The 2026 World Snooker Championship is down to its final two players, as 2005 champion Shaun Murphy and 22-year-old rising star Wu Yize battle for the sport’s biggest prize, with prestige and plenty of money on the line at the Crucible Theatre.
Every player in the main draw will take home at least £20,000, and the winner of the tournament will win a cheque for half a million pounds – not bad for two weeks’ work.
The total prize pot this year is £2,395,000, and as well as payouts for finishing positions there are also bonuses on offer for the highest break and any maximum break achieved during the tournament. Those bonuses already have a potential winner, however, after China’s Chang Bingyu hit a 147 break in qualifying. He stands to win £172,000 for the feat – despite failing to qualify for the main draw – although that prize will be shared if someone else pulls off a maximum during the tournament itself. No one has yet, with Mark Allen coming closest after scoring 145 in the semi-finals.
Ronnie O’Sullivan is well out in front for the most money earned in snooker history with total winnings in excess of £15m, but the 50-year-old’s return to Sheffield was ended by old rival John Higgins in a second-round classic.
What is the World Snooker Championship prize money?
- Winner: £500,000
- Runner-up: £200,000
- Semi-finals: £100,000
- Quarter-finals: £50,000
- Last 16: £30,000
- Last 32: £20,000
- Last 48: £15,000
- Last 80: £10,000
- Last 112: £5,000
- Highest break: £15,000
- Maximum break: £40,000, paid out in addition to the highest break prize. The break bonuses are shared if two players hit the same total.
List of winners in the Crucible era
1977 – John Spencer
1978 – Ray Reardon
1979 – Terry Griffiths
1980 – Cliff Thorburn
1981 – Steve Davis
1982 – Alex Higgins
1983 – Steve Davis
1984 – Steve Davis
1985 – Dennis Taylor
1986 – Joe Johnson
1987 – Steve Davis
1988 – Steve Davis
1989 – Steve Davis
1990 – Stephen Hendry
1991 – John Parrott
1992 – Stephen Hendry
1993 – Stephen Hendry
1994 – Stephen Hendry
1995 – Stephen Hendry
1996 – Stephen Hendry
1997 – Ken Doherty
1998 – John Higgins
1999 – Stephen Hendry
2000 – Mark Williams
2001 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2002 – Peter Ebdon
2003 – Mark Williams
2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2005 – Shaun Murphy
2006 – Graeme Dott
2007 – John Higgins
2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2009 – John Higgins
2010 – Neil Robertson
2011 – John Higgins
2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2014 – Mark Selby
2015 – Stuart Bingham
2016 – Mark Selby
2017 – Mark Selby
2018 – Mark Williams
2019 – Judd Trump
2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2021 – Mark Selby
2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan
2023 – Luca Brecel
