For this inaugural edition of the
Esports Nations Cup, nearly 32 nations from across the globe will compete in Riyadh next November for the title of best national team in
League of Legends. Beyond the question of who can challenge South Korea, several uncertainties remain regarding the participating teams, as the tournament format combines direct invitations with qualification spots earned through continental qualifiers.
While the
League of Legends competition will take place from November 21 to 29, the qualifiers are scheduled over three days, from June 19 to 21, and will determine 14 of the 32 teams heading to Saudi Arabia.
Seven separate qualifiers will be held,
each awarding two spots. The participants in these qualifiers will depend on the nations that register a team and on which rosters have already secured qualification through direct invitations.
Invited nations to be confirmed soon
Of the 32 participating nations,
16 will indeed receive a direct invitation through a points-based system established by the Esports Foundation, the organization behind the event. For each nation, the ranking will be determined by the five highest-scoring players among the seven registered on the roster. These points are awarded according to a previously published system,
which Sheep Esports has already covered, and are largely based on players' results throughout 2026 as well as the leagues in which they competed. The invited nations are expected to be announced around June 15, shortly before the qualifiers begin.
The remaining two spots will be awarded as
Wildcards by the event organizers. One will be a
Solidarity Slot, granted to an emerging esports nation, while the other will be a
Host Region Slot, ensuring GCC representation (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) by awarding an additional place to the highest-performing Gulf nation that has not otherwise qualified.
Several Nations Already Missing
As previously mentioned, the seven qualifiers will all take place simultaneously from June 19 to 21, with 14 places up for grabs. According to the official rulebook, the following countries are eligible to participate and have been assigned to the regions listed below. Among the notable absentees are Russia and Belarus, as the ENC follows the regulations and recommendations of the International Olympic Committee.
More surprisingly, Cuba is absent from the "North America, Central America, and the Caribbean" qualifier without any official explanation, despite the country having announced on Instagram that it was looking for players for both featured titles. Sheep Esports has attempted to contact Cuba's national manager for clarification, and this article will be updated accordingly should further information become available.
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, China, India, Japan, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka
Europe East
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Israel, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine
Europe West
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Middle East and Africa
Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
North America, Central America, and the Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands
South East Asia & Oceania
American Samoa, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Indonesia, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
