The Thomas Cup is a highly priced tournament in the badminton circuit. Sixteen best men’s national teams compete in the tournament every two years.

Since its inception in 1949, many teams have featured in the competition, but only a few have managed to dominate.

So here are the teams that have won the most titles in Thomas Cup history.

6. India – 1

India has been going through a badminton revolution since the 2010s. And that paid rich dividends when the men’s team stormed into their first Thomas Cup final in 2022.

When they reached the finals, they made sure to return with the gold. The title-winning team consisted of players like Lakshya Sen, Srikanth Kidambi, Prannoy HS, and the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty.

India won their group stage matches against Germany, Canada, and Chinese Taipei before upsetting Malaysia and Denmark in the quarter-final and semi-final, respectively. They were up against defending champions Indonesia in the final, which they went on to win by 3-0, sealing their first Thomas Cup title.

5. Japan – 1

Japan are the other Asian team with one title victory in the men’s event. The Japanese stunned the Malaysians in the 2014 edition held in New Delhi, India.

Japan sneaked in all three wins in the group stage against England, Hong Kong, and Denmark. They defeated France in the quarter-final before overcoming the mighty China in the semis. 

In the final, Japan faced fierce competition from Malaysia, with the contest being decided in the third set of the fifth match. Japan won the final by 3-2 to clinch their maiden title.

4. Denmark – 1

Denmark are the only non-Asian team to claim the Thomas Cup. They achieved this extraordinary feat in 2016. 

The Danish bagged two easy wins against South Africa and New Zealand before sneaking a close victory against Chinese Taipei in the group stage. They cruised to the final after hard-fought victories against Japan and Malaysia in the quarter-final and semi-final, respectively.

To win their maiden gold, Denmark had to put in hard yards to overcome the Indonesian challenge in the final. The Danish shuttlers defeated Indonesia by 3-2.

3. Malaysia – 5

Malaysia are one of three Asian teams to have won the Thomas Cup multiple times. The Malaysians were the inaugural champions, winning the 1949 edition against Denmark.

Their second title came three years later, taking down the United States of America (USA) in the final. Malaysia made a hat-trick in 1955 by bowling away Denmark to win their third gold.

Malaysia’s fourth Thomas Cup title came in 1967 after they broke Indonesia’s title-winning streak. After a gap of 25 years, the Asian team inscribed their name on the Thomas Cup for the fifth time by defeating Indonesia in 1992. 

2. China – 11

China are the second-most successful men’s team in Thomas Cup history. They have won 11 titles, showcasing their dominance in the tournament, more so in the 21st century.

In this century alone, China have clinched gold seven times, which includes a streak of five consecutive titles. The Chinese won their first-ever title in 1982, overcoming Indonesia to snap their four-title streak.

Then, between 1986 and 1990, they added three trophies, beating Indonesia (1986) once and Malaysia (1988 and 1990) twice. From 2004 onwards, China racked up five gold medals in a row.

China’s 10th title win came in 2010 as they nailed down Japan in the final, while their most recent victory came in 2024 against Indonesia.

1. Indonesia – 14

Indonesia top the chart, with 14 titles to their name. That makes them the most successful team in the Thomas Cup history.

Indonesia is known for producing some of the finest badminton players. And their dominance in the Thomas Cup testifies to it.

They added their maiden title back in 1958 and went on to win the next editions. They returned to the top for four consecutive years between 1970 and 1979.

Five years later, Indonesia clinched their eighth title in 1984 before having a command over the title for five editions from 1994 to 2002. Indonesia had to wait for 18 years to add their 14th title to the cabinet. They overcame the Chinese challenge in the 2020 final.

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