G2 Esports and Karmine Corp qualify for 2026 Worlds Championship

The dream is becoming a reality for . Saturday, September 5, 2026, is a date that will go down in the Blue Wall history, as the French organization qualified for the League of Legends World Championship for the first time after defeating 3-1 in Madrid. On the same day, also secured their ticket to the biggest tournament of the year with a clean sweep against , the tenth appearance in the club’s history.

The day was therefore quick and efficient, with just seven games played across two best-of-five series. That is fortunate, as there is still one more match to be played tomorrow, with the two teams facing off in the Upper Bracket Final for a spot in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Summer Split Grand Final. Both teams are locked for LEC Finals in Nice.

The winner will also guarantee at least a top-two finish, securing direct qualification to the Worlds Main Stage without having to go through the Play-In, which will be played by the third-placed team. GX and Vitality, meanwhile, will have to return to Berlin to face Natus Vincere and Movistar KOI respectively in the lower bracket, as they look to keep their Worlds qualification hopes alive.

Since the club's creation, founder Kamel "Kameto" Kebir has had his sights firmly set on Worlds. He will finally get the chance to attend the tournament after three years in the ERLs and three years competing in the EMEA Tier 1, marking a major achievement for the French organization. However, this will not be the club's first international appearance, with KC having reached the final of the 2025 First Stand and the 2026 Esports World Cup, as well as the Play-In at the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational.

This qualification comes as no surprise for the club, which dominated the LEC regular season with a flawless 9-0 record. While the organization has never made it to Worlds before, it does have a Worlds semifinalist on its roster with Kim "Canna" Chang-dong, who reached the stage with T1 in 2021. Martin "Yike" Sundelin and Alan "Busio" Cwalina have also each competed at two Worlds, with the Polish support having reached the quarterfinals in 2025 with FlyQuest.

This marks G2's tenth qualification for Worlds, as they continue to be one of the most dominant teams in the region despite the change in head coach, with Luka "Perkz" Perković taking over at the helm. The Croatian coach has adapted rather well to his new role, and G2 appear to be in excellent form throughout the Summer Split.

Freshly inducted into the Hall of Legends, Rasmus "" Borregaard continues to be as consistent as ever in terms of his level of play. Meanwhile, the second year for Franco-Lebanese jungler Rudy "" Semaan has been just as impressive as his first, as he continues to lead the EMEA jungle. The team reached the Worlds quarterfinals last year and will now look to go even further this year.