32 of the best CS2 teams from every region are set to compete for both glory and significant prize money. Victory seems to be up for grabs, with plenty of teams in with a chance to go all the way. Vitality will be hungry to return to the top, while Falcons will want to follow up on their sensational Major victory.

Without further ado, here’s our Esports World Cup 2026 preview.

EWC 2026 – CS2 preview

While the Esports World Cup as a whole has been going on for some time now, the CS2 portion of the event will take place for about a week and a half from August 12 to 23. During that time, 32 teams will battle through the group stage and a sizeable 16-team playoff bracket.

One of the most recognizable aspects of the Esports World Cup (EWC) is its huge prize pool. This year, the total winnings that are up for grabs amount to a whopping $2 million. The champions alone will be walking away with $600,000.

A big talking point around the 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup has been the event’s location. While last year The MongolZ lifted the trophy in Saudi Arabia, this time around, the location had to move from the Middle East, with Paris being chosen as the new host city for the tournament.

Attending teams

The Major champs will be hoping to continue their hot run of form in Paris. Image credit: ESL

As expected, all the big boys will be in attendance at the Esports World Cup 2026, including the reigning Major champions, Falcons. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the star-studded team’s next showing, curious about the level Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s squad brings to Paris.

Vitality will be another key player at EWC, disappointed after how their Major campaign turned out and keen to exact their revenge. Other contenders include Spirit, FURIA, and NAVI – teams that on any given day could be considered best in the world.

Beyond the world’s best CS2 players, many more interesting rosters will be in the mix. Many of them made significant changes to their lineups, including Aurora, G2, MOUZ, and FUT. It will be interesting to see if at least one of them will be able to elevate themselves to contender status.

Additionally, several intriguing teams at the bottom of the pool could make their mark at EWC 2026. Some of those include PARIVISION, FaZe Clan, TYLOO, and MIBR. One of the favorites falling short against any of the aforementioned squads would not be as big of a surprise as it might seem at first glance.

That said, here are all the CS2 teams in attendance at the Esports World Cup 2026:

Contenders:

• Vitality
• Falcons
• Spirit
• FURIA
• NAVI

Challengers:

• Aurora
• G2
• 9z
• MOUZ
• BetBoom
• Legacy
• FUT

Wildcards:

• B8
• PARIVISION
• GamerLegion
• The MongolZ
• FaZe Clan
• Astralis
• TYLOO
• MIBR
• Luminosity
• M80
• Ninjas in Pyjamas

The rest:

• paiN
• magic
• Lynn Vision
• 3DMAX
• Wildcard
• TBA
• TBA
• TBA
• TBA

Esports World Cup 2026 CS2 betting preview

There’s no chance The MongolZ retain their EWC trophy. Image credit: Viola Schuldner | Esports World Cup

When it comes down to outlasting all the opposition and winning the whole tournament, one has to look at the elite teams. Teams like Falcons, Vitality, Spirit, FURIA, and NAVI are favorites for a reason.

Of course, the CS2 odds will have Falcons as the most likely team to take home the trophy, which is understandable given they just won the IEM Cologne Major, beating all the other contenders on their way to the title.

However, there are other teams with strong cases as well. One of them is Vitality – the best Counter-Strike team of all time and the best team in the world for the better part of the last two years. Considering their consistency and hunger for revenge, they are an extremely strong candidate for EWC 2026 champions.

Spirit are in the conversation as well, having looked excellent in the second half of the first season. Their semi-final Major loss to Falcons was a narrow one that could have gone the other way on a different night.

As for the rest, FURIA and NAVI will be the dark horses of the event and could lift the trophy if all the stars align in their favor. Maybe one of the outsider teams could surprise with its new roster – Aurora or G2 would be the main candidates. Keep this in mind during CS2 betting.

Read also: Senzu is all set to play with s1mple permanently after BCG pays his buyout

Featured image credit: © Esports World Cup

The post Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 CS2 preview: Teams, favorites, and predictions appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, one of the best CS2 players, was the best performing member of the Major-winning roster, earning himself the MVP medal for the event.

We had the opportunity to briefly speak with him after Falcons’ Grand Final victory.

What was it like playing so well with all your teammates, and especially on map three when you weren’t playing your best but all your teammates played well?

m0NESY: I didn’t care about the last map to be honest, I was just enjoying the moment. We were leading 2-0 in the best of five, and the third map, obviously, I wasn’t playing my best CS.

But I saw all the other players are playing the best CS they can, and I was just supporting them, doing everything for them, because Inferno is a hard map for [an] AWPer sometimes, and you cannot do much, but I don’t need to do much when my teammates can shine like this.

And if we can win Major like this as well, I’m also a good winner.

During this Major run in the playoffs and group stage, were there moments when you felt affected by the pressure in your game?

No, there was actually not a single moment. Maybe against NAVI when we played, it was a very hard game, and I thought at some point we could lose, but we were always there to make a comeback, and yes, I think all five players, including coach Danny, in this tournament played and worked insanely.

m0NESY’s MVP level performance helped NiKo and Falcons to a maiden Major trophy. Image credit: © ESL

Since karrigan came in, how did your belief in the team evolve over the past 60 days? When did you reach 100% confidence that you’re going to win the Major?

No, to be honest, when he joined the team and we played the first practice with him, I noticed something different in my game, you know. I started playing a bit different, obviously, just because of his playstyle, and every time we played the tournament it was Grand Finals, so it was three Grand Finals in a row for us, it was always a good result, but not always close, you know.

But this time on Major, I don’t know, I was believing from the beginning.

Do you think you can bring this Major playstyle and this level to other tournaments in the rest of the year?

I believe so, I believe we can do it, and we just have to remember this moment the way how we won, and to use this, because this experience is priceless, you know, there is no prize for this experience. y

You just need to experience it by yourself, and now we have this experience, now we know how to win the Major, and obviously, if we can bring this fighting mentality, this mentality that we have shown in this Major, we can win any other single tournament, yes.

Read also: Valve uses Happy Meal comparison to defend Counter-Strike loot boxes

Featured image credit: © ESL

The post m0NESY on Falcons’ Major win: “If we bring this mentality, we can win any other tournament” appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

FalleN has the opportunity to become the only three-time Cologne winner in his last year as a professional player, while Nikola “NiKo” Kovac can finally add a Major victory to his resume.

Who will become the IEM Cologne Major 2026 champions? Here’s our CS2 betting preview.

FURIA vs Falcons Odds: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Grand Final

FURIA outclass Aurora and get the job done

FalleN could become the first player with three Cologne titles. Image credit: © ESL

When the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoff bracket came out, everyone agreed that it was FURIA’s Grand Final spot to lose. They were by far the most experienced team on their side of the bracket, joined by 9z, Aurora, and BetBoom.

Thankfully, the Brazilians delivered on the stage, overcoming 9z in a hotly contested affair, before shattering Aurora’s Grand Final dream, with decisive performances on Dust II and Nuke.

Every member of the team is playing at a high level, especially the Brazilian duo of Yuri “yuurih” Santos and Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato. The only slight question mark is Danil “molodoy” Golubenko.

While the AWPer performed quite well in the semi-final against Aurora, he is yet to reach the peak level he showed in the second season of 2025.

Being one of the best CS2 players when he is on, molodoy’s performance could sway the direction of this Grand Final either way. As Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis said in our pre-playoffs interview:

If he’s not killing, I don’t know what we’re going to do.

Falcons continue dream run with victory over Spirit

NiKo stepped up when it mattered most against Spirit. Image credit: © ESL

Falcons’ Hail Mary signing of karrigan is paying dividends in the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs, with the organization making their maiden Major Grand Final appearance, after exhilarating wins over the two of the best CS2 teams, Vitality and Spirit.

The resilience on show in both of their playoff matches was simply incredible. Every player on the team took turns to deliver impact, pulling the rest of roster over the line in multiple overtime games.

Finally, NiKo stepped up on the stage, posting the highest rating in Falcons’ win over Spirit. What’s most impressive was his recovery on the decider, where he had a terrbile T-side but still ended the game with a positive rating and a neutral KD.

Another unsung hero of this roster has been Rene “TeSeS” Madsen. Even tough the Dane is the quintessential support player on this team, he is delivering so much impact in his role, especially when solo anchoring isolated bombsites.

Altough karrigan has obviously brought heaps of leadership qualities into this team, his fragging is still a talking point heading into the Grand Final.

If just one of the star players on this Falcons’ team has an off day, the lack of firepower could be detriemntal to their chances of lifting the trophy inside the LANXESS.

FURIA vs Falcons Betting Preview and Prediction

The Major trophy is in NiKo’s sights. Image credit: © ESL

Coming into this Grand Final, Falcons are on a four-match win streak against FURIA and that’s the main reason why they are the CS2 odds favorites to take home the IEM Cologne Major 2026 trophy.

However, there are other statistics going in FURIA’s favor. Firstly, FURIA beat Falcons in the last BO5 Grand Final they played, at BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2.

Secondly, FalleN has a great record in BO5 Grand Finals and in finals against NiKo specifically. That’s something that can not be said for karrigan, who lost four of the five Major finals he played in.

As for the map pool, it’s pretty even. We most certainly won’t see any action on Ancient and Overpass. Otherwise, FURIA should take Inferno and Falcons should bring home Anubis. The other maps could go either way.

The elephant in the room, swaying the odds towards Falcons, is the AWP showdown between Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov and molodoy.

While both are obviosuly exceptional talents, m0NESY has shown much more consistency on the biggest stages. On the other side of the server, molodoy has been known to occasionally dissapear in important playoff games.

However, in their last playoff meeting at PGL Astana 2026, every single player on the server was playing at their peak, and Falcons eventually pulled through with the victory.

A similarstory could nufold on Sunday in the LANXESS Arena, with NiKo lifiting his maiden Major trophy, together with karrigan after all.

Score prediction:

• FURIA 2:3 Falcons

Odds:

• FURIA Win: 2.35
• Falcons Win: 1.58

Odds courtesy of GG.Bet Esports and are subject to change.

Also read: “We are quite far away from it being really consistent” – TeSeS on Falcons under karrigan at IEM Cologne Major 2026

Featured image credit: © ESL

The post FURIA vs Falcons betting odds, picks, predictions – IEM Cologne Major 2026 Grand Final preview appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

In both cases, the latter managed to come out on top, setting up a monstrous semi-final clash between Spirit and Falcons. Who will come out on top and punch in their ticket to the IEM Cologne Major 2026 Grand Final?

Here’s our CS2 betting preview.

Spirit vs Falcons Odds: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Semifinals

Spirit pass the marathon G2 test

donk is still in shock after magixx’s 1v4 graffiti spray down. Credit: © ESL

According to CS2 odds, Spirit vs. G2 was meant to be the one of the most one-sided IEM Cologne Major 2026 quarter-final, but things took a different turn. G2 came out of the blocks all guns blazing and were poised to make the upset happen.

The German organization went 1:0 up in the series with a victory on Overpass, before heading to Dust II. Once again G2 started strong and Spirit were on the back foot.

Despite the early setbacks, the reigning IEM Cologne champions stayed in the game and clawed their way back to 13:11 victory in a back and forth affair.

Mirage was more of the same, with G2 controlling the game and putting themselves in an excellent spot to close out the series with a 12:9 lead. However, that’s when the Spirit players pulled themselves together and stepped up to the plate.

After forcing overtime, this game turned into an absolute blood bath. Both teams let their stars off the leash, and massive individual plays followed.

The most memorable highlight was undobtably Boris “magixx” Vorobiev’s 1v4 clutch, with his shock-inducing one mag 4k spray down in market. There’s no question about it being a graffiti-worthy Major moment.

Despite Spirit not being able to close it out several times, they kept their heads cool and eventually came out on top, outlasting an extremely formidabble opponent in G2 and booking themselves an IEM Cologne Major 2026 semi-final spot.

Falcons slay Vitality in thriller series

karrigan is doing exactly what Falcons brought him in for. Credit: © PGL

It was hard to imagine how the Vitality vs Falcons series would follow the marathon match between Spirit and G2, but it certainly delivered in its own right.

While Vitality were the CS2 betting favorites to take home the IEM Cologne Major 2026 trophy, everyone knew that Falcons are their kryptonite and could cause them trouble. That’s exactly what happened.

Falcons’ pick of Anubis played right into Vitality’s recent struggles on the map and it worked. Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin delivered tons of impact as the tip of the spear and pulled Falcons over the line with a 13:11 victory.

Inferno was basically the reverse of Anubis, with the back-and-forth eventually going Vitality’s way, setting up the third map decider on Dust II.

The back-and-forth nature of the game continued throughout, but the number of wild plays and incredible moments went up a notch, courtesy of some of the best CS2 players, and Finn “karrigan” Andersen.

While Falcons got to the precious 12 rounds first, Vitality looked poised to bring it to overtime, but it wasn’t meant to be in the end. Falcons won out 13:11 on Dust II, taking the series and eliminating the reigning Major champions from IEM Cologne.

Spirit vs. Falcons Betting Preview and Prediction

Can Spirit go all the way without a (human) coach? Credit: © ESL

Counter-Strike fans from all around the world are salivating at the thought of this Spirit vs Falcons semi-final matchup and rightfully so.

These are some of the best CS2 teams in the world and they already delivered certified classics on the IEM Cologne stage. What’s stopping them from doing it again.

Without Vitality, Spirit are now the main favorites to lift the Major trophy, but Falcons have that karrigan Major playoff aura on their side.

Historically, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets struggled indivdually against Nikola “NiKo” Kovac and m0NESY teams, but that trend seems to have reversed in recent times.

Another aspect that has to be taken into account is Spirit’s lack of a coach. No one behind them to keep them calm in stressful situation smight prove tricky in this matchup, altough they handled the pressure extremely well in the G2 series.

While this match is virtually a coin toss, Falcons just took down, arguably, the best team of all time in their prime, and have that playoff momentum behind them, so they might just edge this game out.

Score prediction:

• Spirit 1:2 Falcons

Odds:

• Spirit Win: 1.69
• Falcons Win: 2.15

Odds courtesy of GG.Bet Esports and are subject to change.

Also read: “We are quite far away from it being really consistent” – TeSeS on Falcons under karrigan at IEM Cologne Major 2026

Featured image source: Adela Sznajder | © ESL

The post Team Spirit vs Falcons – IEM Cologne Major 2026 semi-final preview appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

Both teams faced Major playoffs wows in the past, but this time one of them will get to have a shot at the trophy in the Sunday’s Grand Final. Here’s our CS2 betting preview.

FURIA vs Aurora Odds: IEM Cologne Major 2026 Semifinals

FURIA had to dig deep to get past 9z

molodoy will need to step up for FURIA to go all the way in Cologne. Credit: Luc Bouchon | © BLAST

Seeing how the Major playoff bracket shaped up, most people expect FURIA to make it to the Grand Final, with all the other contenders playing eachother on the other side of the bracket.

However, putting away in-form underdogs is not an easy task, as FURIA learned in their quarter-final game against 9z. The South Americans came out hot out of the gates, winning the first map and grabbing a lead early in the second.

Things were looking dire for FURIA before some of the individuals stepped up, namely Yuri “yuurih” Santos and Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis. If it wasn’t for them, 9z might have run away with Mirage and the whole series.

On the decider, Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato woke up, and delivered several crucial multikills on the Overpass T-side, carrying his team over the line in the end.

Altough 9z played really well, a team with the stature of FURIA, one of the best CS2 teams in the world, should have an easier time putting them away on the Major stage.

The biggest elephant in the room is Danil “molodoy” Golubenko’s performance. The AWPer continues to struggle in big stage games and they are not gonna get any easier.

Hopefully, he will find his groove in the semi-final and continue delivering throughout the rest of the event.

XANTARES dominates in Aurora’s maiden Major playoff victory

XANTARES popped off in the quarter-final against BetBoom. Credit: Michal Konkol | © BLAST

Despite Aurora being a much more experienced and overall stronger team than BetBoom, many hardcore Counter-Strike fans predicted an upset in their quarter-final matchup.

The reasoning behind the negative community sentiment towards Aurora was their history of underperfromance in the playoffs. They very rarely perfrom to their standards in front of a big crowd.

However, for one reason or another, things were different this time around. All Aurora players were locked-in from start to finish, resulting in a decisive victory over their opponnents.

While virtually every member of the roster stepped up to the plate, special praise has to go the way of Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş. Despite consistently being mentioned among the best CS2 players, he often dissapeared under the bright lights, but not this time.

The 30-year-old ran wild on the server, delivering impactful entries and powerful multikills whenever the team needed them. Hopefully, the Turks’ performance in this game will break the mental block they previosuly had in the playoffs and they give FURIA a run for their money.

FURIA vs. Aurora Betting Preview and Prediction

Can FalleN win the Cologne Major again 10 years later? Credit: @FURIA on X

If this was a quarter-final game, most people would be certain that FURIA would run away with this match. However, after both teams’ showings in the LANXESS, now it’s not as simple of a prediction.

Aurora looked very good in their quarter-final win against BetBoom. XANTARES and Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın were firing on all cylinders. The playoffs pressure seems to be having little to no affect on their perfromance.

Additionally, Aurora’s map pool against FURIA looks pretty good. They will most certainly pick Anubis – a map FURIA have barely played in the last three months.

Having said that, FURIA are still the CS2 odds favorites for a reason. They have way more experience in high profile matches on the biggest stages, combined with superior firepower, if everybody’s playing to their full potential.

There’s a very high chance this match will need all three maps to decide a winner. Even tough Aurora will probably take home Anubis, FURIA should have enough arguments to ultimatelly come out victorious.

Score prediction:

• FURIA 2:1 Aurora

Odds:

• FURIA Win: 1.66
• Aurora Win: 2.19

Odds courtesy of GG.Bet Esports and are subject to change.

Also read: “If he’s not killing, I don’t know what we’re gonna do” – YEKINDAR on FURIA’s chances if molodoy isn’t firing

Featured image source: © ESL

The post FURIA vs Aurora – IEM Cologne Major 2026 semi-final preview appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

Despite being one of the least popular names on the team, TeSeS’ impact is always felt on the server. We had the opportunity to speak to him ahead of the playoffs.

Congratulations on making it to the playoffs. You had a very good game against NAVI when you won a close game. Also recently in Astana, you won against FURIA in playoffs in a close game. Does that give you confidence coming into the playoffs that you are closing out these close games?

Yes, definitely. It’s always nerve-wracking when you come into these close games. And I think in the past, we tended to lose more of those games. But now that we’re able to close it out brings you some kind of confidence when you get into these late stages of the game.

What’s changed within the team since karrigan arrived around two months ago?

From the inside, many things have changed. I think the two biggest changes is definitely the mentality in the team, the way he leads the team and takes care of everyone.

And then on the T side, just tactically and strategically, many things are different, and it’s something that all the players have to get used to.

But I think everyone can see the glimpses of when it actually works out really well. Then that’s what we have to do more of.

How close do you think you are to it working out as often as possible?

I still think we are quite far away from it being really consistent. It’s something that will come next season for sure, because two tournaments and this being the third one is not enough. And not with not much practice in between either. It’s hard to be able to fully connect all the time.

It’s a whole different ball game for TeSeS with karrigan in the team. Image credit: © PGL

Since karrigan’s arrival, you also had some spot changes on some maps. How is it playing A on Mirage, for example?

Haha, I feel like you’re trying to set me up with this question. Against NAVI it was really tough. I don’t like Mirage A particularly much right now. I think it’s a really tough position. So, yeah, this is one of the positions I really need to work on because it’s not my comfort.

On your team, you have a lot of star players. What should a player in your role focus on?

For me, it’s a lot about giving as much space to the others as possible, but also a fair amount. Because I also need resources to be able to lift up the team so I don’t become an “anchor”, you know, so I pull down the team.

So, I cannot let that happen, but kind of find a balance in between of setting myself up but also helping others. And when you have star players like that, you kind of need to always keep them happy and do good things for them and be able to sacrifice yourself in certain moments, if it’s going first for them or offering to do whatever they need for them to succeed. Those are kind of my focus points.

Your last game at the LANXESS was three years ago against Astralis, when you lost 0-2. How have you changed as a player since then?

I’ve changed a lot. Way more knowledge, way more experience since then. Moved from a Danish team to an international team.

I feel like I’ve learned a lot since then and everything from my gut instincts has gotten a lot better and I’m following them more, more and more often.

Yeah, just a lot of development within myself.

But since then you haven’t changed your sitting position, your angle?

Haha, no, that’s almost the same, yes.

Read also: “If he’s not killing, I don’t know what we’re gonna do” – YEKINDAR on FURIA’s chances if molodoy isn’t firing

Featured image credit: Team Falcons

The post “We are quite far away from it being really consistent” – TeSeS on Falcons under karrigan at IEM Cologne Major 2026 appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko’s heroics were imperative to G2’s success in that match. We had the chance to speak to the anchor on media day before the playoffs.

Congratulations on making the playoffs. It seemed like you were powering up throughout the tournament and past Stage 3. Would you say that was the case in that you felt better with each game?

I think in general as a team we are improving each game, each round, each second of the round as well, because in the end it comes to communication, reactions as a team, trusting each other as well, trusting the setups we have, don’t over-move.

I really think from Stage 2 till the last game yesterday we improved a lot, in a lot of small aspects in the game, a lot of mini-details. We can see that we can win 3v5s, we can lose 5v3s, we can lose 4v1s, so this is the game. We just need to trust the round and build up on it.

In the last Major you lost the 2-2 game to Falcons. This time you were also against a tough opponent but came out on top. How did it feel?

I mean, obviously it’s a really good feeling. Of course we wanted to win, we wanted to qualify, we did it, but the job is not done. In general, I know [the] opponents are tough, it doesn’t matter who you play in Stage 3, because the pressure is on both sides. Everyone wants to win, so you just got [to] do your best and it doesn’t matter who you face.

Does this Major feel different to you because it’s Cologne?

For me personally, I don’t know, to be honest. I didn’t play so many Majors, maybe four or something like this, so I just treat Major as Major. I heard only good stuff about Cologne, LANXESS Arena obviously, and I’m excited and I’m looking forward to it.

HeavyGod is happy with huNter’s T-side calling. Image credit: © StarLadder

For G2, CT sides are your strong point, mainly. Do you think your T sides are at the level to challenge Spirit and Vitality in the playoffs?

I think both our sides are really good, sometimes you can see that we are missing smokes or something like this, or in the end it comes again, as everyone says, in the many details. So, you just got [to] fix the small details and follow the plan that you have, don’t do it in between. I think we can face anyone, we can beat anyone, we just need to do our best and give our best to beat them.

You were the best player yesterday in the game. Do you feel like you have to be the one stepping up to get the team over the line in these tough games?

In the end it’s a team game, it’s not an individual game, of course someone can be a bit better every day, but it doesn’t mean that they won the game only because of him, you need to step up as a team, because without a team you cannot win alone, you need the team to be around you.

I don’t feel like it, I feel like the team is just trusting me and giving the best to support me and I give the best to support them, so this is how I see it.

Are you excited for the quarter-final in-game trophy in your inventory?

Of course I’m excited, a lot of pro players are laughing at me that I don’t have it, so I finally have it and I’m happy, of course I’m happy, but I don’t think about it right now, the job is not done, I still want the gold one, for me it’s whatever.

Read also: “Yes, obviously” – Aurora Wicadia on if he’s happy with the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoff bracket

Featured image credit: © PGL

The post “We can face anyone, we can beat anyone” – HeavyGod on G2’s IEM Cologne Major playoff chances appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

They won’t be able to do so, unless Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis is firing on all cylinders, like he was in the group stage. We got to speak with the Latvian rifler before their quarter-final game against 9z.

Congrats YEKINDAR on making it to the playoffs. You went 3-0 in the group stage. What would you say about your performance so far as a team?

YEKINDAR: I think it’s been great. I feel like the thing for our group stage was about momentum and rhythm. I feel like the maps we started good, we closed them out pretty quickly. The only concerning loss was against MOUZ on Inferno, but I specifically came out with a wrong game plan and whatever.

It’s interesting because the bootcamp before this tournament was not necessarily that good for us in terms of results and everything, but how people clicked from the first second of the game, of the first game in the groups, this is something truly amazing.

Happy to be in [the] playoffs, but job is not finished.

In Kraków you got to the final. So, would you say the team steps up for the biggest events?

I think [the] team steps up for officials. I feel like we’re a team that’s in practice, we can be a little bit lazy. We can be a little bit not serious, but during officials this just changes.

Do you think as a team you came in a bit underrated into the major by the community and by maybe other teams as well?

At some point I didn’t even notice that we were like number 12 or number 13 in the VRS. You can probably ask any top five team and they’re [going to] say that it’s hard to play against us.

We were close to beating Vitality in Rio. Both maps we lost were close. We were close to beating Falcons in Astana and in Rio. So, this is something, in our opinions, I don’t know how underrated, we don’t really read social media or use social media, but in our opinions we’re a top five team. That’s just how it is.

Your last playoff game was the against Falcons in Astana. What did you take away from that game?

It was about just closing situations. There were many situations where we could have closed out the games, but this is something we focused on bootcamp and I feel like this tournament at least we didn’t see these situations happen anymore, but of course we need to see for future.

YEKINDAR was back to his best in Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major. Image credit: Luc Bouchon | © BLAST

How do you feel about your map pool coming into the playoffs with a best-of-five in the grand final potentially?

We like best-of-fives. I feel like all six maps, even seven. If we meet a team that’s not playing Ancient as well, we’re ready to play Ancient. We’re comfortable in any map and honestly just waiting.

We want to see somebody picking Anubis against us as well because we haven’t played that map since February and it’s in the map pool or whatever. We’re comfortable, you know. I wouldn’t say that we’re in our best shape or whatever, but it’s more about the momentum. Just keeping up the momentum and everything.

So, do you think if Cache came into the map pool after the Major you’d still try to play a seven-map pool?

Well, it depends. I don’t know how good on Cache we are. I played Cache in 2018, I think, last time, and FalleN hates Cache, for example, so it’s going to be interesting. We would definitely try it, but it’s one of those things where you have to try it to understand how good you’re going to be on that map to decide on what’s the next step for me.

Your time at FURIA has been very successful. When you left Liquid for this team, did you consider the success would come as fast as it did?

No, of course not. Of course not. After a very grim period, almost depression and everything, I had a very bad, bad period and the break, the four-month break without official matches, that’s what helped me and just refreshed my body.

Maybe I was just burned out and whatever, I don’t know, or maybe it was the surroundings or the people. You never really know. I’m very thankful for FURIA to kind of give me this opportunity and very grateful for playing with these kind of players.

I also wanted to ask about your sitting position when playing. Do you think some players could benefit from sitting closer to the monitor?

Yeah, I don’t know. I think every person in the world has a sitting position where they gain the most focus in. So, it’s like I can sit differently with the monitor distance. This is something that I just prefer, like being a little bit closer and whatever, but it’s more about how your body is sitting and you can definitely.

Throughout the years, my body feels the most focused in this sitting position, for example. So this is something that helps me and I know many people make fun of it.

Many people think it’s interesting or whatever. So that’s something cool and maybe part of my image right now, but I wouldn’t suggest anybody to sit like that, that’s if you ask me.

Which one of your teammates you wouldn’t want to become FURIA’s IGL once FalleN retires?

I wouldn’t want molodoy to become IGL. This guy needs to be focusing on killing, bro. That’s just how it is. If he’s not killing, I don’t know what we’re going to do.

Read also: “Yes, obviously” – Aurora Wicadia on if he’s happy with the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoff bracket

Featured image credit: © PGL

The post “If he’s not killing, I don’t know what we’re gonna do” – YEKINDAR on FURIA’s chances if molodoy isn’t firing appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

During media day, we had the opportunity to talk to 9z’s Argentinian powerhouse, Luciano ” luchov Herrera, about his thoughts and feelings coming into the Major playoffs.

Congrats on making it to the playoffs, luchov. How does it feel?

luchov: Thank you very much, and it feels really good, like we came here to make that, like it’s a goal reached, but now we want more soon.

Where has this incredible form, especially individually for you, come from this year?

I think it came from the confidence the team makes, gives to me.

My teammates always trust me, and when I say something, they trust and do it, and I think that’s the most important thing for me, to know that my teammates are listening to me.

Is Inferno your favorite map?

No, not really, I prefer Nuke, but maybe it will have to be.

Did the good results in Astana give you confidence for the major, that you can fight against these top teams?

Yes, of course, I like, I think it was a proof to me to know that I can.

luchov made CS2 history in Astana with his outstanding Inferno perfromance. Credit: 9z Globant

Do you think you can remain around the top 10 after the major?

Yes, we are thinking that, and we are happy that we maybe get some invites to Tier 1 events, so that will help us to stay in the top 10.

You’re facing FURIA in your first game. Does it feel different because it’s a South American team you’re facing?

I think yes, I would prefer to have that match in the finals, by not eliminating one team of South America early, but I think it will be a great match, people will enjoy it a lot.

Would you rather win the major, or Argentina win the World Cup?

I think it’s a very obvious question, I would prefer to win the major, of course.

Read also: “I feel like we’re playing a bit worse than the rest of the Majors” – Vitality flameZ at IEM Cologne Major 2026

Featured image credit: 9z Globant

The post “I would prefer to have that match in the finals” – luchov on 9z facing FURIA at IEM Cologne Major 2026 appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

We had the opportunity to speak with Shahar “flameZ” Shushan ahead of their quarterfinal match against Falcons. Here’s what he had to say.

A fun question to start off with. Would you rather live with ZywOo in France, with ropz in Estonia, or with mezzi in the UK?

flameZ: Wow, they’re all going to be super fun. The thing is, ZywOo lives in Paris, so I don’t want to live in Paris, because it’s so much traffic. It’s so, so much.

Estonia is super nice, but it’s really cold, but also England is really cold. I prefer to live with ropz, though. Just because mezzi has a daughter, I want the attention on me, not the daughter.

Was it difficult coming back to hard preparation before this Major, because you weren’t practicing a lot beforehand?

I think because we didn’t practice beforehand a lot, it was easier to prep, because you have so much energy, so much time to give, because you sorted what you needed in the week off or in America. So we had a lot of time to get into things. I think that’s what gave us the energy.

flameZ is hoping to lift his third Major trophy in a row on Grand Final Sunday. Image credit: © ESL

How do you feel coming into the playoffs before this Major, compared to the Budapest Major?

Well, I’m very excited. For Budapest, it was weird, because the BO1s and everything. This one, obviously, I feel like we’re playing a bit worse than the rest of the Majors. On the other hand, in playoffs, we play very different CS, and we’re really a different team and a different animal.

So I’m expecting, I’m really waiting to play that playoff, and I think everybody’s excited. I think in Budapest, it was a bit different, because we played the first game of Budapest was against The MongolZ, and then we played Spirit. So I think now this Major is obviously starting really strong, like Falcons is obviously a really tough opponent for us specifically as well.

And then Spirit or G2, which are also tough opponents, so it’s going to be very competitive, this one. So the bracket is a bit weirder than Budapest, but that’s it. And we don’t care, it’s a Major, you need to win everyone anyways.

So how do you feel about playing Falcons now with karrigan?

I’m very excited to play against them. I think the last few times we played against them, kyxsan individually stepped up a lot in the last match and stuff like that. He played really good.

So, I’m interested to see the difference in terms of like, the calls are different now, but on the other hand, there is the skill trend down a bit, because obviously karrigan and kyousuke… sorry, karrigan and kyxsan, so many K’s in this team.

And so I’m just excited to see how they play, like I want to see how they play against us, but also I want to beat them in order to win the Major, because we haven’t beaten them this year so far. So it’s an enemy that we need to get past.

Your only loss at this tournament so far came against 9z. What do you think about that game and the whole team overall?

I think we played like shit, but I think 9z played really good. And you know, they played the day after against Spirit. It was really competitive.

So, I think obviously those boys, they’ve stepped up a lot this Major and I hope to see that level in playoffs. I was very happy to see them qualify yesterday, because it’s really tough when you go from 2-0 to 2-2 game and you just lost a game that you could have won and then you’re tired and you come to a game and you have like 2-2.

I was very excited and it shows character. It doesn’t show only, you know, like sometimes it’s a honeymoon. You win two games, everything was good. Then you go down 2-3, nobody remembers you ever did that.

But no, they made the playoffs, they did good. So you can see the personality.

No wonder flameZ is a big fan of 9z’s personality. Image credit: © BLAST

Does this Major feel different because it’s Cologne or does it feel like another Major?

It feels like a different… Every Major has its own like… The first one was Austin, a very fresh one, a very good one obviously. This one feels really different. I think, I don’t know how yet different because, you know, when you go up on stage you kind of get to feel you’re in IEM Cologne. So IEM Cologne is always a big event, but now it’s a Major. It’s going to be a bit more than the rest, I would say.

If you could change one of the positions on any map with one of your teammates, what position would it be?

flameZ: What position would I change? Like I’d give him a different position?

Bruno: Yeah, like change, for example, with… I don’t know, you anchor A on Mirage, but you’d rather play Con, for example.

flameZ: You know, I started feeling like… Like I want a bit of a mix, but it’s weird, because how I play the game is if I want to play a bit more Con, I go Con even if I’m A player and they deal with it. But a position that I would like to change… I’d like to play… I’ve always wanted to play B Mirage. I miss this position, because it was just so fun to move around, but I’m fine on A as well.

Read also: “Yes, obviously” – Aurora Wicadia on if he’s happy with the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoff bracket

Featured image credit: @flameZcsgo on X

The post “I feel like we’re playing a bit worse than the rest of the Majors” – Vitality flameZ at IEM Cologne Major 2026 appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.