2019 was the last time a Western team reached a
League of Legends Worlds Grand Final. Ever since, as this time of year comes around, we've been reminded of that Best-of-Five against FunPlus Phoenix: the heartbreak, the missed opportunities, and the endless disappointments. Year after year, Western fans have watched their teams fall short on the biggest stage, slowly losing hope that they could ever compete with the East again.
And this time, it's not just about Europe. North America has given us reasons to believe, too.
secured a top-four finish at MSI and came agonizingly close to taking down
for a place in the Grand Final, while
put up a strong fight against
. The gap remains, but for the first time in years, it feels within reach.
For seven years, we've waited for a Western team to make it back to the Worlds Grand Final. Every year, we've hoped this would be the one, only to watch those hopes fade away. But with
and LYON showing what Western teams can do this season, it's hard not to get excited again. Maybe this time, things will be different; maybe 2026 is finally the year the West makes it back to the Worlds Grand Final.
Two international finals in 2026 for Europe
The First Stand and the
Esports World Cup were Europe's two best international events since 2019, as G2 Esports and Karmine Corp reached the respective Grand Finals, both of which they lost 3-1 and 3-0, respectively. But the trophy would have been the cherry on top; what really matters is that Europe looked competitive against every Asian opponent.
KC took down Anyone’s Legend and T1 to reach the grand final, while G2 convincingly took down T1 and GEN.G across two international events.
The future hasn't looked this bright in years, but hope must not take over fans. KC will have to fight through Cloud9 KIA in the play-in stage, which won’t be easy, as the LCS third seed has gotten progressively better throughout the year. MKOI, on the other hand, are well known for failing to deliver convincing international performances, and their EWC loss to GAM further confirmed their issues.
G2 is Europe's brightest star; since Luka "
" Perković took over as head coach, the team has looked more confident and willing to step out of its comfort zone than ever before. With Sergen "
" Çelik training Ambessa and Rumble, Steven "
" Liv playing with more confidence, and the team looking its best, it has all the cards it needs to repeat another great international run, and maybe even a better one than we’ve seen in recent years.
The best LCS ever coming into Worlds
Even Jo "
" Yong-in said it: this is the best LCS has ever looked going into Worlds, and there is no one who knows it better than him. Both Team Liquid and LYON have looked amazing during MSI, and their glow-up in the Summer Split is a bright sign for North America.
During the podcast “Will the West Win,” hosted by Caedrel, TL’s Coach
Jake "Spawn" Tiberi said that, in his opinion, the biggest shift for Western teams was the approach to losses. Teams started focusing more on what to take away from tough matches to address their weaknesses. Cloud9 KIA did the same: after starting terribly in the Summer Split, they kept improving day after day by working on their weakest point, communication.
Brandon Joel "
" Villegas is rising as one of the West's best junglers after a
generational performance in the LCS Grand Final that gave his team the title, and Kacper "
" Słoma is leading LYON as the main protagonist; NA’s path into Worlds has never been brighter. C9, meanwhile, will have to fight through the play-ins, and KC will stand in their way. This is probably the most hyped matchup of the first part of the tournament, and it will give us our first look at the difference between Europe and North America.
Can the West finally break the curse?
The West still has plenty to prove, and the road to the Worlds Grand Final won't be easy. But for the first time in years, both Europe and North America have reasons to believe they can challenge the East. Whether they can turn that hope into results remains to be seen, but 2026 might be the West's best opportunity since 2019.
