OGDEN, Utah — Niklas Edin has further cemented his legacy as the most decorated skip in the history of the sport. Leading his Swedish rink to a 9-6 victory over Canada on Saturday, the 40-year-old Edin captured his eighth world title at the LGT World Men’s Curling Championship.

The win marks a historic milestone, as Edin becomes the first man to achieve eight world titles as a skip. The victory comes as a redemption arc for the Swedish squad, who arrived in Utah following a challenging 2-7 record at the February Olympic Games.

Clinical Execution in the Gold Medal Final

Sweden maintained control throughout the final, never relinquishing the lead. Utilizing the last stone advantage, Edin opened the scoring in the first end with a raise capture-out to secure two points. By the third end, a precise draw from Edin extended the lead to 4-1.

Canada, skipped by Matt Dunstone, attempted several comebacks. Dunstone used a raise take-out in the fifth end to score two points, narrowing the gap to 4-3 heading into the break. However, Sweden’s efficiency in converting hammer into two points four times during the match proved decisive.

The turning point arrived in the eighth end when Edin played a draw into the four-foot ring. Despite the stone rubbing another Swedish stone, it spun inward to score two points, pushing the lead to 8-5. Canada managed a single point in the ninth end via a draw to the button, but Sweden closed the game 9-6 without needing to throw their final stone in the tenth end.

They were just making everything under the sun and we were chasing the whole game.

— Matt Dunstone, Canadian Skip

The Road to Gold

The championship featured a highly competitive field, with Sweden, Canada, and Scotland all finishing pool play with identical 10-2 records. Sweden and Scotland earned higher rankings due to last-stone-draw tiebreakers.

Team Rosters

• Team Sweden: Niklas Edin (Skip), Oskar Eriksson (Vice), Rasmus Wranaa (Second), Christoffer Sundgren (Lead).
• Team Canada: Matt Dunstone (Skip), Colton Lott (Vice), E.J. Harnden (Second), Ryan Harnden (Lead).

While Sweden enjoyed a bye to the semifinals—where they defeated the United States 8-6 in an extra end—Canada had to fight through a playoff victory over Italy (9-7) and a semifinal win against Scotland (9-7) to reach the final.

Overcoming the “Monkey on the Back”

For Edin, the victory was as much about mental resilience as it was about technical skill. Reflecting on the team’s journey following their Olympic disappointment, Edin noted the pressure the team felt entering the tournament.

We were very disappointed after the Olympics, so I feel we had a monkey on our backs going into this week….

— Niklas Edin

Frequently Asked Questions

How many world titles has Niklas Edin won?

Niklas Edin has won a record eight world titles as a skip.

Where was the 2026 World Men’s Curling Championship held?

The event took place in Ogden, Utah, USA.

What was the final score of the gold medal game?

Sweden defeated Canada with a final score of 9-6.