AG.AL won this year’s Esports World Cup Club Championship on Sunday, bringing home the $7 million first-place prize after seven weeks of competition in Paris came to an end.
It capped off a meteoric rise for AG.AL, which finished 38th in the team standings at the 2024 Esports World Cup and sixth last season before winning the third EWC with 5,300 points. It also denied Team Falcons its third consecutive club championship, forcing them to settle for a second-place finish with 4,600 points and a $5 million prize.
Team Vitality finished in third place with 3,300 points ($4 million), while Natus Vincere ($3 million) and Team Liquid ($2 million) rounded out the top 5 with 2,950 and 2,700 points, respectively.
Team Falcons entered the final weekend of competition positioned to complete their three-peat. However, AG.AL moved atop the standings and clinched the club championship in the Trackmania event.
After Team Falcons exited Trackmania in the quarterfinals, AG.AL needed a third-place finish or better to clinch the club title. Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc of France won the event for AG.AL, clinching the championship in resounding fashion.
AG.AL also won the Tekken 8 tournament, finished second in Chess, Free Fire and Honor of Kings: World, and came in third in Teamfight Tactics.
“When we began expanding AG.AL globally in 2024, the same year the Esports World Cup launched, we set out to build a Club capable of succeeding across games, regions and cultures. This title shows how far that vision has come,” Eddy Chen, COO at AG.AL, said in a press release. “Our journey in Paris reflected the strength of the entire organization, from M. Zubair’s breakthrough in TEKKEN 8 and our deep runs across multiple titles to Gwen delivering the decisive Trackmania victory under extraordinary pressure. But this trophy belongs equally to every player, coach and staff member whose dedication brought us here.
“I want to thank our Chairman, Mr. Layne Le, whose belief and leadership made this journey possible, and the Esports Foundation for creating a global stage that rewards the depth and ambition of an entire Club. Winning the Club Championship is a historic milestone for AG.AL and a proud moment for everyone who believed in what we are building.”
The Esports World Cup saw more than 2,000 players representing 200 clubs and over 100 countries compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games. The total prize pool was a record-breaking $75 million.
After the first two Esports World Cups were held the prior two years in Riyadh, this year’s event moved out of Saudi Arabia for the first time. It was announced Sunday that 850 million viewers watched 440 million hours of online broadcasts during this year’s EWC, up 13 and 26%, respectively, from last year’s event.
There were also 175,000 tickets sold to watch the competition in person, up 94% from 2025.
“We are proud of what the Esports World Cup has achieved in Paris and of its continued international growth,” said Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Esports Foundation. “Bringing the EWC to a global audience beyond Saudi Arabia marks an important milestone in its journey and reflects the growing recognition of esports as a global industry, connecting communities, cultures and audiences around the world. The attendance of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, alongside President Emmanuel Macron, is a testament to the growing importance and global interest in esports, and to how far the industry has come. I extend my congratulations to all the players, Clubs, publishers, partners and organisers who contributed to this edition. Paris has been an important chapter in the EWC journey, and we look forward to building on this progress in the years ahead.”
The Esports World Cup will return to Riyadh next summer for the fourth edition of the annual event.
–Field Level Media
