MSI 2026 Power Rankings

The 2026 Mid-Season Invitational kicks off on June 28 with the Play-In Stage and will showcase the world’s best teams facing off against each other. For this edition, all matches are best-of-five. Eleven teams will compete to determine who will lift the second international trophy of the year, succeeding the competition’s notable absentee: Gen.G.

With many strong favorites in the mix, it’s difficult to predict which way the balance will tip. Beyond the expected dominance of LPL and LCK teams, the LEC is sending both its champion and a very serious contender into the arena, looking to test themselves ahead of Worlds. It will also be a real proving ground for the LCP and LCS, who struggled significantly at First Stand 2026.

There was no Spring Split in the traditional sense in the LCK, but during the Road to MSI, Hanwha Life Esports emerged as Korea’s clear first seed. HLE therefore enter the competition as our favorite ahead of Bilibili Gaming, despite this being their very first appearance at the tournament. Their regular season was impressive, securing first place before defeating T1 in four games to qualify.

The team found a very good balance during this Spring. By signing Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok, HLE knew exactly what to expect: an extremely aggressive and proactive jungler, and that has been reflected in his performances as he has become the main player of this team. That does not mean Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong or Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo are falling behind, as both of the team’s carries are also performing at a very high level, especially Zeka, who is having a really strong year.

Bilibili Gaming are the only team still in position to complete the Golden Road this year. Champions of First Stand 2026 and back-to-back LPL winners, they are unquestionably among the main favorites for the competition. This will also be their fourth straight appearance in the tournament, a streak surpassed only by T1 and G2 Esports.

Despite a brief scare in recent months, when they were eliminated in the EWC China Qualifier and lost their opening playoff series to Team WE, the Chinese powerhouse found its footing again at the right time. They exacted revenge on their earlier tormentors in the lower-bracket final with a 3-2 win, before cruising past in a dominant 3-0 grand final that left little doubt about the outcome. Led by superstar midlaner Zhuo “” Ding, who captured his eighth LPL title and fifth Finals MVP, BLG now heads into the international stage with a chance to claim only their second major international trophy and further cement their place among the greatest Chinese organizations in LoL history.

What would an international tournament be without T1 and Lee “” Sang-hyeok? For their fifth straight appearance, the Korean powerhouse is chasing a third title in the competition, following their victories in 2016 and 2017, which now feel like a long time ago. Last year’s finalists, Gen.G, are not present this time to provide the usual rivalry. On top of that, they can rely on their newly arrived ADC Kim “” Su-hwan, who has been impressing since joining at the start of the year and could help T1 break through beyond the Worlds stage.

T1 had to fight their way through a difficult LCK qualification run, including a loss to HLE and a narrow 3-2 win over Gen.G in another tense best-of-five. That meant they had to take the longer route, but they still arrive as the clear favorites for the Play-In stage. Expected to reach the main stage, T1 once again enter the tournament among the frontrunners. As triple World Champions, they will also carry the pressure of playing as favorites on home soil in South Korea. It is exactly the kind of setting this team seems to thrive in.

Europe’s reigning giants arrive hungrier than ever. They enter the competition in outstanding form, having claimed two LEC titles this year by defeating in hard-fought five-game finals both times. Their recent First Stand 2026 run still stands out: a 3-0 win over , a 3-0 against , and another 3-0 over Gen.G, before BLG finally stopped them in the grand final. Established as one of the biggest threats to the LCK, they now move into a bracket stage where they could meet some of their most familiar international rivals, including T1, against whom their series are always compelling, as well as Hanwha Life Esports.

With the same lineup that failed to deliver on the international stage last year, G2 are a very different team in 2026. They weathered a quiet start to the Spring Split before surging in playoffs and, almost overnight, reestablishing themselves as Europe’s best team. Led by Rudy “” Semaan, who continues to make his case as one of the greatest junglers Europe has ever produced, they head into the next stage with real ambitions.

returns to the MSI at a time when few would have expected it. Just a few weeks ago, after Bai “369” Jiahao expressed his desire to step away from the roster and following the suspension of jungler Yang “Naiyou” Zijian for match-fixing, it was difficult to imagine the organization recovering in time for another international appearance.

Yet they have done exactly that, once again led by two of the LPL’s most experienced veterans, and . Although the roster appears somewhat weaker and less experienced than in previous years, TES enter the tournament, some could argue, as usual, as a legitimate dark horse, even if it may begin slightly behind their main competitors.

LCS champions for the second consecutive time, LYON enter this MSI with more confidence than they had at First Stand. Aside from Round 1, where Team Liquid made them sweat in a closely contested 3-2 series, LYON dominated both Cloud9, the regular season leaders, and TL in the grand final with clean sweeps.

At First Stand, it was against JD Gaming and Gen.G that they showed their limits, which is why they sit behind the four Chinese and Korean teams, as well as G2, who are still considered a step above them.

Kacper "" Słoma remains the jungle powerhouse he has been for the past few years and will continue to set the pace for his team, but the carries are also performing at a very high level, as Kang "" Sung-in and Kim "" Min-cheol will both have a major role to play in this competition.

It is a name that will soon become familiar on the biggest international stages. Qualified for the first MSI in its history after three years in the LEC, Karmine Corp still has plenty to prove on that front. Their only prior international experience came at First Stand 2025, and with a different midlaner and support at the time, they now appear better equipped than ever to push for a small miracle at this event.

Two-time LEC finalists this year, both times denied by G2, they still enter the tournament with plenty of questions surrounding them. They will have to survive a difficult play-in stage, where only one team can advance to the main event, with a potentially tough matchup against T1 looming on the road. Qualifying for the next phase will not be easy. Still, they can rely on the explosive form of their star ADC, Caliste “” Henry-Hennebert, to show the world what he is capable of. Known for igniting early games at a moment’s notice, the Blue Wall enters this tournament as the ideal underdog story, ready to make their mark internationally.

As the new LCP champions, Team Secret Whales are one of the four teams to have participated in both of Riot Games’ international events in 2026 alongside BLG, G2, and LYON. TSW once again finished first in the regular season, this time without dropping a single series. In the playoffs, they rolled over MVK Esports and Deep Cross Gaming twice to complete the back-to-back title win and secure direct qualification to the MSI Main Event.

Since the return of Chen "WarHorse" Ju-Chih to the Pacific region, the Taiwanese head coach has brought what this team needed to consistently perform at the regional level. Internationally, things remain more complicated, at First Stand, TSW failed to win a single game across two best-of-five series lost against G2 and BNK FEARX, and no major upset is really expected from them at this MSI either.

fought their way through the entire lower bracket of the LCS playoffs to secure their first MSI qualification since 2024. The North American side was spearheaded by its mid-jungle duo of and , both of whom delivered standout performances, particularly in the decisive series that eliminated Cloud9 and secured the team's place at MSI.

However, Team Liquid also showed more significant weaknesses against opponents such as LYON in the grand final. Moreover, to advance from the Play-In Stage, TL will likely need to outperform either T1 or Karmine Corp, a challenge that will require a considerably higher level of execution from the roster as a whole.

Following an almost flawless CBLOL playoff run, during which they dropped just a single game to LOS in the grand final, heads to MSI for the second consecutive year. At the season’s first international event, however, the region failed to impress on home soil, with LOUD suffering a disappointing early exit.

This time, though, Brazil may have a stronger opportunity to showcase its potential, thanks in large part to one of the league’s breakout stars, jungler , who will be making his international debut. Having only recently celebrated his twentieth birthday, Tatu has been one of the standout performers in the CBLOL throughout the season and was named MVP of the most recent split. Earlier this year, Brazil had already demonstrated during the Americas Cup that it had little reason to fear North America's second seed.

They are the clear underdogs of this tournament. Coming from the PCS last year (now the LCP’s tier-two league), they earned their place in the top division through the Up&Down tournament and have kept the same roster ever since. That continuity has given their story real weight, but MSI 2026 still marks the first international appearance for both the organization and every player on the lineup.

They must navigate a Play-In stage featuring three dangerous opponents, starting with a particularly tough opening series against Karmine Corp. Despite finishing as runners-up in both LCP splits this year, Team Secret Whales have established what looks like a firm grip on the region, leaving little room for DCG at the top and exposing some of their limits, particularly in terms of champion pool. Their toplaner, Lo “” Chak Kin, is only 19 years old and the youngest player in the tournament, perfectly capturing the mix of inexperience and promise that defines this team.

You can find the detailed breakdown of the votes at this link.