Mosconi Cup
Recap
Published April 13, 2026
Team Europe captured their first Mosconi Cup since 2002 at the MGM Grand with an 11-8 victory over the United States. This was the first time in the tournament's 14-year history that Europe won the title on American soil.
The European squad, captained by Johan Ruijsink, was led by Malta's Tony Drago, who earned Most Valuable Player honors. The team featured German veteran Ralf Souquet and Dutch star Niels Feijen alongside England's Daryl Peach and Russia's Konstantin Stepanov. The American team was captained by Kim Davenport and included Earl Strickland and Johnny Archer alongside Shane Van Boening and Corey Deuel.
On the opening day, the United States held a 6-4 lead despite playing at home in Las Vegas. The European doubles pairing of Feijen and Souquet won 6-4 over the American duo of Archer and Rodney Morris. Van Boening won a singles match 6-2 over Peach for Team USA.
This victory marked a significant moment for nine-ball pool's most prestigious team competition. The Mosconi Cup, created by Matchroom's Barry Hearn as pool's counterpart to the Ryder Cup, had been dominated by American teams through most of its early years. Europe's win on American soil reflected the tournament's growing competitive balance and the expansion of pool talent globally since the tournament's launch in 1994.
Europe's triumph showed that American teams could be defeated even on home soil. The victory shifted momentum in the overall series and positioned Europe as a competitive force in future Mosconi Cup events.
Sources: 2007 Mosconi Cup – Wikipedia, Mosconi Cup: How a Modest Dream Became Pool’s Greatest Show – Matchroom Pool
This recap was compiled from public tournament records and tournament organizer communications. ForceFollow is not affiliated with the tournament organizer.