LoL: Copa Naciones 2025, a battle of nations in Latin America

South and Central America are set to buzz with excitement over the coming weeks, from November 17 to December 7, as the Copa Naciones 2025 takes place, a League of Legends nation-based competition bringing together almost fifteen countries. This marks a new record, following the six participants of the inaugural 2022 edition and the fourteen teams that competed in 2023. After a two-year break, the event makes its long-awaited return, now featuring a broader range of nations stretching from Mexico down to Chile, including Venezuela and many others along the way.

The Copa Naciones offers a rare opportunity for countries across this part of the world to face each other directly, something that remains uncommon in esports, particularly within the League of Legends ecosystem. Asia has long been more familiar with this kind of national competition, with events like the Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games, both held every four years. The next of these will take place in Japan in September 2026. In contrast, similar tournaments barely exist in Europe or North America. Fans there will likely have to wait for more news about the long-teased Esports Nations Cup before seeing Western national teams compete on a comparable stage.

In terms of format, the fifteen participating countries are split into three groups — two for the Northern nations and one for the Southern nations. Out of the seven teams that will qualify for the playoffs, the first-place finishers from both Latin America North groups will advance, along with the top two teams from the South. The remaining spots will be decided through a Last Chance round between the second and third seeds of the LAN groups, offering two additional playoff berths. The final slot will go to the winner of a decisive match between the third- and fourth-place teams from the LAS group.

This structure guarantees that the grand final will see a Northern squad clash with a Southern one, setting up a continental rivalry that should thrill fans. Among the notable players, supporters will have the chance to see Sebastián "Oddielan" Alonso Niño Zavalet, jungler for LYON during the 2025 LTA North season. He could potentially face off against Gerardo Andres "Bejjaniii" Leon Bijani, with whom he played earlier this year against Cloud9 during Split 3. From LYON’s academy roster, Andres Felipe "Intio" Rodriguez Silva will represent Colombia.

On the Chilean side, Cristóbal "Zothve" Arróspide, Leviatán’s top laner, and Cristian Sebastián "cody" Quispe Yampara, midlaner for Estral Esports, are among the expected standouts. Brazil's absence from this competition is surprising, since the country is by far the most important actor of League of Legends in South America and would have likely left little doubt about the winner of the Copa Naciones.