Strolling out to Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize” for his matches, Hossein Vafaei looks at home on snooker’s biggest stage. At 31, after years stalled by diplomatic red tape, he is finally making up for lost time.
At the 2026 World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, Vafaei became the first Iranian to reach the quarterfinals of the sport’s flagship tournament, stunning world No. 1 Judd Trump along the way before bowing out. “I wasn’t nervous, I enjoyed every moment. I was born for these kinds of situations,” he said. “I’m looking forward to playing anyone, I’m not scared of anyone and all of them know that. There’s no pressure, so why should I be worried?” While that swagger feels new, his talent never was.
From child prodigy to visa limbo
Growing up in south-western Iran, Vafaei first picked up a cue at six and at 17 became the youngest-ever World Amateur champion in 2011. Touted as the “Miracle Kid” and later nicknamed the “Prince of Persia”, his professional progress was delayed by strained UK–Iran relations. He spent four years in visa limbo and only made his first UK appearance in 2015, missing formative years that might otherwise have accelerated his rise.
Despite the setbacks, Vafaei has long spoken of lifting the sport’s profile in Iran. “Snooker is very popular in Iran,” he told The Independent in 2017. He has said success could inspire more Iranians to take up the game, similar to China’s pipeline of top players.
Playing for a nation in turmoil
Vafaei’s pursuit of titles has been complicated by events beyond the table. Ahead of the 2026 World Championship he admitted feeling “all over the place” amid nationwide protests and a widening conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. “It’s very tough to be an Iranian at this time. I don’t know [whether] to be happy. I don’t know [whether] to be sad,” he said after beating Trump. “This is the only thing I can do. With my cue, I can do something for them to make [the Iranian people] happy. To show that the Iran flag is there.”
He has used his platform before—wearing a black armband at the 2022 UK Championship in solidarity with protests over the death of Mahsa Amini—but remains cautious in public statements because his family still live in Iran. “You get a bad text in the day and you can’t focus on your job,” he said. “I was getting sometimes sad with what’s happening. And I don’t want to open up, but yes, I decided to fight, fight for my people, and all the Iranians all over the world. And hopefully I can make them happy.”
Breakthrough finally arrives
Vafaei only made his World Championship debut in 2022 and that year won his first professional title at the Snooker Shoot Out. In 2026 he delivered his best Crucible run yet, earning praise from Trump: “If he was from somewhere else and if he hadn’t had [visa issues] he would have been in the top 16 by now. I think he’s more than good enough to win all kinds of events.”
His campaign ended against China’s rising star Wu Yize, but the tournament signaled a shift. Vafaei has moved permanently to northern England to be closer to the Crucible, with one clear aim. “I came to live in Sheffield to be beside the Crucible. And to imagine one day lifting the trophy,” he said. “The Crucible trophy is living in my head rent free.”
For years circumstances dictated his path. Now Vafaei is taking back control of his destiny—playing not just for trophies, but for a country in turmoil and the hope of inspiring a new generation of Iranian players.
Edited by: Matt Pearson