2025 will see the 90th iteration of the World Snooker Championship, which will run from April 19th until May 5th at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.
This is the 49th time that the Crucible has hosted the competition, while this year’s Championship will see the legendary Ronnie O’Sullivan go in search of a record eighth world crown in the modern era.
But which other players have won and dominated the World Snooker Championship during its history, and can any previous winners add to their tallies in 2025?
A Brief History of the World Snooker Championship
This tournament started out life as the Professional Snooker Championship in 1927. It was the first-ever professional snooker tournament, and its early iterations featured a handful of professional players and the leading English billiard professionals.
It was in 1935 that ‘World’ was incorporated into the tournament’s title. Joe Davies dominated the competition in its infancy, winning all 15 Championships held between 1927 and 1946 (with five years lost during the Second War). He subsequently retired, having never lost a match in the tournament.
Davis’ retirement damaged the prestige and appeal of the Championship, and a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players’ Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC) caused the former members to boycott the 1952 iteration.
This ushered in two decades of change and uncertainty, while the tournament even took on a ‘Challenge Match’ format between 1964 and 1968. This would see the defending champion play a single game (or series of games) against another contender, with John Pulman retaining the title throughout this period (he won eight Championships during his career).
In 1969, the World Championship returned to the knockout format we know and love today, moving to The Crucible in 1977. In the 48 tournaments that have followed since, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry have been the two most successful players, with each claiming seven titles.
World Snooker Championships – Who Has Won it the Most?
Throughout the tournament’s entire history, Joe Davis remains the single most successful player, having won 15 titles in 15 attempts. He’s still the only player to have never lost in the Snooker World Championship, too, while his brother Fred claimed eight titles in the post-war era after Joe’s retirement.
As we’ve touched on, John Pulman has also won eight titles during his career, one more than modern greats O’Sullivan and Hendry. Steve Davis and Ray Reardon both won six titles in the Crucible era, too, with the former dominating the sport during the 1980s.
Current players John Higgins and Mark Selby have four world titles each, while Welshman Mark Williams (who’s now ranked at number five in the world) has won on three occasions between 2000 and 2018. Here’s a summary of the players who have multiple titles to their name:
| Player | Nationality | No. of Wins | Runner Up | Total Finals |
| Joe Davis | ENG | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Fred Davis | ENG | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| John Pulman | ENG | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| Stephen Hendry | SCO | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Ronnie O’Sullivan | ENG | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Steve Davis | ENG | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| Ray Reardon | WAL | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| John Higgins | SCO | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Mark Selby | ENG | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Mark Williams | WAL | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| John Spencer | ENG | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Walter Donaldson | SCO | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Alex Higgins | NI | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Which Previous Winners Are Most Likely to Triumph in 2025?
As many as 12 previous Crucible winners could compete in 2025, including the enigmatic O’Sullivan. The in-form Brit will go in search of a record eighth title in the modern era, and he’s among the favourites to win at The Crucible in May.
But which other previous winners will likely be among the main contenders? Here’s a breakdown of the frontrunners:
1: Kyren Wilson (6/1*)
The 2024 World Snooker Champion, Kyren Wilson, must overcome “the Crucible Curse” if he’s to win again in 2025. No first-time winner has retained his crown since 1964, but the Englishman is playing some brilliant snooker right now, and he could be the one to break the curse.
Following his 2024 World Championship final over Jak Jones, Wilson won the German Masters and the Players Championship. He now has as many ranking wins (10) as the legendary Jimmy White and could go back-to-back at The Crucible in 2025.
2: Judd Trump (7/2F*)
World number one Judd Trump sits atop the money list going into the Snooker World Championship, and he will be the one to beat in Sheffield.
However, despite his unquestionable talent, Trump has just one world title to his name. His 2019 triumph was sandwiched between two final defeats in 2011 and 2022, the latter of which O’Sullivan inflicted.
He has been brilliant so far this season, winning the Shanghai Masters against Shaun Murphy and dominating in the newly established Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. He will arrive in Sheffield with 30 ranking wins to his name, but he would love to secure his second World Championship title in 2025.
3: Ronnie O’Sullivan (8/1*)
Despite his advancing years, O’Sullivan remains as dominant and durable as he ever has, having recently won a record-extending eighth UK Championship and an incredible 23rd Triple Crown title.
Though he’s only fourth in the world rankings going into the Crucible, the Rocket raises his game for major tournaments and ranking events, with 41 ranking wins to his name.
As he has grown older, he has also refined the art of winning when not playing well, adding to his aura of invincibility and making him even harder to beat on the biggest stages. Whatever you do, don’t rule the Rocket out of the 2025 World Championship.
4: Mark Selby (8/1*)
The ‘Jester from Leicester’ is ranked third in the world, and though his best days might be behind him, he’s coming off the back of an impressive win at the 2025 Welsh Open, where he defeated Stephen Maguire 9-6 in the final. It was his 24th ranking title and followed just months after his triumph in the British Open at the end of 2024.
Selby has four World Snooker titles, each coming between 2014 and 2021. He has also lost six finals, so he’s unlucky not to have more titles to his name. He’s also the only man to defeat O’Sullivan in a Crucible final, as he out-lasted his opponent and won 18-14 in the memorable 2014 final.
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