The field hockey festival has finally begun. The kick-off has been a success, the euphoria is rising and the fans are showing their support: Switzerland can do the World Cup - only the weather is still lagging a little behind.
18.05.2026, 12:06
18.05.2026, 18:22
SDA
The beer is flowing, the fans are dancing in the marquee in Zurich and visitors from various countries are celebrating international fraternization in Fribourg. The start of the Ice Hockey World Championships has been a complete success - but this is not a matter of course.
The road to these championships was a rocky one. Never before has an organizer had to wait so long for a World Ice Hockey Championship. It has been 17 years since the world's elite last paid their respects in Switzerland. It should have been 2020 again, but seven weeks before kick-off, the event was canceled due to the coronavirus. The postponement also has its good points. The timing seems ideal, better than 2020, as the Swiss are now closer than ever to the big coup after two finals in a row.
However, the coronavirus was to become an issue once again six years later. After the dismissal of national team coach Patrick Fischer due to his falsified vaccination certificate, the anxious question arose: Are the fans, many of whom would have wanted to stick with Fischer, still behind their national team?
Gretzky next to Ambühl
The answer after the starting weekend: They do, and more vociferously than ever before. The Ice Hockey World Championship proves once again what is sometimes missed at the Olympic Games or other major sporting events. With or without an admission ticket, people meet up on the fan mile to celebrate together.
In Zurich, you have to earn the party. The official fan zone is not on the way from Altstetten station to the stadium, but a few hundred meters further on. The detour has its charm, as visitors are accompanied by stars such as Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Andres Ambühl - it's called the "Walk of Legends".
The field hockey enthusiasm in Fribourg is also legendary. As the Swiss play in Zurich, the atmosphere in Fribourg is more international. The Canadians with the legendary Sidney Crosby and his presumed successor Macklin Celebrini celebrate their art here. When the 19-year-old young star is on the puck, a murmur, sometimes even a shriek, goes through the arena. Roman Cervenka, on the other hand, is greeted with a few whistles; in Freiburg, his "escape" to Zurich has not yet been forgotten - even though it was eight years ago.
Hard-drinking Czechs and Slovaks
Just as legendary are the hard-drinking supporters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who literally flood the fan zone in Freiburg. Once one country, then peacefully separated, they still celebrate together and with lots of beer. After the first weekend, it is fair to ask whether there is still enough beer left in Fribourg for the next ten days after Gottéron's championship celebrations.
In Zurich, the red and white of the Swiss naturally dominates. While the Canada-Sweden clash is shown on the big screen, they stand on the festival benches and sing along to the sounds of W. Nuss vo Bümpliz. On this starting weekend, only the weather is not yet World Cup-worthy. It is cold, sometimes damp, not yet the weather for a pleasant outing. That should improve now. Then the various outdoor games of skill will probably be even more popular. A total of over 100,000 visitors are expected in the fan zones by May 30.
Unemployed police congratulated
But the fans are already in World Cup form. But that is also a tradition in ice hockey. No complaints about exorbitant ticket prices, no anger about an autocratic president, no free riders who want to make a killing with drastic price increases - and above all, no fan riots. The police car that stands alone on the way to the station, with its scoreboard congratulating Switzerland on its opening victory against the USA, is characteristic and likeable.
Switzerland has already proven that it can turn major events into festivals at the European Women's Football Championships. The Ice Hockey World Cup is a seamless continuation of this. The fans from all over the world have already earned themselves a gold medal - the Swiss players want to follow suit.
