The format for the landmark London 2026 World Championships has been confirmed – and includes a mouthwatering prospect for home fans.

The host nation will compete in an initial group stage involving the top seven nations in the world rankings.

With two groups of four in both men’s and women’s competitions, it means three guaranteed huge matches in each category, in front of packed stands at OVO Arena Wembley.

The results from this initial group stage will determine the seedings of the eight nations involved and therefore their positions in the draw for the round of 32 – meaning there will be a minimum of four host nation matches in each category across the competition.

The centenary Championships will feature 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams, up from the 40-team format of recent Championships.

Spectators across two venues will be able to enjoy an amazing 262 matches across the event, with the best athletes from every corner of the globe competing.

The other 56 teams will begin their campaign at the Copper Box Arena on Tuesday 28 April, with 14 groups of four in each category.

Play will be across four days and the group winners plus the six best group runners-up will progress to the last 32. The remaining eight second-placed teams will face off in a preliminary knockout round, which will be the final action at the Copper Box on 1 May.

Attention then turns to Wembley with the top-eight group stage taking place on the weekend of 2-3 May. The round of 32 starts on Monday 4 May and the Worlds will build to a thrilling climax over seven more days, with the women’s final on Saturday 9 May and the men’s the following day.