Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 CS2 preview: Teams, favorites, and predictions

Bruno Sobieraj Published July 31, 2026

Even though the IEM Cologne Major 2026 concluded just a month ago, another big-ticket CS2 event is upon us with the Esports World Cup 2026.

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.

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Featured image credit: © Esports World Cup