The Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris held its two Valorant semifinals on July 11, setting up an all-Americas grand final for the tournament's final day. The Dota 2 group stage, meanwhile, is grinding through its last round-robin matches before the Survival Stage opens.
Valorant Semifinals: 100 Thieves and NRG Advance
100 Thieves opened the day by beating Nongshim RedForce 2-1, reaching their first non-qualifier best-of-five since 2024. The North American squad dropped Lotus after taking Sunset, then closed out the series on Haven, 13-11.
NRG had a rougher road. BBL Esports ran through NRG's own pick, Haven, 13-4, before NRG rallied on Breeze, forcing overtime and winning 14-12 to level the series at one map apiece. NRG then leaned on its strongest map of the event, Lotus, a map it had gone unbeaten on all tournament, closing out the decider 13-6.
The win sends NRG into a fourth meeting with 100 Thieves since the Esports World Cup partnership era began this year, and NRG has taken all three of their previous matchups in 2026.
Dota 2: Group Stage Winds Down
Saturday's card carried several late group-stage matches, including L1GA Team vs. Level UP, PlayTime vs. Nigma Galaxy, and Aurora Gaming vs. Team Liquid. The 24-team field is still jockeying for direct playoff spots and Survival Stage seeding as the round-robin phase closes out.
What's Expected July 12
Valorant: Consolation Final and Grand Final
The tournament wraps up its Valorant leg on Sunday with two matches at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
| Time (IST) | Match | Format | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:30 PM | Nongshim RedForce vs. BBL Esports | Best-of-three | Third place: $220,000 to the winner, $140,000 to the runner-up |
| 7:15 PM | 100 Thieves vs. NRG | Best-of-five | Grand Final: $600,000 to the winner, $340,000 to the runner-up |
Dota 2: Final Group-Stage Matches
The last round-robin matches close out Group Stage play on Sunday, with two tiebreaker slots held in reserve in case teams finish level.
| Time (IST) | Round | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 2:30 PM | Round 13 | PVISION vs. Team Spirit |
| 2:30 PM | Round 14 | MOUZ vs. Vici Gaming |
| 2:30 PM | Round 15 | REKONIX vs. Team Nemesis |
| 5:00 PM | Round 13 | 1W vs. Team Yandex |
| 5:00 PM | Round 14 | OG Esports vs. Virtus.Pro |
| 5:00 PM | Round 15 | LGD Gaming vs. Inner Circle x Insanity |
| 7:30 PM | Tiebreaker | TBD vs. TBD |
| 7:30 PM | Tiebreaker | TBD vs. TBD |
Results will lock in seeding for the Survival Stage, which begins July 14, ahead of playoffs running July 16 through 19.
The Bottom Line
This is the first Esports World Cup held outside Saudi Arabia. Organizers relocated the 2026 edition to Paris in May, and Sunday's two grand finals will close out the event's Valorant and Dota 2 brackets on French soil for the first time.
