The preliminary round of the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will see the 16 competing nations divided into two groups. Group A, whose games will be played in Zurich at the Swiss Life Arena, consists of the United States, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Austria, Hungary, and Great Britain. Group B, playing in Fribourg at the BCF Arena, includes Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway, Slovenia, and Italy.
After the group stage, all matches in the knockout phase — including quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal games — will take place in Zurich, bringing the championship to a thrilling conclusion in the Swiss metropolis.