AG.AL has been crowned Esports World Cup 2026 Club Champion, bringing seven weeks of competition in Paris, France to a close after more than 2,000 players, representing 200 Clubs and over 100 countries, competed across 25 tournaments in 24 games, for a record-breaking $75 million (~INR 717 crore) prize pool.
AG.AL secured the $7 million (~INR 66.9 crore) Club Championship title with 5,300 points after a dramatic win in Trackmania, completing a campaign that also included a first place finish in Tekken 8, second place finishes in Chess, Free Fire and the Honor of Kings World Cup, and a third place finish in Teamfight Tactics. Team Falcons finished second with 4,600 points, followed by Team Vitality with 3,300 points, Natus Vincere with 2,950 points and Team Liquid with 2,700 points.
The title was decided on the final weekend, when AG.AL’s Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc won the EWC’s inaugural Trackmania tournament to secure the Club Championship. Two-time defending Club Champions Team Falcons entered the Trackmania playoffs leading the overall standings, but Carl-Antoni “Carl Jr.” Cloutier’s quarterfinal exit opened the door for AG.AL. Needing to finish third or better, Gwen dominated the final to claim the $130,000 (~INR 1.2 crore) tournament prize and the EWC 2026 Club Championship for AG.AL.
From start to finish, EWC Paris 2026 showcased elite play and the very best of esports, as legends rose and new stars were born. France’s Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert led Karmine Corp on a fairytale run to the League of Legends Grand Final in front of a home crowd, while 15-year-old Chilean Jaime “Craime” Bustos defeated two EVO champions to become the youngest EWC champion in history. AG.AL’s Khawaja “M. Zubair” secured the TEKKEN 8 EWC championship trophy while claiming the Jafonso Award for emerging from the LCQ to win the title. In the closing weeks Samy "dralii" Hajji became the first ever three time Esports World Cup champion after his third victory in Rocket League, and grandmaster Magnus Carlsen repeated as Chess champion without losing a single game.
EWC Paris 2026 also established new records across the board. Distributed globally by more than 100 broadcast and OTT partners in 47 languages and supported by 5,000 participating creators and co-streamers, the EWC reached 850 million viewers and generated 440 million hours watched, up 13% and 26%, respectively, with peak viewership of 4.3 million registered during the League of Legends tournament.
The event generated 175,000 tickets sold to esports competitions, up 94% compared to 2025. Including venues, Fan Fest and city activations, 2 million total visits were recorded over the seven week period.
The EWC 2026 was the culmination of a year-round competitive journey. More than 1.5 million players competed through 330 Road to EWC events, connecting publisher competitions, qualification pathways and the Club Championship into a global season that Clubs, players and fans could follow from the first qualifier to today’s final trophy lift.
As the first Esports World Cup hosted outside Riyadh, Paris marked a significant step in the event’s global evolution. French Clubs competed in front of sold-out home audiences, more than 22,600 campaign placements carried EWC across the capital to reach 94% of Parisians, and tournament symbols appeared at the city’s most popular landmarks, including on the Champs-Élysées and beside the Eiffel Tower. Record ticket sales culminated with the final weekend’s Counter-Strike tournament moving to the 20,000-seat Accor Arena.
The EWC’s impact will continue beyond the competition weeks. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Esports Foundation and the French Ministry of Sports, Youth and Community Life established a framework for long-term cooperation around youth development, digital skills, esports participation and French talent, building on the connection created between EWC and France this summer.
Paris now sends the Esports World Cup into its next era with new champions, new records and a global foundation for hosting in the world’s leading cities. As the first international host city of the Esports World Cup, Paris will hold a permanent place in EWC history.
The Esports World Cup will return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.
