The Thomas Cup (World Men,s Team Championships) is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The championships have been conducted every two years since the 1982 tournament, amended from being conducted every three years since the first tournament held in 1948–1949.
The final phase of the tournament involves twelve teams competing at venues within a host nation and is played concurrently with the final phase of the world women team championships. the Uber Cup (first held in 1956–1957). Since 1984 the two competitions have been held jointly at the various stages of play.
Of the twenty-seven Thomas Cup tournaments held since 1948–1949, only three nations have won the title. Indonesia is the most successful team, having won the tournament thirteen times. The current cup holder, China, which did not begin to compete until the 1982 series, follows Indonesia with nine titles, while Malaysia has won five titles. Thomas Cup and, to a lesser extent, Uber Cup are possibly the world,s "biggest" and most prestigious regularly held badminton events in terms of player and fan interest. For many they trump major tournaments for individual competitors such as the venerable All-England Championships, the BWF World Championships, and even the badminton competitions at the Olympic Games.