28 September 2026
Celebrating mastery and magic on the global stage for skills
Last night, in the “magic city”, WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 came to an end, showing every Champion how valued and valuable they are.
After four days of competition across 64 skills, the world celebrated 1,400 Champions from nearly 70 countries and regions at the Closing Ceremony of WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
Thousands of people gathered at the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Center to cheer on the Champions, with many more watching the livestream around the world.
Gold, silver, and bronze medals were presented to the top performers in each skill, with hosts China topping the medal table. Medals for Excellence were also awarded to Champions reaching world-class standards in each skill.
At the end of the presentations, Best of Nation medals were given to those Champions from each country and region whose performance best reflected excellence, resilience, and the spirit of WorldSkills. Each Champion came on stage in turn to receive their medal from the WorldSkills Champions Trust.
The Albert Vidal Award, named after the founder of the WorldSkills movement, is presented to the Champion with the highest overall score across all skills. Last night, it was awarded to Xiaoman He from China, who showed both magic and mastery in her skill, Rail Vehicle Technology, which made its debut at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. Francis Hourant, WorldSkills President, presented the award to her after it descended from a giant chandelier above the arena.
In his message to the WorldSkills Champions, Mr Hourant encouraged them to keep striving for excellence, saying, “Five days ago, we arrived as strangers. Tonight, we leave as friends. Take this feeling home with you. Remember in life that learning is the reward. Be a changemaker. Be a peace builder. Be a WorldSkills Champion. There is a spark lit in you. Develop that and share it with the world.”
The Closing Ceremony was a breathtaking display of entertainment that included live music performances, DJs, dancers, and spectacular video and light shows.
It concluded with the handover of the WorldSkills flag. In a poignant moment, WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 passed the flag between representatives of the Competition, the city, and former Champions before handing it to representatives from WorldSkills Japan, whose team are already preparing for WorldSkills Aichi 2028.
The WorldSkills community now heads home with memories of Shanghai – and of 1,400 Champions who proved themselves on the global stage for skills.
Look at the photo highlights from the 48th WorldSkills Competition on Flickr.