Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris kicks off with League of Legends upsets

Esports World Cup Paris League of Legends team eliminations esports betting France

The Esports World Cup 2026 opened in Paris on July 15, featuring 16 teams across 24 titles and a record $75 million total prize pool, including $600,000 for the League of Legends champion. The event runs at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles through August 23, drawing over 2,000 athletes from more than 100 nations.

Day 1 of the League of Legends group stage saw four early eliminations. FURIA, Team Secret, Movistar KOI and LYON lost their first two matches and were knocked out. Upsets included G2 Esports defeating FURIA, AG. AL beating Dplus, and Karmine Corp overcoming Sentinels. Winners advancing to the knockout phase are Gen. G, T1, Bilibili Gaming, Hanwha Life, JD Gaming and MIBR, with the quarter‑finals scheduled for July 17.

The tournament also highlighted other titles: Team Vitality won the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s International group, and Dota 2 saw Team Falcons defending their title. French regulators confirmed that esports betting remains prohibited under the ANJ, meaning licensed French operators cannot offer odds on the event despite the heightened public interest.