranking, it seems absurd to invite a woman to compete against elite players, many of whom do not have to qualify due to their high ranking.
The WST could perhaps better help women with tour cards by making qualifying draws less random for them — e.g. making sure that at least in the 1st round of qualifying, they play against a male with a very low ranking, where they have more of chance to win, if not the match, then at least a frame or two.