Competing in the air on broomsticks: The Quidditch World Cup is for real

The IQA World Cup is an international quidditch tournament contested by the national teams of the members of the International Quidditch Association, the sport's global governing organisation.

You meant the football World Cup?
Nope, we are talking about the Quidditch World Cup.


What is that?
The bi-annual competition honours the fictitious sport from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, where witches and wizards compete in the air on broomsticks. In the real-life game, two teams of seven players run around with broomsticks between their legs and engage in a full-contact, co-ed contest with elements of rugby, dodgeball and wrestling.



For real?
Yes. In fact, the recently concluded 2018 IQA World Cup, organised by the International Quidditch Association in Florence, Italy, was the fourth edition.

A little more explanation would help.
The objective in the game is to obtain the most points, either via scoring goals by passing balls through rings, or by catching the 'snitch', a special ball. In the IQA World Cup, the snitch is attached to a snitch runner’s waistband.

Who won the World Cup?
US won their third championship after beating Belgium in the final. Australia were the defending champions. Over 800 athletes participated. Tom Ffiske, spokesman for the International Quidditch Association, said that quidditch 'is the world's most inclusive sport'.

Were there any flying brooms?
Well, players play in the same position as in the books (chasers, keepers, beaters and seekers), but no players use flying brooms.