The FIP World Polo Championship.

Who runs it

The Federation of International Polo (FIP) is the sport's international federation. Its own site says it was founded in 1982 (the Australian Polo Federation's history page gives 1984), is based in Montevideo, Uruguay, has more than 80 affiliated national associations and is recognised by the IOC. Olympedia counted 86 member associations as of January 2026. For how the FIP fits alongside national bodies such as the AAP, HPA and USPA, see governing bodies.

How the format works

The World Polo Championship is not high goal. The FIP says it is played in a 10 to 14 goal format, and that the host supplies the horses, which are pooled among the teams so that every team plays on equal terms. It also means the strongest club polo, such as the 40-goal teams of the Argentine Triple Crown, is a different competition altogether.

Teams reach the championship through regional qualifying zones run by the FIP.

Winners, 1987 to 2022

The FIP lists these champions and hosts:

Wikipedia's medal table to 2022 gives Argentina five titles, Brazil three, Chile two and the United States and Spain one each, with England holding two silver and three bronze medals but no title. Wikipedia also records that the first championship, in April 1987 at the Campo Argentino de Polo in Buenos Aires, was a five-team round robin that Argentina won on games won after a 14-14 draw with runner-up Mexico.

The last edition: Florida, 2022

The XII FIP World Polo Championship was played in Florida from 26 October to 6 November 2022. Spain beat the USA 11-10 in overtime in the final. It was Spain's first title and the first time the trophy went to a European country. As of October 2026, this is the most recent completed edition.

The next edition: disputed

Sources do not agree on where and when the XIII championship will be played. Here is each version, with its date:

The FIP is the organiser, and its later report points to Uruguay in 2027. We found no source explaining what happened to the earlier UAE award, so we cannot say whether it was withdrawn, moved or replaced. We will update this page when the FIP publishes dates.

The 2026 qualifiers

• Zone A, in the USA, 27 April to 4 May 2026: USA, Guatemala and Mexico.
• Zone B, in South America, September 2026, with the host to be confirmed: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. We did not find the result.
• Zone C, at Chantilly, France, 23 to 27 September 2026: Switzerland (Luca Meier, Patricio Gaynor Benoit, Tomas Ruiz Guinazu, Fabio Meier) won all three matches and qualified. France, England and Italy finished level on points, and a penalty shoot-out placed them second, third and fourth.

Other FIP championships

• Women's World Polo Championship. The first was held in 2022 in Buenos Aires and won by Argentina, with the USA second and England third. No second edition was found. See women's tournaments.
• Arena World Polo Championship. The USA beat Argentina 16-14 in Virginia in 2025 to win the second edition, its first arena world title. See snow and arena events.
• Arena European Championship and Ambassador's Cups. The FIP listed a FIP Arena European Championship in Rome (26 to 30 May 2026) and Ambassador's Cups in Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina for 2026.