Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 Favourites: Who Will Win in Paris?
As always, every top-tier tournament has its favourites. Some teams arrive in incredible form, others have championship-winning experience, while a few are simply too talented to ignore. Here's a look at the biggest contenders to win the Esports World Cup 2026.
We’re entering a hot Dota 2 summer. The Esports World Cup 2026 kicks off on July 7 in Paris, bringing together 24 of the world's strongest teams to battle for a $2 million prize pool and one of the most prestigious titles outside The International.
As always, every top-tier tournament has its favourites. Some teams arrive in incredible form, others have championship-winning experience, while a few are simply too talented to ignore. Here's a look at the biggest contenders to win the Esports World Cup 2026.
PARIVISION
If there is one team that enters the Esports World Cup with the most momentum, it's PARIVISION.
After the disappointing result at the PGL Wallachia Season 8, the team decided to change their offlane player. With Noticed replacing SSS, the results went up drastically. The 7th-8th place at BLAST SLAM VII shouldn’t throw you off guard: the team was not unable to travel for the playoffs, yet their group stage run was impressive.
Some well known community figures also believe in PARIVISION. For example, Insania, the 2024 World Champion, highlights them as the number one contender for both EWC and The International. So, right now, PARIVISION looks like the team to beat in Paris. The only question is if they will run out of steam or not.
Team Yandex
If you don’t trust PARIVISION, then maybe the current form of Team Yandex will attract your interest.
Just like PARIVISION, Team Yandex decided to change their position 3 player this May. DM joined the team, and since then Team Yandex won PGL Wallachia Season 7 and BLAST SLAM VII.
This summer, Team Yandex looks like the team with one of the biggest (if not the biggest) appetite for success. While Saksa has already lifted the Aegis of Champions above his head, his four teammates have yet to achieve such success, and they are in their prime.
For now, the pieces of this puzzle are clicking, so they will be quite a favorite.
Team Spirit
You can never count Team Spirit out.
The defending Esports World Cup champions know exactly what it takes to win this event. Their roster has years of experience on the biggest stages, and even when they don't dominate every tournament, they almost always peak when championships are on the line.
Spirit's players are famous for staying calm under pressure. That's one of the reasons many professional players and analysts continue to rank them among the world's elite despite occasional inconsistency during the regular season.
Before EWC, the organization also strengthened its support staff by bringing back long-time figure Miposhka in an assistant coaching role, something many believe could help the team during long tournament runs.
Team Falcons
Team Falcons remain one of the scariest teams in professional Dota 2. Their season so far is not that successful, but all the necessary pieces are still here. We have all five players who won The International 2025 plus the Canadian genius as a coach.
Former TI winner and coach Kurtis "Aui_2000" Ling continues to receive praise from analysts for creating one of the most disciplined systems in professional Dota. His preparation has become one of the Falcons' biggest strengths.
Dark Horse: LGD Gaming
Not every champion starts the tournament as a favourite. It is also important to notice interesting teams that can bring some unexpected results.
LGD Gaming has quietly become one of the most interesting outsiders after reaching the grand final of BLAST Slam VII. Several analysts have already labelled the Chinese squad as one of the tournament's potential surprise packages. The team is on a roll as they lost only one map in TI South America Qualifier and finished second at BLAST SLAM VII.
Also, the team is playing spectacular Dota 2, winning the hearts of lots of Dota 2 fans. If they continue improving throughout the group stage, don't be surprised to see them going very far.
Where to watch the Esports World Cup 2026 Dota 2 Tournament?
The English broadcast will be hosted on all the popular streaming platforms: