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3 min readJul 9, 2026 08:15 PM IST
The seven-week tournament, being held outside Riyadh for the first time, has brought together more than 2,000 players from 200 clubs and over 100 countries. (Special Arrangement)
With Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen as its global faces, the Esports World Cup returned for its third edition on Wednesday, officially kicking off in Paris with a grand opening ceremony at La Seine Musicale.
The seven-week tournament, being held outside Riyadh for the first time, has brought together more than 2,000 players from 200 clubs and over 100 countries. They will compete across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a record-breaking prize pool of $75 million.
The opening ceremony combined music, storytelling, and Parisian culture, with performances from French artists Aya Nakamura, DJ Snake, Theodora, and Mosimann. A key moment was the unveiling of the Club Championship trophy, with representatives from top esports organisations taking the stage to mark the start of the competition.
The Esports World Cup 2026 Opening Press Conference, at the Hôtel de Ville, Paris. (Special Arrangement)
“The Opening Ceremony is our welcome to the world,” said Mike McCabe, Deputy CEO of the Esports Foundation. “As we bring EWC 2026 to Paris for the first time, we wanted to celebrate the city through artists who have helped shape music and culture in France today.”
Ronaldo and Carlsen’s return as Global Ambassadors highlights the EWC’s growing role at the intersection of traditional sport, esports, and global culture.
What is the Esports World Cup?
The Esports World Cup is an annual event that brings together the world’s top esports clubs in a unique cross-game format. Instead of just crowning champions in individual games, clubs compete for the Club Championship title.
Points are awarded based on performance across all 25 tournaments. The top 24 clubs share $30 million from the overall $75 million prize pool, with the winning club taking home $7 million.
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Indian Clubs at EWC 2026
Two Indian esports clubs, S8UL and GodLike, are competing at the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris. S8UL has qualified in multiple games, including Free Fire MAX, Honor of Kings, Apex Legends, and chess. Indian Grandmasters Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram, and Arjun Erigaisi are representing India in the chess event. GodLike Esports is making its debut at the tournament. India’s presence at EWC 2026 is significant, given the country’s massive gaming population and the growing esports ecosystem.
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