The Esports World Cup drew to a close in Paris on Sunday, capping a seven-week tournament that was never meant to be held in France. The event was relocated from Saudi Arabia at short notice amid the ongoing conflict in the region and the resulting travel chaos.
In the final Trackmania showdown, French player Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc needed only a top-three finish to secure the overall Club Championship for his China-based team, AG.AL. Instead, he won the match outright, taking home $130,000 (€111,500) and clinching the $7 million (€6 million) Club Championship prize. The result denied Saudi Arabia's Team Falcons a third consecutive title.
French President Emmanuel Macron presented the trophy to the winning club during Sunday's closing ceremony, which was also attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The presence of both leaders underscored the diplomatic balancing act behind the tournament's sudden move.
From Riyadh to Paris
More than 2,000 players representing 200 clubs from over 100 countries competed across 25 tournaments and 24 games. Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Esports Foundation's executive committee, told Euronews that cancelling the event was never seriously considered. “Cancelling was never really on the table,” he said. The concern, he explained, was not safety in Saudi Arabia but the practical challenge of moving thousands of players, staff, and gaming executives into the country during the regional disruption. “It would have been irresponsible to do something that would affect their ability to come in, whether it be visas, whether it be flight cancellations,” Prince Faisal added.
The relocation gave French teams an unexpected home advantage. “We were planning to be in Riyadh for this year as well, and all of a sudden news came out that everything was moving to Paris,” said Danny Engels, chief international officer of Team Vitality. The Paris-based organisation's women's Mobile Legends squad successfully defended its title in the only all-women's tournament at this year's World Cup. “It was very emotional for all of us,” Engels said. “Seeing the girls win again, back to back, is not an easy thing to do.”
Young champions and historic wins
The final stages produced several notable firsts. In the Fortnite Reload Championship finale, 19-year-old Taylor-Petrik “vic0” Gatschelhofer and his 20-year-old teammate Danila “Malibuca” Iakovenko won the title and $260,000, becoming the first duo in the game's history to win back-to-back major in-person tournaments. They came from behind in the final game. “In the last few minutes of the game, it was so hectic,” vic0 told Euronews. “We were getting kills here and there. We were trying to live at the same time, heal up, all that. But then when I saw it's top two, I just decided to go for a power play, because in my eyes it was either we go home or we go big. And we went big, we won, right?” He said he planned to invest most of his prize money, but might spend some of it on his mother. “Maybe I'm gonna get her a new car. We'll see,” vic0 said.
Chinese team BaiSha Gaming also added to its trophy cabinet by winning the CrossFire title. After losing the 2025 Esports World Cup final, BaiSha returned to beat defending champions AG.AL before sweeping Team Liquid 3-0 in the final. Zheng “Xxiao” Qi told Euronews the victory completed what he described as his own “Grand Slam”. “All the efforts that I've put in throughout all the years have paid off,” Xxiao said.
What comes after Paris?
Organisers reported that 175,000 tickets were sold for esports competitions during the seven weeks, up 94 per cent from 2025. Mike McCabe, CEO of the Esports Foundation, said moving thousands of players and staff to Paris on an accelerated timeline required close cooperation with clubs, game publishers, and French authorities. The experience also gave organisers a chance to test different ways of running the event, including multiple stages operating at the same time. “We're going to take a lot of these learnings back to Riyadh and to the future events that we do,” McCabe told Euronews.
Prince Faisal said Paris showed the competition could operate beyond Saudi Arabia. “This is a real showcase that this event has gone from a Saudi event to really a global event,” he said. “And it showcases that this is able to move.” For now, however, the World Cup is heading home. The event's return to Riyadh next year will be watched closely, especially given the diplomatic overtones of Macron's red-carpet welcome for the crown prince. The Paris edition also highlighted the growing role of esports in European cities, with the French capital already embracing new mobility trends that are reshaping tourism. As the esports calendar expands, Europe's place in it seems increasingly secure.
