Hossein Vafaei Becomes First Qualifier to Win at 2026 World Snooker Championship
Iran's Hossein Vafaei made snooker history by becoming the first qualifier to win a match at the 2026 World Championship. He beat China's Si Jiahui 10-3 and will face top player Judd Trump next.
Iran's Hossein Vafaei pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 World Snooker Championship by becoming the first qualifier to win a match at the famous Crucible Theatre. He dominated China's Si Jiahui 10-3 in their first-round match.
The victory was even more impressive because of how Vafaei won. Si Jiahui, who reached the semi-finals in 2023, started strong and led 3-1. But Vafaei took complete control, winning nine straight frames to seal the match.
Before Vafaei's win, all 14 opening matches had been won by seeded players. Qualifiers are lower-ranked players who must win several matches just to reach the main tournament. They rarely beat the top seeds at snooker's most important event.
After his victory, Vafaei praised the Crucible as "a historical place." He previously criticized the venue but now seems to appreciate its significance in snooker.
Vafaei's reward is a second-round match against Judd Trump, one of the sport's biggest stars.
This is a huge upset in professional snooker's biggest tournament. Qualifiers are lower-ranked players who rarely beat the seeded stars, making Vafaei's win a major surprise that breaks the favorites' dominance.
Vafaei will face world-class player Judd Trump in the second round of the World Championship.
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