The IIHF Women's World Championship is hockey's world championship for national teams, played every year. The 2026 edition is in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark, from November 6 to November 16, with ten countries and 29 games.

It moved to November this year so it no longer runs into the PWHL season, and most of the PWHL's players appear here for their countries. Team USA is the defending champion after beating Canada 4-3 in overtime in the 2025 final in Ceske Budejovice.

In Canada every game is on TSN. In the United States, NHL Network carries Team USA's group games.

Ten teams play in two groups of five, a round robin inside each group. A regulation win is worth three points, an overtime or shootout win two, and an overtime or shootout loss one.

The top four in each group reach the quarterfinals. The two fifth-place teams play a relegation game, and the loser goes down for next year.

After the quarterfinals the four winners are re-seeded for the semifinals. The semifinal winners play for gold and the losers for bronze.