Esports World Cup 2026: Five biggest stories from week one

From an emotional breakthrough in FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves to a remarkable qualification run in EA SPORTS FC 26, the first seven days produced no shortage of memorable moments.

Here are five of the biggest stories from week one.

1. mi2ha4 finally overcomes long-time rival Laggia

Kenta "mi2ha4" Ichihara produced one of the most emotional victories of the opening week during the FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves semi-finals.

Laggia had been a major influence on mi2ha4's decision to compete in FATAL FURY, but had also repeatedly defeated the Japanese rising star on the biggest stages, including at EVO Japan.

Their latest meeting finally ended differently.

Mi2ha4 edged an extraordinary 5-4 semi-final to defeat his long-time rival and reach the Grand Final, where he eventually finished runner-up to DarkAngel.

The reaction at the end of the match underlined the importance of the victory, with mi2ha4 overcoming the opponent who had repeatedly blocked his path throughout his competitive career.

2. Elite Esports dominate Apex Legends group stage before final disappointment

Elite Esports EU delivered one of the strongest Apex Legends group-stage performances seen at a major international tournament in recent years.

The mixed European roster finished top of the standings with 199 points, winning four of its 18 matches and ending 17 points clear of Team Liquid.

That represented the largest gap between first and second in an ALGS group stage since the 2024 Split Playoffs in Mannheim and established Elite Esports as one of the leading title contenders.

However, the momentum did not carry into the Match Point Finals.

Elite Esports finished 13th after collecting 43 points, falling seven short of the 50-point threshold required to become eligible to win the championship.

UNLIMIT eventually claimed the title in Game 10 after 11 teams reached Match Point.

3. French VALORANT teams light up Paris

The home crowd played a major role during the VALORANT tournament, with French supporters creating one of the loudest atmospheres of the opening week.

Gentle Mates and Team Vitality both advanced through the group stage undefeated, while Gentle Mates produced one of the tournament's early shocks by defeating Masters Santiago winners Nongshim RedForce.

The two French organisations were unable to continue their runs in the playoffs.

Gentle Mates were eliminated by BBL Esports in the quarter-finals, while Team Vitality lost its rematch against Nongshim RedForce.

Despite the defeats, the support for the home teams provided some of the most memorable scenes of the competition before 100 Thieves eventually lifted the trophy.

4. Dota 2 tiebreaker decided by one-on-one showdown

The Dota 2 group stage produced one of the tournament's most unusual moments when Group D required a tiebreaker to determine third and fourth place.

Instead of playing a traditional best-of-three series, the Esports World Cup's rules called for a one-on-one contest.

Virtus.pro's Abed "Abed" Yusop faced LGD Gaming's Santiago "TaiLung" Agüero Gustavo in a Shadow Fiend mirror match, with TaiLung emerging victorious to secure the higher seed.

The unique format added another layer of pressure to an already tense group stage and gave fans one of the most distinctive moments of the week.

5. Obrun2002 survives long EA SPORTS FC 26 qualification route

The EA SPORTS FC 26 main tournament does not begin until July 22, but the qualification stages have already produced considerable drama.

Guilherme "GuiBarros" Barros and Francesco "Obrun2002" Tagliafierro were both standout players at the 2025 Esports World Cup, but neither qualified directly for this year's main event.

That forced both players to begin in the 512-player Last Chance Qualifier and progress through three stages before reaching the Play-Ins.

GuiBarros finished second in Group J, while Obrun2002 topped Group E, setting up a decisive meeting between the two.

Obrun2002 dominated the final qualification match with a 5-1 victory, securing his place in the main event and ending GuiBarros' campaign.

How to watch the Esports World Cup

Fans can watch the Esports World Cup 2026 live and for free on DAZN throughout the seven-week competition. 

This is available on the DAZN app across a wide range of devices, including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles, or watch through any web browser at DAZN.com. 

Coverage is available globally, excluding China, South Korea, the CIS region, Ukraine, Malaysia, Hungary and Finland. Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 are also unavailable in Peru. 

To watch live follow these steps: 

1. Download the DAZN app on your preferred device or visit DAZN.com.  
2. Sign up for a free DAZN account, or log in if you already have one.  
3. Search for Esports World Cup or browse the esports section.  
4. Select the tournament you want to watch and start streaming live.