Esports Nations Cup 2026 Announces Official EA SPORTS FC Invites

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (July 29, 2026) - The Esports Foundation (EF) today announced the direct invites to the EA SPORTS FC tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), the global nation-based esports competition set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from November 2-29, 2026.

A grand total of 128 players will compete in the EA SPORTS FC tournament at ENC 2026. 64 players representing 64 countries and territories, determined through official citizenship, will receive direct invitations through the official EA FC Pro World Rankings, allocating one direct invite to the highest ranked player from each country or territory.

The players receiving direct invitations are:

1. DENMARK - Vejrgang
2. ARGENTINA - nicolas99fc
3. THE NETHERLANDS - Emre Yilmaz
4. ROMANIA - RvPLegend
5. BRAZIL - Paulo Neto
6. ITALY - Bonnano
7. SAUDI ARABIA - AbuMakkah
8. MOROCCO - Nassada
9. GERMANY - Levyfinn
10. PORTUGAL - Jafonso
11. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - GuiBarros
12. BULGARIA - Alihanlion
13. GREAT BRITAIN - Tekkz
14. FRANCE - Brice
15. AUSTRALIA - Mark11
16. EGYPT - K1John
17. ISRAEL - Yuval
18. MEXICO - Happy
19. SOUTH AFRICA - Kaylan
20. ALGERIA - Ilian
21. SPAIN - Neat
22. CHILE - depeedcl
23. JAPAN - Web Nasri
24. CANADA - AgitPower
25. MALAYSIA - AkmalJHD
26. INDONESIA - Javiero
27. LITHUANIA - Domasas
28. TÜRKIYE - KTzn
29. INDIA - Charanjot
30. QATAR - RXSHIID
31. COLOMBIA - Gercrack30
32. IRELAND - JP Sleator
33. JORDAN - sabo
34. KUWAIT - aliKwtx
35. SENEGAL - KingCJ0
36. BELGIUM - Bradley
37. KAZAKHSTAN - Dan1k
38. REPUBLIC OF KOREA - Serry7
39. AZERBAIJAN - YuLite42
40. GEORGIA - Bero
41. PAKISTAN - SalmanAhmad19
42. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - iALAWE
43. SWITZERLAND - Gianluca
44. FINLAND - Kossu72
45. SOMALIA - NHaych
46. NEW ZEALAND - NoahJA
47. MALTA - brandsha
48. PERU - Dome
49. SWEDEN - Ollelito
50. LEBANON - YagoFawaz
51. VENEZUELA - Jorgezxa
52. YEMEN - Toobi
53. HONDURAS - ThiagoCapo
54. CZECHIA - Matejs
55. NORWAY - Cooler
56. SINGAPORE - Operation-Eses
57. OMAN - BBA_BILAL21
58. DJIBOUTI - Ama2zerr
59. IRAQ - hussienwaleed73
60. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - HekTic JukeZ
61. HONG KONG, CHINA - psycho__xx__
62. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO - Griffeyfc
63. SYRIA - Momenx969
64. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR-LESTE - MarcusGomes

*Invitations are subject to chance, pending each player’s acceptance of the invite.

Licking his wounds from the FC Pro World Championship at EWC 2026, but still leading the rankings is the world number one, Anders "Vejrgang" Vejrgang. Vejrgang walked into Paris with all the momentum, having won this year’s FC Pro Open, eSerie A, and eChampions League. His loud attitude and signature antics were on full display, and while the quarterfinals exit was shocking for both him and Falcons, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be a favorite again at ENC.

Ultimately it was not Vejrgang who lifted the Diogo Jota FC Pro World Championship Trophy, but Romania’s Razvan "RvPLegend" Puiu, who became the first Romanian ever to win a world championship. The emotions poured out of RvPLegend after his crowning achievement, which he earned via a run that started in Play-Ins and went through some of the best competitors in the world.

With these invites sent out, the total number of countries and territories represented at the inaugural Esports Nations Cup increases up to 118, with Qatar, Somalia, Malta, Yemen, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste officially qualifying for their first title.

Attention now turns towards the online qualifiers, which will be held through the in-game FC Pro Live Events mode and the Battlefy tournament platform. The regional qualifiers will be divided into two phases and are open to all eligible players, with no limit on the number of participants per eligible country or territory. During Phase 1, players will compete in a ladder-based format between July 29 - August 2, with matches available 24 hours a day. Competitors will be matched against opponents with a similar Skill Rating. At the conclusion of the ladder stage, the top players from each region, based on their peak Skill Rating during the ladder period, will advance to the Playoff Stage hosted on Battlefy.

The EA SPORTS FC tournament at ENC 2026 will begin on November 17 and will conclude with the Grand Final on November 22. The first stage will see 16 groups of eight players competing in a round robin format. The top 64 players (eight from each group) will advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket.

About the Esports Nations Cup

The Esports Nations Cup (ENC) is a biennial global esports competition created by the Esports Foundation (EF) that brings national pride to the world stage. Launching in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2026, the ENC will feature the world’s best players competing not for their clubs, but for their countries and territories, across a lineup of leading esports titles. Built in collaboration with game partners, clubs, and esports organizations, the ENC establishes the first recurring, large-scale platform for national teams in esports. Beyond competition, it aims to fuel fandom, inspire heroes, and provide sustainable pathways for nations, players, and partners to grow within the global esports ecosystem. esportsnationscup.com

Esports Nations Cup media contact:
[email protected]