Dreux, France • 27–28 August 2025
The 2025 UPBF World Championship delivered two days of unforgettable paintball action with 21 countries and 60 teams battling across five categories with over 400 players and 180 staff assisting. From youth divisions to the elite Men’s and Veterans finals, this year’s event proved once again why paintball is one of the fastest-growing competitive sports worldwide.
🥇 Final Standings
Mens
1st France
2nd USA
3rd Canada
4th Mexico
Veterans
1st France
2nd Belgium
3rd USA
4th Poland
Women
1st USA
2nd France
3rd Norway
4th Great Britain
U19
1st USA
2nd Poland
3rd France
4th Norway
U16
1st USA
2nd Norway
3rd France
4th Finland
🔥 Championship Highlights
Men’s Division: The host nation France ignited the crowd, defeating defending champions USA 4–2 in a tense, emotional final. Canada claimed bronze after edging Mexico in a nail-biting semi that had fans on their feet.
Veterans Division: One of the most dramatic storylines of the tournament. At first it looked like Belgium Veterans had taken the win against France Veterans. But after video review by the ultimate referee, new evidence reversed the call, awarding France a razor-tight 4–3 gold-medal victory. It will be remembered as one of the most talked-about finishes in UPBF history.
Women’s Division: Team USA Women defended their dominance with a commanding 4–1 victory over France, showing their depth and discipline.
U19 & U16 Divisions: The future of the sport shined bright. USA’s youth programs delivered once again, capturing both golds with wins over Poland (U19) and Norway (U16).
🌍 Tournament Storylines
Mexico’s Semi-Final vs USA (Men’s): The stadium atmosphere hit another level as Mexico pushed USA to the limit in their semi-final. The game was on a knife’s edge, and the crowd erupted in support of the underdogs. It was one of those rare matches where every second felt like it could swing history.
South Africa vs Brazil (Prelims): A thrilling prelim matchup saw South Africa and Brazil locked in a battle that went down to the wire. Both teams left it all on the field, showing just how global and competitive this sport has become.
Tight Games Everywhere: From prelims to finals, fans witnessed multiple matches where victory could have gone either way. These are the games that fuel the passion and showcase why the UPBF World Championship is so special.
📖 Historical Context
Over the past few years, Team USA dominated the championship, including a historic five-gold sweep in 2023 & 2024. But in 2025, the home crowd lifted France to two huge division victories (Men’s & Veterans), breaking USA’s stranglehold and showing how competitive the global field has become.
Since its inception, 48 nations have competed in UPBF Championships — and 2025 saw 21 nations continuing to raise the bar.
🎥 Relive the Action
Didn’t catch it live? You can re-watch all matches from the NXL Pro Field here:
Day 1 – Wednesday, 27 Aug: Watch here
Day 2 – Thursday, 28 Aug: Watch here
