Panama City, Panama · 25 Oct 2026
World Barista Championship 2026 Final
Six of the 51 national champions compete today, 25 October, in Panama City for the title of World Barista Champion — who they are, and the cafés, roasters and farms they represent.
News ·
Today
Yesterday's semi-final narrowed sixteen baristas to six. Today each serves one last fifteen-minute routine, and the highest score is the 2026 World Barista Champion.
The first routine starts at 10:22 and the last ends at 15:37, Panama time (15:22–20:37 UTC). The champion is named at the awards ceremony at 16:45 (21:45 UTC).
None of the six has stood in a world final before. Thailand and the United Arab Emirates have their first world finalists; Malaysia and China, both in the final for the first time last year, are back.
New to the championship? Read what it is and how it is judged.
Watch it
Every routine streams free, live and on replay, on the World Coffee Championships YouTube channel — no sign-up. On social media the event runs under #PanamaWBC.
Who competes
6In the order they take the stage, with the café, roaster or farm each one represents — linked where it is on Good Cup. Times are local, in Panama City. Photos: World Coffee Championships.
Sun 25 Oct
- 10:2210:22Frederick RubenUnited Arab Emirates
Represents Benchmark Coffee
- Benchmark · Sharjah · Outstanding
- Roaster Benchmark Coffee · Top roaster
The UAE's barista champion 2026 and the country's first world finalist; works at Benchmark Coffee in Sharjah.
@rubenadam on Instagram ↗ - 11:2211:22Shing WinMalaysia
Represents One Half Coffee Roastery
- One Half Coffee Roastery · Petaling Jaya · Outstanding
- One Half · Petaling Jaya · Excellent
- Roaster One Half · World-class roaster
Malaysian Barista Champion 2025 and one of the partners behind One Half Coffee Roastery.
@shing_win on Instagram ↗ - 12:2212:22Gabrel TanAustralia
Represents Veneziano Coffee Roasters
- Veneziano Coffee Richmond · Melbourne · Outstanding
- Veniziano - North Adelaide · North Adelaide · Excellent
- Veniziano - Surry Hills · Sydney · Excellent
- Roaster Veneziano Coffee Roasters · Top roaster
Australian Barista Champion 2026 after finishing second in 2022, 2024 and 2025. Australia has won the world title four times, last in 2025.
@gabrel.tan on Instagram ↗ - 13:2213:22Jane KawinnartThailand
Represents Fika & Co.
- Fika & Co. Cafe · Bangkok · Excellent
Co-founder of Fika & Co. in Bangkok; 13th in the world in 2023, and now Thailand's first world finalist.
@jn_ on Instagram ↗ - 14:2214:22Pan WeiChina
Represents Parking Coffee
- Parking Coffee · Hangzhou · Excellent
Twice China's barista champion, back at the world championship after 2024; runs Parking Coffee and his own roastery in Hangzhou.
@ruffianpan2 on Instagram ↗ - 15:2215:22Jill HoffCanada
Represents Monogram Coffee
- Monogram - Altadore · Calgary · Excellent
- Monogram - Fifth Avenue Place · Calgary · Excellent
- Monogram - University District · Calgary · Excellent
- Roaster Monogram · World-class roaster
and 1 more café
- Monogram - Britannia · Calgary · Solid Specialty
Canadian Barista Champion 2020 and 2026, Canadian AeroPress Champion 2016; 15th in the world in 2021.
@jillhoff on Instagram ↗
A short history
The first World Barista Championship was held in Monte Carlo in 2000, with baristas from 14 countries; Norway's Robert Thoresen won it. The Nordic countries took six of the first seven titles.
Australia and Denmark have won it most often, four times each. Latin America has four champions: Alejandro Méndez of El Salvador (2011), Raúl Rodas of Guatemala (2012), Diego Campos of Colombia (2021) and Boram Um of Brazil (2023). The 2020 championship was not held.
Three of today's six have competed here before: Jane Kawinnart was 13th in 2023 and Jill Hoff 15th in 2021, both in the semi-final, and Pan Wei competed in 2024. A win for Gabrel Tan would give Australia a fifth title, and a second in a row after Jack Simpson's.
Links
- The championship's own page ↗
- Livestream on YouTube ↗
- World of Coffee Panama ↗
- What the championship is ↗
- Final schedule (PDF) ↗
- The semi-final's 16 ↗
- The full line-up of 51 ↗
The line-up, schedule and what each competitor represents are the organiser’s; the titles beside them are from Good Cup’s championship records.