AG.AL has been crowned the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Champion after Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc delivered a decisive victory in Trackmania on the final weekend of the seven-week competition in Paris, France.
The organization finished the EWC 2026 Club Championship with 5,300 points, edging two-time defending champion Team Falcons at 4,600. Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, and Team Liquid completed the top five with 3,300, 2,950, and 2,700 points, respectively.
More than 2,000 players representing 200 Clubs from over 100 countries competed across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a record $75 million prize pool.
AG.AL seals title through Trackmania
AG.AL entered the final Trackmania tournament within striking distance of Team Falcons, which held the lead in the Club Championship standings heading into the playoffs.
That advantage quickly disappeared after Carl-Antoni “Carl Jr.” Cloutier suffered a quarterfinal exit, opening the door for AG.AL to overtake the defending champions.
Gwen needed to finish at least third to secure the Club Championship for AG.AL. Instead, the French driver dominated the Trackmania final to claim the tournament title, its $130,000 prize, and the $7 million Club Championship trophy.
The victory capped a strong multi-game campaign for AG.AL, which also won the Tekken 8 tournament and finished second in Chess, Free Fire, and the Honor of Kings World Cup. The organization added a third-place finish in Teamfight Tactics.
Team Falcons falls short of three-peat
Team Falcons ultimately finished second with 4,600 points after entering the final stretch of the competition in pole position.
The organization had won the first two EWC Club Championships and was attempting to become the first team to claim the title three consecutive times. AG.AL’s Trackmania run, however, denied Falcons another championship.
Team Vitality placed third with 3,300 points, followed by Natus Vincere at 2,950 and Team Liquid at 2,700.
New champions emerge across EWC 2026
The seven-week competition also produced several notable individual champions. AG.AL’s Khawaja “M. Zubair” won the Tekken 8 EWC title after coming through the Last Chance Qualifier, earning the Jafonso Award alongside the championship.
Meanwhile, 15-year-old Chilean Jaime “Craime” Bustos made history by becoming the youngest EWC champion after defeating two EVO champions.
Karmine Corp’s Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert also led the French organization on a deep League of Legends run that reached the Grand Final, while Samy “dralii” Hajji became the first three-time EWC champion after winning his third Rocket League title.
Magnus Carlsen also successfully defended his Chess championship without dropping a single game.
EWC 2026 sets new viewership and attendance records
The Paris edition also recorded significant growth across its broadcast and live-event metrics.
The EWC reached 850 million viewers and generated 440 million hours watched, representing year-on-year increases of 13% and 26%, respectively. Peak concurrent viewership reached 4.3 million during the League of Legends tournament.
More than 5,000 creators and co-streamers supported coverage across over 100 broadcast and OTT partners in 47 languages. On the ground, EWC 2026 sold 175,000 tickets to esports competitions, a 94% increase from 2025. Total visits across competition venues, Fan Fest activities, and city activations surpassed 2 million during the seven-week event.
The event also served as the culmination of a year-round competitive circuit, with more than 1.5 million players participating in 330 Road to EWC events.
Paris marks EWC’s first international host
EWC 2026 marked the first time the competition moved outside Riyadh, bringing the event to Paris from July 6 to August 23. French teams competed in front of home crowds, while more than 22,600 campaign placements promoted the event throughout the capital and reached an estimated 94% of Parisians.
The final weekend also moved Counter-Strike competition into the 20,000-seat Accor Arena, adding another major venue to the tournament’s Paris run.
The Esports Foundation and the French Ministry of Sports, Youth and Community Life also signed a Memorandum of Understanding focused on youth development, digital skills, esports participation, and French talent.
The Esports World Cup will return to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.
