100 Thieves win first-ever international VALORANT title at Esports World Cup 2026

The EWC - Esports World Cup 2026 has crowned its champion, and for the first time in the organization's history, that champion is 100 Thieves. The North American side survived a grueling battle against regional rivals NRG to claim their first-ever international trophy, capping off a tournament run that will be remembered as one of the most dominant in recent memory.

A Series That Had It All

The grand final between 100 Thieves and NRG delivered everything fans could ask for: momentum swings, a reverse sweep scare, and a nail-biting overtime finish.

100 Thieves opened strong on NRG's pick, Breeze. Despite dropping the pistol round and the following round, they turned on the pressure during their attack half to seize a commanding 9-3 lead. From there, momentum firmly shifted in their favor, and they closed out the map 13-7.

Map 2, Sunset, was 100 Thieves' pick, and they carried their momentum straight through it. Another dominant 9-3 first half gave the reigning world champions little room to breathe, and 100T wrapped up the map even faster this time, winning 13-6.

NRG, however, weren't ready to hand over the trophy so easily. On their pick of Haven, the 2025 World Champions reminded everyone why they earned that title. A blistering 10-2 first half set the tone, and NRG closed out the map 13-3 in emphatic fashion.

But the story took a dramatic turn on Map 4, 100 Thieves' pick of Ascent. NRG started strong on defense, building a 9-3 half that had fans bracing for a decisive fifth map. Yet 100 Thieves mounted an incredible comeback on their own defensive half, matching NRG's 9-3 scoreline to force overtime. NRG couldn't hold on any longer, and 100 Thieves sealed the series with a 14-12 overtime win, securing the title 3-1.

A Historic Achievement for 100 Thieves

For 100 Thieves, this victory represents far more than a single trophy. It's their first-ever major title in VALORANT, and their first international championship of any kind. Their previous best finish came at VCT 2024 - Masters Shanghai, where they placed fourth. Remarkably, the team failed to qualify for a single international event in both 2025 and 2026 before this run, making the triumph all the more historic.

MVP Honors and a Perfect Run

Matthew "Cryocells" Dylan Panganiban was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, delivering a phenomenal 65-52 KD record in the grand finals alone. Beyond individual brilliance, 100 Thieves' overall dominance was staggering: they went undefeated throughout the entire event, dropping just four maps in total. Rex Regum Qeon were the only team unable to take a map off the eventual champions.

What's Next?

With VCT 2026 - Americas Stage 2 fast approaching, all eyes will now turn to 100 Thieves and Masters London winners Leviatán. Both teams will look to prove that their world-stage success translates into regional dominance, setting the tone for what promises to be a fiercely competitive stretch of the VALORANT season.

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Featured Image Source: Esports World Cup