The group draw for League of Legends at the Esports World Cup 2026 is out. Sixteen teams, four groups, and a $2,000,000 prize pool — all on the line from 15 to 19 July in Paris. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the group stage — teams, seeds, and how the format works.
The draw followed the four-pool seeding system we detailed ahead of the reveal, with league champions in Pool 1 and no two teams from the same region in one group.
The group stage will use the GSL double-elimination format. Each group contains four teams. Every match will be a best-of-one, except elimination matches, which will be best-of-three. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs.
In practice: two opening matches, the winners meet in a winners' match for the first playoff spot, the losers face off in an elimination match, and the survivors play a decider for the second ticket. Here is how it will look in practice, with Group B as an example:
The playoff stage will be a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be best-of-three, apart from the grand final, played as a best-of-five. Eight teams will enter at the quarterfinal stage, and a third-place match will round out the schedule. The winner will also lock in their seed for the 2027 edition.
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