IN LESS THAN A MONTH BRATISLAVA WILL HOST WIUC 2026. COMENIUS UNIVERSITY TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE AS IT BIDS FOR A FOURTH CONSECUTIVE TITLE
Bratislava, 4 October 2026 – Thousands of university athletes from around the world will descend on Bratislava in just one month’s time. From 4 to 8 November 2026, the Slovak capital will host the 11th World InterUniversities Championships (WIUC), with Comenius University Bratislava (CU) playing a major role as one of the event’s key partners.
The five-day championships will bring top-level university sport, international exchange and a vibrant student atmosphere to Bratislava, with more than 5,000 students expected to compete.
Teams and individual athletes will compete in more than ten sports. Alongside traditional team sports including football, futsal, basketball, volleyball, handball and rugby, the programme will feature floorball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, padel, swimming and athletics, as well as the crowd-pleasing spectacle of cheerleading.
“I am delighted that Bratislava will host the World InterUniversities Championships for the first time and that Comenius University will play such a prominent role in this exceptional international event. I believe our students can build on their successes in previous years and, through their performances, represent both our university and Slovakia with distinction,” said Marek Števček, Rector of Comenius University Bratislava.
Comenius University is one of the most successful institutions in WIUC history. It topped the overall standings in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025, and finished second in 2022, with medals coming from both team and individual events. In 2019, CU won gold in women’s basketball, tennis and cheerleading, followed by victories in badminton, table tennis and women’s handball in 2022. At the 2023 championships in Paris, the University won the football tournament for the first time, while its women’s volleyball and handball teams took silver and the women’s futsal team bronze. CU athletes also reached the podium in athletics, tennis, badminton, table tennis, cheerleading and swimming.
The University returned to the top of the overall standings in Rome in 2024 and successfully defended its title in Barcelona in 2025, completing a hat-trick of consecutive overall victories. Gold medals in women’s futsal, handball and cheerleading, strong performances in athletics, tennis and swimming, and silver medals in men’s football and table tennis all contributed to last year’s triumph.
Competitions will be held at sports venues across Bratislava. The opening ceremony of the 11th WIUC will take place on the evening of Thursday, 5 November 2026.