According to sources close to
Sheep Esports, Vincent
"Happy" Schopenhauer is expected to become the coach of the French national team for the
Esports Nations Cup 2026. A former
Counter-Strike figure, Happy rose to prominence by winning the DreamHack Winter 2014 with Team LDLC, where he established himself as one of the most astute in-game leaders of his era. Since transitioning to
VALORANT, he has continued his coaching career, bringing both tactical discipline and top-tier competitive experience to Riot Games’ FPS.
According to information gathered by our journalists, Alexandre "alecks" Sallé, currently the head coach of Paper Rex in VCT Pacific, was another option for the French delegation. He ultimately declined, preferring to focus on PRX and the 2026–2027 offseason, which is expected to take place around the competition in November.
In this role, Happy will be tasked with assembling and leading the French roster for the competition, working alongside
national manager Bora
“YellOwStaR” Kim to shape the team’s identity and strategic approach. He will be responsible for selecting five starting players and two substitutes, while adhering to the tournament’s regulations, including the limitation of three players per organization. He will have until the end of April to finalize his lineup, leaving him with a limited yet decisive timeframe to assess the French talent pool and assemble the most competitive roster possible ahead of the event.
All information about the ENC 2026
As a reminder, alongside the national manager, they will be responsible for building the roster for the ENC, which must consist of five players and two substitutes, with a specific limitation. Only three players from the same club, including substitutes, can be registered for the competition.
Scheduled from November 2 to 29 for its inaugural edition in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the nation-based competition, the largest in esports history, is expected to bring together thousands of players from around one hundred countries, competing across nearly 16 titles. Alongside the VALORANT tournament, set to take place from November 8 to 15, national team competitions will also be held in League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Rocket League, and Rainbow Six: Siege. For Riot Games’ FPS, around 32 teams, each representing a nation, will compete on site.
Before that, the participants must first be determined. The Esports Foundation, which oversees both the ENC and the Esports World Cup as two separate events, has decided that 16 of the 32 teams will qualify directly for the final tournament based on the performances of their representatives in Riot Games’ official circuits. The remaining teams will have to go through regional qualifiers, with seven events each awarding two spots. The final two slots are expected to be allocated as wildcards by the ENC, likely at the event organizer’s discretion.
