By Ben Hoppe, U.S. curling writer

OGDEN, Utah — The playoff field for the 2026 World Men's Curling Championship is finalized, with Canada, Italy, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States moving to Friday’s playoff rounds. In fact, the field was already known on Wednesday afternoon, with four more round-robin draws to play. The playoffs will showcase a mixture of players who have been world championship regulars, as well as many curlers making their world championship debuts.

While Olympic qualification points are not on the table, this is still a world championship. It carries a lot of meaning not just for first-timers like Ross Whyte or Matt Dunstone, but also for those who have been here before. John Shuster is trying to win the first world championship for the United States in 48 years and the first on home soil in exactly 50 years. After disappointing results at the Winter Olympics, Niklas Edin is trying to skip his nation to his eighth gold medal at worlds.

Some of the newcomers felt the pressure of the world stage early in the week. Team Canada played a bit tight to start the week in hopes of making a statement, but they dropped games on the opening weekend to Scotland and the United States.

“Definitely at the beginning, it was a little shaky getting my feet under me,” said Colton Lott.

2026 World Men's Curling Championship: Up-to-date standings and latest results

Since that start, the team was able to relax and settle into a rhythm, looking much stronger throughout the remainder of the round robin. Dunstone noted later in the week that the team was having more fun and the results on the ice were proof of that.

“We know when me and [Lott] get going, we’re one of the best back ends in the world,” said the Canadian skip. “It was just a matter of time and hopefully we can continue to show that.”

The playoffs, however, can be an entirely different beast. Edin may be at his 15th world championship, but he knows the butterflies that can creep for those making their world championship debut.

“When you’re in your first one … once you hit playoffs, you will feel it," he said. "You’ll get some nerves. You’ll get more will to win. Sometimes that gets the best of you.”

The pressure of a world championship playoffs has already been somewhat evident for Italy’s Stefano Spiller. Italy had some early struggles as Spiller learned how to call line for someone who can throw as powerfully as Amos Mosaner, but Mosaner and Sebastiano Arman have been constantly joking and laughing with the reigning junior silver medallist skip throughout the week. They’ll be doing much of the same in the playoffs.

“I think we just try to have fun with him and to keep it calm not just for him, but also for Alberto [Pimpini]. Playoff time is always a little bit nervous time, but we try to have fun and enjoy the moment,” said Mosaner.

They’ll do their best with the moment, but the pressure will still come down for Spiller to throw the last shots in the playoffs. How will he prepare for Friday morning’s playoffs?

“I don’t know,” the 20-year-old grinned. “First time playing playoffs in a senior championship, so I will probably have a little bit more pressure, but I just have to think about it and play my shot.”

Playoff matchups set

No. 1 Sweden vs. winner of No. 4 Switzerland / No. 5 U.S.

Sweden got off to the fastest start of any team in the field, winning their first seven games. Edin noted multiple times the emphasis of winning early in the week so they could get the rest they needed throughout the round robin. Second Rasmus Wranå and lead Christoffer Sundgren were each spelled by alternate Simon Olofsson.

It may be easy to assume the teams with the semifinal bye will have the advantage with hammer in the first end and the benefit of rest. If the ice conditions change at all on Friday, Edin warned the quarterfinal winners will have already had the chance to adjust ahead of the afternoon’s semifinals.

Switzerland and the United States will have a rematch of the final draw of round-robin play. In their round-robin matchup, a score of four for Switzerland broke the tie in the ninth end to seal the game and the No. 4 seed for Marco Hösli in his first world championship. Shuster will be playing without hammer in the first end in his home country as he aims to make yet another semifinal. His team has failed to make the semifinals only one time all year.

No. 2 Scotland vs. winner of No. 3 Canada / No. 6 Italy

While Sweden got off to the fastest start, Scotland had the strongest finish. They dropped their first two games to Sweden (with a hog line violation on Ross Whyte’s final stone) and Japan, then rebounded on a tear. On their win streak, they played either six or seven ends in six of the games, earning some important rest to keep themselves fresh. Whyte felt they played quite well in their losses, and the skip has to feel good about where the team is at going into the playoffs.

Canada won big against Italy on the opening day of the world championship, fuelled by back-to-back steals of three early in the game. Spiller was still getting his feet under him with a different team going into this game and was unable to convert on consistent pressure being put on by Dunstone. Italy rebounded to play much better as the tournament went along, and this quarterfinal should be much closer in round two.

Odds and ends

• This was already a big week for Poland as they made their first appearance at worlds, but they made it even better when they recorded their first-ever wins. They defeated Germany and Norway. After their match against the U.S., Shuster complimented Polish skip Konrad Stych for their success and their accomplishments this season.

• Norway will finish in last place, meaning the nation will be relegated and will have to re-qualify for World Curling’s new championship format next year in the World Curling Championship B-Division.

• After weeks of sunny and unseasonably warm weather, rain and snow came to northern Utah on Wednesday, with storms continuing on Thursday. The Weber County Ice Sheet recently upgraded its dehumidification system, which was being put to the test with the storm front. The ice was a little frostier on Wednesday night, but overall, the new system held up well. Sunny and gradual warming conditions will return for the playoffs.