The 1988 Thomas Cup was the 15th edition of the Thomas Cup, the world's premier men's international team badminton championship. The final round was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. China, the defending champions, defeated Malaysia in the final to claim their third Thomas Cup title.
The qualification process for the 1988 Thomas Cup began with zonal qualifiers across four continental zones: Asia, Europe, Pan America, and Oceania. Teams competed within their zones to earn places in the inter-zone ties.
The Asian zone qualifying rounds were held, featuring strong badminton nations including Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Asian teams. Malaysia and Indonesia emerged as key qualifiers from the Asian zone to advance to the inter-zone ties.
European zone qualifying rounds took place with Denmark, England, and Sweden among the competing nations. Denmark, a traditional badminton powerhouse, emerged as the leading European qualifier.
Inter-zone ties were held to determine which qualifying teams would join defending champion China and host nation Malaysia in the final round. The ties featured knockout matches between the top qualifiers from each zone.
The final round of the 1988 Thomas Cup commenced at Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Four teams—defending champion China, host Malaysia, Indonesia, and Denmark—competed in a round-robin format to determine the two finalists.
Crucial round-robin matches determined the finalists. China topped the round-robin standings with strong performances from Yang Yang in singles and the doubles pair Li Yongbo and Tian Bingyi. Malaysia secured the second spot in the final, setting up a China-Malaysia championship decider.
China defeated Malaysia 3-2 in a thrilling final at Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur. World number one Yang Yang led China's campaign, overcoming the Malaysian challenge led by the Sidek brothers—Misbun, Rashid, Razif, and Jalani. This victory marked China's third Thomas Cup title and their successful defense of the championship.