PARIS/RIYADH — AG.AL has been crowned Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 Club Champion, bringing seven weeks of competition in Paris, France to a close after more than 2,000 players, representing 200 clubs and over 100 countries, competed across 25 tournaments in 24 games, for a record-breaking $75-million prize pool.
AG.AL secured the $7-million Club Championship title with 5,300 points after a dramatic win in Trackmania, completing a campaign that also included a first place finish in Tekken 8, second place finishes in Chess, Free Fire and the Honor of Kings World Cup, and a third place finish in Teamfight Tactics. Team Falcons finished second with 4,600 points, followed by Team Vitality with 3,300 points, Natus Vincere with 2,950 points and Team Liquid with 2,700 points.
The title was decided on the final weekend, when AG.AL’s Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc won the EWC’s inaugural Trackmania tournament to secure the Club Championship. Two-time defending Club Champions Team Falcons entered the Trackmania playoffs leading the overall standings, but Carl-Antoni “Carl Jr.” Cloutier’s quarterfinal exit opened the door for AG.AL. Needing to finish third or better, Gwen dominated the final to claim the $130,000 tournament prize and the EWC 2026 Club Championship for AG.AL.
From start to finish, EWC Paris 2026 showcased elite play and the very best of e-sports, as legends rose and new stars were born. France’s Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert led Karmine Corp on a fairy-tale run to the League of Legends Grand Final in front of a home crowd, while 15-year-old Chilean Jaime “Craime” Bustos defeated two EVO champions to become the youngest EWC champion in history. AG.AL’s Khawaja “M. Zubair” secured the Tekken 8 EWC championship trophy while claiming the Jafonso Award for emerging from the LCQ to win the title. In the closing weeks, Samy “dralii” Hajji became the first ever three-time Esports World Cup champion after his third victory in Rocket League, and grandmaster Magnus Carlsen repeated as Chess champion without losing a single game.
The event generated 175,000 tickets sold to e-sports competitions, up 94% compared to 2025. Including venues, fan fest and city activations, 2 million total visits were recorded over the seven-week period.
The Esports World Cup will return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.