The World Lacrosse Championship (WLC) is the world championship for international men's field lacrosse. From its inception in 1967 through the 2006 event, it was sanctioned by the International Lacrosse Federation (ILF). In 2008, the ILF merged with the former governing body for women's lacrosse, the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Associations (IFWLA), to form the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). Future World Championships will be sanctioned by FIL.
The WLC began as a four-team invitational tournament which coincided with Canada's centennial lacrosse celebration in 1967. Seven years later, Australia celebrated its lacrosse centenary, and the USA fielded an all-star team to compete in a similar international invitational tournament. It was here that the concept of holding a World Championship tournament every four years was born. The championship has not left North America since the tournament started, with the USA capturing nine victories and Canada the other two. The 2010 championships featured a record twenty-nine competing nations.
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Canada defeated the United States 15–10 in the Gold medal game of the 2006 World Championships in London, Ontario. Geoff Snider of Team Canada was named tournament MVP.
The 2010 World Lacrosse Championship was held in Manchester, England from July 15 to July 24. For the first time in the history of the World Lacrosse Championships, a FIL World Lacrosse Festival had been sanctioned to run alongside the FIL World Championships.
With more nations entering, the Round Robin stage of the tournament now featured 30 nations and was split into 7 divisions; considerably larger than ever before.
Keeping with the colour themed divisions from previous Championships, in addition to the Blue, Red, Orange and Yellow divisions there would also now be Plum, Turquoise and Gray divisions.
The United States defeated Canada 12-10 in the Gold medal game to capture their ninth victory at the World Lacrosse Championships.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Championship Game Score |
Host | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | United States | Australia | 25-11 | Toronto, Canada | 4 |
| 1974 | United States | 3-way tie | 20-14 | Melbourne, Australia | 4 |
| 1978 | Canada | United States | 17-16 (OT) | Stockport, England | 4 |
| 1982 | United States | Australia | 22-14 | Baltimore, United States | 4 |
| 1986 | United States | Canada | 18-9 | Toronto, Canada | 4 |
| 1990 | United States | Canada | 19-15 | Perth, Australia | 5 |
| 1994 | United States | Australia | 21-7 | Manchester, England | 6 |
| 1998 | United States | Canada | 15-14 (OT) | Baltimore, United States | 11 |
| 2002 | United States | Canada | 18-15 | Perth, Australia | 16 |
| 2006 | Canada | United States | 15-10 | London, Canada | 20 |
| 2010 | United States | Canada | 12-10 | Manchester, England | 29 |
| 2014 | TBC | TBC | TBC | Denver, United States |
| Team | 1967 (4) |
1974 (4) |
1978 (4) |
1982 (4) |
1986 (4) |
1990 (5) |
1994 (6) |
1998 (11) |
2002 (15) |
2006 (21) |
2010 (29) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 28th | ||||||||||
| Australia | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd |
| Austria | 21st | ||||||||||
| Bermuda | 21st | 18th | |||||||||
| Canada | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd |
| Czech Republic | 9th | 10th | 15th | 13th | |||||||
| Denmark | 16th | 26th | |||||||||
| England | 4th | 2nd | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 5th | 6th | 5th | 5th |
| Finland | 9th | 12th | |||||||||
| France | 27th | ||||||||||
| Germany | 6th | 8th | 8th | 6th | |||||||
| Hong Kong | 14th | 20th | 22nd | ||||||||
| Ireland | 13th | 7th | 9th | ||||||||
| Iroquois | 5th | 5th | 4th | 4th | 4th | ||||||
| Italy | 10th | 19th | |||||||||
| Japan | 6th | 8th | 5th | 6th | 4th | ||||||
| Latvia | 14th | 20th | |||||||||
| Mexico | 29th | ||||||||||
| Netherlands | 12th | 8th | |||||||||
| New Zealand | 15th | 19th | 15th | ||||||||
| Norway | 24th | ||||||||||
| Poland | 14th | ||||||||||
| Scotland | 7th | 7th | 11th | 7th | |||||||
| Slovakia | 17th | ||||||||||
| South Korea | 11th | 18th | 25th | ||||||||
| Spain | 17th | 16th | |||||||||
| Sweden | 10th | 9th | 10th | ||||||||
| Switzerland | 23rd | ||||||||||
| United States | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st |
| Wales | 11th | 12th | 13th | 11th |
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