PARIS/RIYADH — AG.AL has been crowned Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 Club Champion, closing out seven weeks of competition in Paris, France, in which 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. It was the first edition staged outside Saudi Arabia, after the Esports World Cup Foundation launched the event in Riyadh in 2024 and hosted it there again in 2025.

AG.AL clinched the $7-million Club Championship with 5,300 points, sealed by a dramatic victory in Trackmania. Under the EWC format, clubs accumulate points across all 25 tournaments — a structure that rewards depth across multiple titles — and AG.AL's campaign bore that out with a first-place finish in Tekken 8, runner-up results in Chess, Free Fire and the Honor of Kings World Cup, and a third-place finish in Teamfight Tactics. Team Falcons took second place 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 deliver the EWC 2026 Club Championship to AG.AL.

From start to finish, EWC Paris 2026 showcased elite play and the best of esports, 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 champions from EVO, fighting games' longest-running tournament series, to become the youngest EWC champion in history.

AG.AL's Khawaja "M. Zubair" lifted the Tekken 8 EWC championship trophy while earning the Jafonso Award for emerging from the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) to win the title. In the closing weeks, Samy "dralii" Hajji became the first three-time Esports World Cup champion after his third victory in Rocket League, and grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, the highest-rated player in chess history, repeated as Chess champion without losing a single game.

The event generated 175,000 tickets sold to esports competitions, up 94% compared to 2025. Including venues, the 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 — its third edition in the city where the event began — with AG.AL entering as the reigning Club Champion and Team Falcons, winners in 2024 and 2025, chasing a third crown.