Speedway World Cup Final 2026 Preview: Who Will Win in Warsaw?
The 2026 FIM Speedway World Cup Final is almost here, with four nations set to battle for the Ove Fundin Trophy at Warsaw’s PGE Narodowy on Saturday, 29 August.
Hosts Poland will face Australia, Great Britain and Denmark in a repeat of the four-team line-up from the thrilling 2023 final, when Poland edged Great Britain by just two points.
This year’s contest has an intriguing mix of home advantage, proven champions and in-form riders. Poland are bidding for a record-extending 10th Speedway World Cup title, while Australia arrive as the reigning Speedway of Nations champions.
Great Britain qualified by winning the first semi-final in Landshut, while Denmark secured the final place by topping the second semi-final in Riga.
With the starting line-ups now confirmed, there is no need to speculate about which riders could feature. The key questions are how the four teams perform over 20 heats, who handles the Warsaw track best and whether Poland can turn home support into another world title.
When Is The 2026 Speedway World Cup Final?
The 2026 Speedway World Cup Final takes place on Saturday, 29 August 2026, at PGE Narodowy in Warsaw. The stadium’s official calendar lists the event at 18:45 local time, while FIM Speedway’s event information indicates that racing is expected to get underway at around 19:00 local time. Warsaw is on Central European Summer Time (CEST), so the approximate UK racing start is 18:00 BST.
The 18:45 listing refers to the event programme rather than necessarily the first competitive heat. Fans should therefore allow plenty of time to reach the stadium before the opening ceremony and racing.
The final is the culmination of a competition that began with semi-finals in Landshut on 1 May and Riga on 7 August. Great Britain won the first semi-final with 39 points, while Denmark won the second with 40.
Where Is The 2026 Speedway World Cup Final Held?
The final will be staged at PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland’s national stadium. The venue is located close to central Warsaw and is served by public transport, including Warszawa Stadion railway station and the Rondo Waszyngtona bus and tram interchange.
The stadium is also familiar to speedway fans. It has hosted major Speedway Grand Prix events, and the 2026 World Cup Final represents the first time the Speedway World Cup itself will be staged at PGE Narodowy. The FIM has described the final as one of the biggest track-racing events of 2026, with an expected crowd of around 50,000.
As with any major speedway meeting, track conditions and bike set-up will be important. Riders and teams will have practice before the final, giving them an opportunity to assess the surface and prepare for the 20-heat programme.
Who Is Competing In The 2026 Speedway World Cup Final?
Four nations will contest the final: Poland, Australia, Great Britain and Denmark. Poland qualified automatically as hosts, while Australia earned a direct place as the 2025 FIM Speedway of Nations champions. Great Britain and Denmark then won the two qualifying semi-finals.
The final starting line-ups were confirmed on 24 August:
Poland – Bartosz Zmarzlik, Maciej Janowski, Dominik Kubera and Patryk Dudek, with Kacper Woryna as the reserve. Six-time Speedway GP world champion Zmarzlik will captain the hosts as they chase a 10th World Cup title.
Great Britain – Robert Lambert, Charles Wright, Adam Ellis and Leon Flint, with Tom Brennan as the reserve. Lambert will captain a British side that reached the final by winning the Landshut semi-final.
Denmark – Mikkel Michelsen, Leon Madsen, Michael Jepsen Jensen and Anders Thomsen, with Frederik Jakobsen as the reserve. Jepsen Jensen will captain the team after Denmark won the Riga semi-final.
Australia – Ryan Douglas, Brady Kurtz, Jason Doyle and Max Fricke, with Rohan Tungate as the reserve. Kurtz captains the reigning Speedway of Nations champions, while Jack Holder remains unavailable through injury.
The confirmed line-ups make this a particularly strong four-way contest. Poland have the star power of Zmarzlik, Australia have Kurtz and several experienced Grand Prix riders, Denmark possess considerable depth, and Great Britain arrive after winning their semi-final.
How Many Laps Is The 2026 Speedway World Cup Final?
Every heat in the 2026 Speedway World Cup Final is raced over four laps, with one rider from each of the four nations competing in every heat. The final consists of 20 heats, rather than a traditional series of semi-finals and a final. The nation with the most points after those 20 heats becomes world champion.
The scoring system awards three points for a heat win, two for second, one for third and zero for fourth. Each rider can normally take up to five rides, with a sixth ride possible as a tactical substitute when a team is at least six points behind the leading nation.
That format places a premium on consistency. A team does not necessarily need one rider to dominate every appearance; instead, avoiding low scores across the four-man team can be just as important as producing maximum points in the decisive heats.
If two nations finish level on points for first place after 20 heats, a run-off is used to decide the championship.
Who Won The Last Speedway World Cup?
Poland won the last Speedway World Cup in 2023, defeating Great Britain in a dramatic final at WrocÅ‚aw’s Olympic Stadium. Poland scored 33 points, Great Britain 31, Denmark 29 and Australia 27, meaning only six points separated the four teams.
Maciej Janowski produced the decisive moment for Poland in the final heat, securing the victory and helping the hosts retain the Ove Fundin Trophy. The Polish team also included Bartosz Zmarzlik, Patryk Dudek and Dominik Kubera, underlining the strength of the country’s leading riders.
That victory gave Poland their ninth Speedway World Cup title. They now have the opportunity to make it 10 in Warsaw, although Australia, Great Britain and Denmark all have realistic hopes of preventing another Polish triumph.
Who Are Favourites To Win The Speedway World Cup?
Poland have the strongest case to be considered favourites, but this is far from a one-sided final. They have home advantage, the reigning champions’ status and a line-up led by six-time Speedway GP world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik.
Maciej Janowski, Dominik Kubera and Patryk Dudek give Poland further high-level experience, while Kacper Woryna provides an experienced reserve option.
Australia could be Poland’s biggest threat. The reigning Speedway of Nations champions are led by Brady Kurtz, who finished second in the 2025 Speedway GP World Championship, alongside experienced Grand Prix competitors Jason Doyle and Max Fricke.
Great Britain should not be overlooked after winning the Landshut semi-final with 39 points. Robert Lambert leads a team that also includes Charles Wright, Adam Ellis and Leon Flint, while Denmark arrive after scoring 40 points to win in Riga.
The 2023 final showed just how little separates the leading nations, with only six points between first and fourth. That makes the tactical substitutions, starts, consistency and final few heats potentially decisive in Warsaw.
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