Esports World Cup 2026 Opens in Paris, Marking a New Global Chapter for Competitive Gaming
The seven-week competition features 25 tournaments in 24 games and a record $75 million prize pool, organizers said.
- On Wednesday, the Esports Foundation officially opened the 2026 Esports World Cup in Paris, bringing together more than 2,000 elite players and 200 leading esports Clubs from over 100 countries competing across 25 tournaments in 24 popular games.
- A record-breaking $75 million prize pool funds the seven-week competition, with $30 million awarded through the Club Championship where Team Falcons defends its title after consecutive victories in 2024 and 2025.
- Global Ambassadors Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen return for the event, while 5,000 co-streamers—up 42% year-over-year—and over 100 broadcast partners deliver content to fans across 160 countries.
- French Minister of Sports, Youth, and Community Life Marina Ferrari and Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire hosted the opening press conference, emphasizing competitive gaming's role as a modern global sport.
- With 3.6 billion gamers worldwide, the Esports Foundation plans to present a national esports development strategy for 2026–2030 this fall to support emerging talent and strengthen the ecosystem's international reach.
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(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Ju-hwan = The world's largest esports event, the Esports World Cup (EWC), has kicked off in Paris, France.
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PNIEsports World Cup 2026 Opens in Paris, Marking a New Global Chapter for Competitive Gaming
The world's best esports players arrive in Paris today for the opening of the first international edition of the Esports World Cup, set to bring together more...
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The boss of Vitality, the current largest French, entrusted himself to Figaro on the beginning of the largest sports competition in the world, which will take place until 23 August at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
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