2008 World Championships (TCG)
The Pokémon Trading Card Game 2008 World Championships was the fifth World Championships event hosted by Pokémon Organized Play. Its venue was the Hilton Hotel at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and the event ran from August 15 through August 17. The event used the EX Holon Phantoms onwards Modified Format.
Knockout Brackets
Junior Division
| Round 9 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||
| 9 | Joey Gaffney | CA | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Tristan Robinson | US | 1 | Tristan Robinson | US | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Jacob Tamm | US | 7 | Jacob Tamm | US | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Emily Chan | NO | 1 | Tristan Robinson | US | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Sean Goh | MY | 3 | Simone Zucchelli | IT | ||||||||||||
| 15 | Joshua Simon | US | 5 | Sean Goh | MY | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Olliver Barr | US | 3 | Simone Zucchelli | IT | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Simone Zucchelli | IT | 1 | Tristan Robinson | US | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Takuto Itagaki | JP | 2 | Takuto Itagaki | JP | ||||||||||||
| 13 | Andrew Lin Sun Choong | AU | 2 | Takuto Itagaki | JP | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Ty Wheeler | US | 6 | Jun Hasebe | JP | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Jun Hasebe | JP | 2 | Takuto Itagaki | JP | ||||||||||||
| 16 | Heikki Kettunen | FI | 4 | Noah Lawson | US | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Kazuho Mizuta | JP | 8 | Kazuho Mizuta | JP | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Olivier Marcant | FR | 4 | Noah Lawson | US | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Noah Lawson | US | |||||||||||||||
Senior Division
| Round 9 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | Aziz Al-Yami | US | |||||||||||||||
| 11 | Malik Hisyam Bin Zaihan | MY | 5 | Aziz Al-Yami | US | ||||||||||||
| 16 | Keegan Cox | US | 2 | Paul Atanassov | CA | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Paul Atanassov | CA | 2 | Paul Atanassov | CA | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Jonathan Bristow | US | 3 | Nicholas Kolibas | US | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Garrett Farrington | US | 8 | Garrett Farrington | US | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Justin Bokhari | US | 3 | Nicholas Kolibas | US | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Nicholas Kolibas | US | 2 | Paul Atanassov | CA | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Dylan Lefavour | US | 1 | Dylan Lefavour | US | ||||||||||||
| 13 | Takashi Yoneda | JP | 1 | Dylan Lefavour | US | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Tord Reklev | NO | 6 | Andy Meier | US | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Andy Meier | US | 1 | Dylan Lefavour | US | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Dylan Bryan | US | 4 | Curran Hill | US | ||||||||||||
| 15 | Tim Hornung | US | 7 | Dylan Bryan | US | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Christian Miller | US | 4 | Curran Hill | US | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Curran Hill | US | |||||||||||||||
Masters Division
| Round 9 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||
| 8 | Esa Juntunen | FI | |||||||||||||||
| 11 | Agustin Pugliese | AR | 8 | Esa Juntunen | FI | ||||||||||||
| 14 | Kyle Sabelhaus | US | 4 | Jimmy O'Brien | US | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Jimmy O'Brien | US | 4 | Jimmy O'Brien | US | ||||||||||||
| 10 | Sami Sekkoum | GB | 2 | Khanh Le | NO | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Frank Diaz | US | 7 | Frank Diaz | US | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Khanh Le | NO | 2 | Khanh Le | NO | ||||||||||||
| 15 | Morten Gundesen | DK | 2 | Khanh Le | NO | ||||||||||||
| 16 | John Silvestro | US | 1 | Jason Klaczynski | US | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Jason Klaczynski | US | 1 | Jason Klaczynski | US | ||||||||||||
| 12 | Tom Dolezal | US | 5 | Yacine Sekkoum | GB | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Yacine Sekkoum | GB | 1 | Jason Klaczynski | US | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Takae Suzuki | JP | 3 | Gino Lombardi | US | ||||||||||||
| 13 | David Atanassov | CA | 6 | Takae Suzuki | JP | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Gino Lombardi | US | 3 | Gino Lombardi | US | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Matthew Koo | CA | |||||||||||||||
Invitation structure
| Junior | Senior | Masters | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 World Champions | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| National Championships | Juniors | Seniors | Masters |
| Argentina | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Australia | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Austria | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Belgium/Luxembourg | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Canada | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Chile | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Czech Republic | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Denmark | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Finland | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| France | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Germany | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Italy | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Japan | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Malaysia | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Malta | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Mexico | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Norway | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Philippines | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Portugal | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Singapore | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Slovenia | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Spain | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| South Africa | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Sweden | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| United Kingdom | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| United States | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Premier Ratings | Juniors | Seniors | Masters |
| Ratings APAC Zone | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Ratings LA Zone | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Ratings NA Zone | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Ratings EU Zone | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Last Chance Qualifier | Juniors | Seniors | Masters |
| Guaranteed Invites | 25 | 22 | 12 |
Previously, there were four guaranteed invites per division in the Last Chance Qualifiers: however, due to unprecedented numbers of players, Pokémon Organized Play announced an additional 47 invites into the World Championships. Similarly, it was announced at the United Kingdom Nationals that fourth place in each division would, in addition to the top three finishing players, receive an invitation to the championships.
There were, in total, 435 invites announced (also known as Travel Awards) for the 2008 World Championships; 145 in each division. Of these, Pokémon Organized Play sponsored and paid for 41 Travel Awards, including the top four finishers in last year's World Championships. After the announcement of various additional invitations, there were at least 485 invitations available for the World Championships.