The favorites lived up to expectations during the
2026 Esports World Cup EMEA Qualifier. At the end of the final four days of competition,
and
secured their spots in the main event, which was scheduled to begin on July 15 in Riyadh but could, according to multiple rumors, eventually be held in Paris.
G2 became the first team to qualify after crushing KC in the upper-bracket final and completed the tournament without dropping a single game. Karmine Corp, meanwhile, had to wait until the following day to claim the second qualifying spot after overcoming
.
In outstanding form toward the end of the regular season, G2 Esports made a strong statement by comprehensively dismantling KC 3–0 to secure qualification. The Samurai sent a clear warning to the opponents they will meet again in the opening round of the LEC playoffs on Saturday. KC have now failed to take a single game off G2 since the LEC Versus final, despite building a substantial advantage in Game 2 that G2 ultimately overturned before dominating Game 3 in under 24 minutes.
Karmine Corp recovered the following day by once again defeating Movistar KOI, whom they had already sent to the lower bracket three days earlier. After dropping the opening game, KC showcased considerable creativity in the draft phase, notably with
’s first professional Yone game, alongside an unexpected Vel’Koz pick for
and a Janna in Game 3. KC eventually closed out the series 3–1, securing a third consecutive head-to-head victory against their Spanish rivals in less than ten days.
Earlier in the week,
and
, who were still alive in the competition, were ultimately eliminated despite putting up respectable performances. The challenge proved too great for Solary, who fell 2–0 against
. Galions managed to extend their run by one additional day after defeating Shifters and eliminating a second LEC-affiliated team from the tournament. Facing
, who had already beaten them on the opening day of competition, Galions managed to take a game off the Ukrainian side before eventually being eliminated.
The LEC will send a third representative to the competition, though that final spot has yet to be determined. As the winner of the Spring Split automatically qualifies for the event, a victory by either G2 or KC in the playoffs would result in the third-place finisher from the qualifier advancing to the tournament. Under those circumstances, that final spot would go to Movistar KOI, who can also still qualify directly by winning the LEC Spring Split, alongside
, GIANTX, and NAVI.
