World Lacrosse Chooses Korea and Japan for Championship Events

World Lacrosse will have three upcoming world championships in the Far East with the 2025 Men’s U20 Championship officially awarded to South Korea and the 2026 Women’s Championship and 2027 Men’s Championship awarded to Japan.

“We are thrilled to award these championships to Korea and Japan, two of our model members that are both ready to stage world-class events in incredible cities,” said World Lacrosse Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr. “With our upcoming women’s U20 championship, we will have four championships in four years in Asia, which reflects how the game has grown at a breathtaking speed. I am excited for our global community to experience firsthand why the region is a new epicenter of lacrosse.”

This week’s announcement concludes World Lacrosse’s four-year cycle of championships beginning in 2024 — including the 2024 Box Championships in Utica, New York — before lacrosse sixes will be at the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles, the sport’s first appearance in the Games since 1908.

South Korea will host its first world championship organized by World Lacrosse in Seoguipo on Jeju Island from July 18­–27, 2025. Jeju Island hosted the 2017 Asia Pacific Lacrosse Championship; the eighth edition of the men’s U20 championship will be held in mainland Asia for the first time in its history.

Japan hosted the women’s championship in 1997 and as the 12th edition of the event returns to Japan, it joins the United States and England as multi-time hosts. Japan will host the men’s championship for the first time in its 15th edition and joins Australia, Canada, England and the United States as countries that will have hosted both the men’s and women’s championships.

The 2026 and 2027 events in Japan are each expected to take place in July, with a specific location that will host both championships to be announced at a later date. Japan has been a member of World Lacrosse since 1990 and Korea has been a member since 1995.