India, Denmark, and New Zealand Defy the Odds in VALORANT Qualifiers for Esports Nations Cup 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (June 29, 2026) - The Esports Foundation (EF) today announced the completion of the online regional qualifiers for the VALORANT 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 total of 32 teams will compete in the VALORANT tournament at ENC 2026. 16 countries and territories received direct invitations through the ENC Rankings last week, which use points obtained from competing in official Riot Games tournaments.

Now, 14 more teams have earned their spot in the main event through online regional qualifiers across Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Middle East/North Africa, North America, South America, Sub Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia/Oceania. An additional slot has gone to the team representing the United Arab Emirates, who secured the Host Region Wildcard as the next highest-placing competitor from the GCC region.

To complete the line-up, one Solidarity Wildcard slot remains for an underrepresented region to compete on the world stage, which will be announced at the end of August once all ENC qualifiers have been completed.

Here’s the full list of countries and territories that qualified through online regional qualifiers:

Asia: Japan, India

Eastern Europe: Hungary, Czechia

Western Europe: France, Denmark

Middle East/North Africa: Saudi Arabia

Sub Saharan Africa: South Africa

North America: Colombia, Dominican Republic

South America: Argentina, Peru

Southeast Asia/Oceania: Vietnam, New Zealand

Host Region Slot: United Arab Emirates

More than 100,000 fans tuned in across co-streams and official ENC streams of the Asia qualifier finals to watch Japan's undefeated run and India’s miraculous journey through the lower bracket. Three women from VALORANT Game Changers will compete for their national teams in Riyadh; world champion duo of Noia and mimi proved the doubters wrong, qualifying with Denmark via a slot-clinching win over Portugal, while Game Changers Latin America North winner Lied and Peru defeated Uruguay. Two more Game Changers players in madv and Ivy qualified as substitutes, for Saudi Arabia and Colombia, respectively.

Saudi Arabia’s path to the ENC ended in an exciting final in the MENA qualifier, as they had effectively guaranteed a spot by winning or through the Host Region Wildcard just by reaching the final. Ultimately by defeating Morocco and their Sentinels star duo in the final, Saudi Arabia handed the Host Region Wildcard to the UAE. New Zealand however had nothing handed to them, and flew their roster to Southeast Asia to properly compete against the other teams in their qualifier. That gamble paid off, and after their miraculous win over Australia, the all-amateur team let the emotions pour out after claiming a place at ENC.

The full list of qualified players and nations can be viewed directly on the VALORANT page of the ENC website.

The VALORANT tournament at ENC will begin on November 8 and will conclude with the Grand Final on November 15. The first stage will consist of 32 teams competing in a round-robin group stage, featuring four groups of eight teams. The top four teams from each group will advance to a 16-team single-elimination playoff bracket. All group stage matches will be best-of-one. All playoff matches (excluding the Grand Final) will be best-of-three. The Grand Final will be played in a best-of-five.

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:

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