Sources: USA selects League of Legends roster for the Esports Nations Cup

The United States of America’s League of Legends roster is one of the most anticipated heading into the event. According to sources that shared information with Sheep Esports, the starting five are expected to feature a promising lineup composed of players from the LCS. All of them will compete under the guidance of Nick “Inero” Smith, Head Coach of the USA team.

Set to take place from June 19–21, the regional qualifiers will determine which nations advance to the Esports Nations Cup main event in Paris in November 2026. However, the world's top 16 nations are exempt from this stage. These rankings are determined by the strength of each country's roster, with players earning points based on their recent performances.

Worth close to 1,000 ranking points on his own, Dhokla's presence, combined with the contributions of his teammates, virtually guarantees that the United States will rank among the tournament's top 16 nations. As a result, Team USA will bypass the regional qualifiers and begin its campaign directly at the main event in Paris this November. North American rival Canada is in the same position.

The roster features five established LCS veterans, all still active in the league. Dhokla arrives fresh off LYON's second domestic title, while Blaber headlines the lineup as a multi-time LCS champion and MVP with Cloud9. APA, who joined Cloud9 this year after breaking out with Team Liquid, brings his trademark unconventional champion pool, with former Team Liquid teammate Yeon lining up alongside him in the bot lane. Completing the roster is Huhi, now with Sentinels, whose years of experience include an LCS title and stints with organizations such as Golden Guardians and 100 Thieves. Most recently, his team finished first in the EWC NA Qualifiers.

The lineup also benefits from existing chemistry. APA and Yeon previously played together on Team Liquid, APA now shares the stage with Blaber on Cloud9, and Huhi adds veteran leadership from years at the highest level.

While the starting five is built around veteran experience, the substitute spots are expected to be filled by two of North America's rising talents. FlyQuest's Gryffinn and Sentinels' DarkWings, both in their second year competing in Tier 1, could provide youthful depth to the lineup while already boasting LCS experience.

Young support star Alan "Busio" Cwalina was also eligible to represent Team USA, but ultimately opted to compete for Poland, where he will team up with Kacper "Inspired" Słoma. The decision sparked some debate among North American fans, prompting Busio to address the situation on X: "Ultimately, I chose to represent Poland as my Dad did in the Olympics, and he was the one who introduced me to League in the first place. Thank you and I hope you can support me!"

Another high-profile support option for Team USA was also considered, with Team Liquid veteran Jo "CoreJJ" Yong-in among those in contention. Despite being from South Korea, CoreJJ holds a U.S. green card. However, USA Esports ultimately opted for Huhi in the role. Sources familiar with the process did not confirm the exact reasoning behind CoreJJ’s omission, though it is likely linked to his lack of American citizenship.