Bold predictions for the 2026 World Junior Championships
Every winter, the World Junior Championship takes over a city and dominates the conversation. In the build-up, the familiar predictions roll in. We hear about the favourites, the medal contenders, and the players expected to walk away with some hardware. And every year, a few of those scripts get ripped up, and the expectations are flipped on their heads.
What follows is a fistful of predictions that colour outside the lines of consensus. These are not the safe bets. They’re bold. They’re unlikely. But they remain within the realm of possibility. They challenge the usual assumptions and lean into the idea that this tournament rarely goes exactly as planned.
Just don’t wager anything you are not prepared to lose, even if it would be entertaining to see a few of these come true.