Eddy Merckx wins Porto after spectacular semifinal.
It’s a well-known fact: one of the hardest things to do in 3-cushion is to beat Eddy Merckx in a final. Jung Han Heo played a formidable week, but he got nowhere near this time: 50-23 in 24/23 to the Belgian. It was the fifteenth World Cup win for Merckx, and that equals Dani Sánchez’ s record. Only Caudron (22), Jaspers (32) and Blomdahl (46) have won more often.
Truth be told, the final wasn’t the best match of the week. It was one-way traffic, because Heo could not get going at all. He had just a single point after eight innings, and his trademark high run never came.
Why is it so hard to stand up to Merckx in a final? The key word is “pressure”. He’s just so ready to pounce at all times. Every little mistake, and you know you’re going to get beaten up. He’s coming for you, with every shot, be it offensive or defensive. It’s relentless. You’re playing Nadal in Paris, that’s basically it, and at some point, you’re going to get overpowered.
The historic match of Porto 2026 wasn’t the final, it was the first semifinal between Merckx and Karakurt. What they brought to the table was unforgettable, and one of the best matches of the year: 50-41 in 14 innings. How often are you going to see a run of 16, a run of 12 and a closing run of 11, by the same player, in the same match? That’s extraordinary. Karakurt played superbly well to even keep up.
The second semi was a close encounter: it went from 17-16 to 41-37 with all options open. Heo was the coolest customer in the closing innings. Thai had his chances: he finished with 1-1-1-1-0, couldn’t get a run going when it mattered most. The young Vietnamese player is amazingly complete already, and he is easily a candidate for a future World Cup win. Heo has two under his belt already: El Gouna 2016 and Ankara 2024.
The tournament average in Porto (last 32) was 1.612.
The best individual general average was played by Marco Zanetti: 2.311.
The best match average was played by Peter Ceulemans: 3.636.
The high run was made by Eddy Merckx: 16.
In the race for the Overall World Cup of 2026, Myung Woo Cho still leads with 204 pts, ahead of Eddy Merckx (152) and Hong Chiem Thai (126).
The 2026 World Cup season will continue in Lier (August/September), Korea (November) and Egypt (December).
Porto cooks up its climax.
July 18, 2026
It’s turning out to be an entertaining World Cup in Portugal, and the results are both high quality and surprising. After the dust had settled on Friday evening, the final four were Eddy Merckx, Berkay Karakurt, Jung Han Heo and Hong Chiem Thai.
Where, you may ask, is Haeng Jik Kim? Wasn’t he just brilliant against Roland Forthomme, making 50 in 14? Yes, but he lost to the stubborn Berkay Karakurt a round later: 45-50 in 22..
What about Dick Jaspers? Always a favorite, right? He lost to the giant-killer on the tour: Martin Horn; 45-50 in 22.
What about Peter Ceulemans? European champion, more ready than ever for the big occasion. He lost to his countryman Eddy Merckx: 42-50 in 29.
Where’s Myung Woo Cho? He’s the world number one, with two World Cup wins under his belt already in 2026. He lost to one of the “masters of touch”, Jung Han Heo: 30-50 in 20. Heo also kicked out Tayfun Tasdemir: 50-30 in 25.
Speaking of Martin Horn: is he now the top dog, after all his wins against Caudron? No, Horn lost to Hong Chiem Thai: 33-50 in 22.
In the round of 16, the event lost Orak (v. Thai), Legazpi (v. Cho), Tasdemir (v. Heo), Kiraz (v. Karakurt), Forthomme (v Kim), Uymaz (v. Ceulemans), Hofman (v. Merckx) and Jaspers (v. Horn).
The new reality in 3-cushion is so obvious, a child can see it.
Anybody can beat anybody.
Quarterfinals:
Horn – Thai 33 – 50 in 22.
The look on Horn’s face during the handshake said a lot: he was impressed by what his young opponent had shown.
Heo – Cho 50 – 30 in 20.
The undisputed world number one is still human, not a machine. And Heo, when he’s placing the balls nicely for himself, can be pretty intimidating.
Karakurt – Kim 50 – 45 in 22.
Berkay had to fought back after Haeng Jik initially ran away with it. But the younger and stronger of the two Karakurt brothers has developed into a tough customer.
Ceulemans – Merckx 42 – 50 in 29/30.
Peter Ceulemans can beat his traditional Belgian rivals from time to time. But maybe there’s still a bit of the old respect? Merckx will punish you hard for every small mistake, and he did.
Tomorrow’s semifinals:
Thai – Heo
Karakurt – Merckx.
Hong Chiem Thai is the only semifinalist without a World Cup win to his name.
All matches can be watched on Soop.
Torbjörn Blomdahl: “These guys have gotten so good, it’s annoying.”
July 17, 2026
One of the greatest champions our sport has ever known may have lost his seeded position, but he has not lost his sense of humor. The above comment was made with tongue firmly in cheek, but it was also genuine praise. “I did a tour in Korea with Amir Ibraimov last month, and I got beaten a few times by Korean teenagers. It’s amazing how much they already know about the game, how many tools they have in their box.”
No excuses. A smile, and praise. That’s a champion. TB’s quest in Porto was ended by an unstoppable Peter Ceulemans: 40-10 in 11. Zanetti and Hong Chiem Thai shared the day’s high run with a 15.
Here’s a quick tour of the eight groups:
A) Myung Woo Cho looked imperious, cruising on 2.000 average. In the battle for second place, the match between Phuong Vinh Bao and Birol Uymaz was crucial. The Turk won 40-39 in 16, and it put him in the last 16. Bao and Awwad are eliminated.
B) Three solid wins for Merckx. Legazpi coming down a bit from yesterday’s high, but he did enough. Min Suk Kim and Soares are out.
C) Jaspers had another cold start, but he repaired the damage well. Haeng Jik Kim looked better than he had recently, and he won the group. Daniel Morales and Rui Manuel Costa came up short.
D) Tasdemir, Hofman and Wan Young Choi all on four points, meaning average decides. Wan Young Choi had the short straw with 1.471. Hofman had 1.606, Tasdemir 1.852. Ahmet Alp was the logical fourth place finisher.
E) The strong group E had a surprising final result. Marco Zanetti, who almost never misses a WC K.O. stage, was eliminated in third place. Tolgahan Kiraz won the group with three wins, Roland Forthomme beat both Zanetti and Bury to finish second.
F) Quyet Chien Tran and Sameh Sidhom must have been the favorites to advance from this group, but they ended third and fourth. Turgay Orak and Hong Chiem Thai were razor sharp.
G) Another upset. Not so much Horn’s group win, he is Mister Consistency. But Frédéric Caudron’s elimination in third place was unexpected. The culprit: Jung Han Heo who advanced with a respectable 2.288. Sergio Jimenez was in over his head.
H) Peter Ceulemans drew with Berkay Karakurt, demolished Blomdahl and beat Thanh Luc Tran to comfortably win the group. Karakurt did slightly better than T.L. Tran, and he also advances. Curtains for Tran and Blomdahl.
Today K.O. matches:
Kiraz – B. Karakurt
Haeng Jik Kim – Forthomme
Ceulemans – Uymaz
Merckx – Hofman
Horn – Jaspers
Orak – Hong Chiem Thai
Tasdemir – Jung Han Heo
Myung Woo Cho – Legazpi.
Ruben Legazpi towers over the field.
July 16, 2026
You can’t really blame Ruben Legazpi for looking down on his opponents. Trust me, there’s nothing wrong with his attitude; he’s just very tall. The Spaniard who played in the shadow of Dani Sanchez for many years has developed into a world class contender himself, and he demonstrated it forcefully in Porto on Wednesday. Two wins and 2.580 average, that’s impressive. Legazpi was in a World Cup final once (lost to Blomdahl) but he is still waiting for his first win.
Most of the high-ranked but unseeded players did well: Bao, Ceulemans, Thai, Blomdahl to name a few. The averages in this round were high: go through the list and see for yourself.
Two of South America’s finest were eliminated by a Turk: Tolgahan Kiraz got the better of Jose Juan Garcia and Huberney Catano.
The twelve group winners:
Legazpi 4 – 2.580
P.V. Bao 4 – 2.105
W.Y. Choi 4 – 1.951
Kiraz 4 – 1.777
Orak 4 – 1.739
Jimenez 4 – 1.739
Blomdahl 4 – 1.568
Ceulemans 4 – 1.509
J.H. Heo 4 – 1.230
Forthomme 4 – 1.395
H.C. Thai 3 – 1.702
Alp 2 – 1.658
The three lucky numbers two (who also advance) were Min Suk Kim, Daniel Morales and Birol Uymaz. Just missed out: Ömer Karakurt, Nikos Polychronopoulos, Gokhan Salman, Arnim Kahofer, Jean Paul de Bruijn and others. Four players ran a 12 today.
These are the groups for the Main Event:
A) M.W. Cho, Uymaz, P.V. Bao, Awwad (wc)
B) Merckx, Legazpi, Soares (wc), M.S. Kim.
C) Jaspers, H.J. Kim, Costa (wc), D. Morales.
D) Tasdemir, Hofman, W.Y. Choi, Alp.
E) Zanetti, Bury, Kiraz, Forthomme.
F) Sidhom, Q.C. Tran, H.C. Thai, Orak.
G) Horn, Caudron, Jimenez, J.H. Heo.
H) B. Karakurt, T.L. Tran, Blomdahl, Ceulemans.
All matches can be watched on Soop.
Jorissen and Alp lead the pack.
July 15, 2026
Two players were a cut above the rest in Tuesday in Porto: Jeffrey Jorissen and Ahmet Alp. Both used just 33 innings to win two matches to 35 points: 2.121, and that would make many a seeded player happy. For the Dutchman, it was just what the doctor ordered, after a few months wherein he struggled with his form.
This PQ day was characterized by many groups without a clear favorite. Some were even decided on average, which can be a heartbreak for the players finishing second and third. Take a look at the final score of group C, for instance. Cerkez wins, 2 pts and 1.268. Ayman second, 2 points and 1.266. Van Etten third, 2 points and 1.204. We’re talking about – literally – the difference between a carom more or an inning fewer, to decide who advances.
Here are the group winners:
Jorissen, J. 4 – 2.121
Alp, A. 4 – 2.121
Orak, T. 4 – 1.521
Salazar, A. 4 – 1.489
Kim, M.S. 4 – 1.320
Peker, M. 4 – 1.296
Garcia, J.J. 4 – 1.250
Goren, M. 4 – 1.228
Kim, D.H. 4 – 1.206
Seleventas, D. 4 – 1.111
Long, N.C. 3 – 1.521
Morales, M. 3 – 1.129
Cerkez, A. 2 – 1.268
Bouerdick, T. 2 – 1.254
Morales, D. 2 – 1.210
Players that didn’t make it: Rahmet, Kapusiz, Ibraimov, Akkoca, van Etten, Stamm and others.
The day’s high run was made by Pierre Soumagne: 13.
New players we’ll be seeing in the Q-round tomorrow: Ö. Karakurt, J.H. Heo, H.C. Thai, Ceulemans, Blomdahl, Jimenez and others.
All matches can be watched on Soop. Full results are available on the websites of Five & Six and the UMB.
Three Spanish pistoleros in Porto.
July 14, 2026
Min Suk Kim from Korea was the best winner of the second day in Porto. In his wake, a trio of Spanish prize fighters tried for the headlines: Joseba Escribano, Marcos Morales and Jose Maria Mas. All three group winners, all three will be tested again tomorrow.
The level of play was very consistent on day two, with most of the group winners between 1.000 and 1.400. Alexander Salazar flirted with danger when he recorded 1.000 and just a single win, but he crept through. Likewise, Amir Ibraimov did just enough to qualify. Alessio D’Agata ran a 15.
Here are the day’s winners:
Kim, M.S. 4 – 1.363
Escribano, J. 4- 1.363
Nguyen, D.Q. 4 – 1.333
Yildiz, C. 4 – 1.333
Pinto, L. 4 – 1.304
Akkoca, D. 4 – 1.276
Morales, M. 4 – 1.250
Cavasoglu, M. 4 – 1.071
Duriez, N. 4 – 1.016
Pennör, D. 4 – 0.937
Mas, J.M. 3 – 1.363
D’Agata, A. 2 – 1.594
Ibraimov, A. 2 – 1.238
Cerkez, A. 2 – 1.227
Salazar, A. 2 – 1.000
Cin, A. 2 – 0.800.
Players we lost on Monday: Refassi, Mortensen, Anguita, Philipoom, Weiss, Tas, Papakonstantinou and others.
Tomorrow in the arena: Devogelaere, van Etten, Do Hyeon Kim, Jorissen, Wilkowski and others.
All matches can be watched on Soop.
Porto kicks off in summer heat.
July 13, 2026
The first day of a World Cup is never the easiest, as the players in Porto once again found out. The table needs some getting used to, the opponent is often a complete unknown. Sometimes you don’t know if you are up against a 0.5 or a 1.5. The task: win two matches to 30 points and get a good night’s sleep.
The Turks were prominent on day one, they produced no fewer than five group winners. Söner Tas, a familiar face, was the best of the lot with 1.578.
Here are the day’s group winners:
Tas, S. 4 – 1.578
Ceylan, M. 4 – 1.250
De Backer 4 – 1.132
Cavusoglu, M. 4 – 1.111
Pinto, L. 4 – 1.052
Kaya, A. 4 – 1.034
Yang, S. 4 – 1.034
Refassi, B. 4 – 1.016
Kilicaslan, A. 4 – 0.967
Matiakis, A. 4 – 0.857
S.Oliveira, M. 4 – 0.810
Bacjmaier, R. 4 – 0.810
Wittens, K. 4 – 0.714
Silva, A. 4 – 0.714
Weiss, A. 4 – 0.689
Mendes, J. 2 – 0.638.
Belgian allrounder Peter de Backer had (by far) the high run of the day with 13.
Notable players who were eliminated: Melnytschenko, Duriez, Andrade and Buyle (among others).
Fresh faces in the arena tomorrow: Amir Ibraimov, David Pennör, Alexander Salazar, Alessio D’Agata, Jose Maria Mas and more.
All matches can be watched on Soop.
Porto hosts the fourth World Cup of 2026
July 10, 2026
The lovely Portuguese city on the waterfront has traditionally been a hotspot for 3-cushion billiards. It’s a home away from home for players such as Blomdahl and Jaspers, who have both played league there for many years. Still searching for a top-10 player of their own, the Portuguese have never stopped organizing great events for the world.
From 12 – 18 July, the fourth World Cup of the season will be played in Porto. It follows Bogota (Myung Woo Cho the winner), Ho Chi Minh City (Caudron) and Ankara (again Myung Woo Cho). Clever minds have already worked out that at a pace of two World Cups per season, it would take Myung Woo Cho 21 years to catch up with Blomdahl and his legendary 46 WC wins. The Korean world number one may even try to up the pace.
The UMB has seeded the following players for Porto: Myung Woo Cho, Merckx, Jaspers, Tasdemir, Zanetti, Sidhom, Horn, B. Karakurt, T.L. Tran, Caudron, Q.C. Tran, Bury, Hofman, H.J. Kim.
The local wildcards were given to Jose Miguel Soares and Rui Manuel Costa. The AMECC/UMB wildcard went to Naser Awwad from Jordan.
The tables in Porto are Gabriels, the cloth is Simonis 330 Prestige, and the balls are Aramith Prestige. The usual ranking points are at stake: 80-54-36-26-18-10-8. Myung Woo Cho obviously leads the race for the Overall World Cup of 2026.
As only the UMB can offer, this World Cup will again have a global character, with plenty of qualifiers from Turkey, Korea, Vietnam, Colombia and a host of Western-European countries.
It’s nice to see a father-son combo in the qualifiers: Jef and Luca Philipoom. The father, world champion in 1995, is still more likely to survive a few rounds, but the son is definitely on the way up.
All matches can be watched on Soop. Full results are available on the websites of Five & Six, and the UMB.