Full Champion of Champions line-up confirmed as qualification picture cleared up with world seniors winner in

One of the most popular stops on the snooker circuit, this Matchroom Multisport-run event features winners of various tournaments from across the past 12 months.

The first player to qualify for this year's edition was the winner of the last Champion of Champions - Mark Williams, who defeated debutant Xiao Guodong 10-6 in the 2024 final to claim this title for the first time and pocket the £150,000 top prize.

Welshman Williams, who won the recent Xi'an Grand Prix, is hoping to be well enough to defend his crown as he withdrew from the International Championship due to being ill with a respiratory infection.

Reigning world champion Zhao Xintong will return to the event courtesy of his historic Crucible triumph last spring, whilst the title holders of snooker's other two Triple Crown events Judd Trump (UK Championship) and Shaun Murphy (Masters) are also in the draw. Murphy also holds the British Open title.

World number two Kyren Wilson is the only player who 'triple qualified' following title successes at the German Masters, Players Championship, and Shanghai Masters this calendar year.

Four other invited players are current multiple champions: Neil Robertson (World Grand Prix, Saudi Arabia Masters), Mark Allen (Riyadh Season Championship, English Open), John Higgins (World Open, Tour Championship) and Mark Selby (Championship League Invitational, Welsh Open).

Last year's runner-up Xiao is back after retaining the Wuhan Open crown, and Championship League Ranking Event champion Stephen Maguire is back in the fold.

Tom Ford (Shoot Out), Lei Peifan (Scottish Open) and Jack Lisowski (Northern Ireland Open) are all set to make their Champion of Champions debuts after winning their maiden ranking titles in recent months.

Bai Yulu is in the event for a second consecutive staging having successfully defended the world women's championship earlier this year.

After some confusion and controversy in recent weeks around the qualification criteria for this tournament, reigning world seniors champion Alfie Burden does receive a well-earned invitation for the first time after all, following latest correspondence.

In a press release from the organisers several days ago, Burden was not named on the initial player list. There was however a place reserved for the highest-positioned player on the world ranking list who hadn’t already qualified by being a reigning champion.

The cueist to benefit from this side-door invitation would have been record four-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, which raised suspicion amongst fans that he had been shoehorned into the event despite having last tasted trophy success in March 2024.

It is unclear whether O'Sullivan was offered a spot in this year's Champion of Champions via this route but subsequently declined it, therefore resulting in Burden getting the nod, but the outcome means that all 16 contestants in Leicester will be reigning title holders - living up to the event’s name.

In a change to recent years, though, the winner of the upcoming 2025 International Championship (November 2-9) in Nanjing, China will not get a spot in this year’s Champion of Champions. It is uncertain whether that ticket will be deferred to next year’s edition instead.

With the International Championship ending the day before the Champion of Champions starts - and those competitions being held on opposite sides of the world - this has previously caused a logistical headache for organisers when sorting out the schedule.

It’s possible the reason why Matchroom have omitted the International Championship winner this time around is to help them with the order of play, but with such a quick turnaround and so many star names in Nanjing, they still may not be able to release the full schedule until only a few days before the start at the Mattioli.

The Champion of Champions is essentially a straight knockout format, but sections of the draw are completed over the first four days with two opening round matches (best of seven frames) held in the afternoon, and then the winners of those fixtures returning to face each other in the evening for a best of 11 frames quarter-final.

There are semi-finals on the Friday and Saturday nights (best of 11) with a two-session best of 19 final on Sunday.

For fans in the UK, the 2025 Champion of Champions will be televised live on ITV4.