AG.AL won the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Championship in Paris, securing the $7 million grand prize with a final tally of 5,300 points. The title was decided on the last day of a seven-week festival when French driver Gwendal ‘Gwen’ Duparc dominated the inaugural EWC Trackmania tournament to overhaul two-time defending champions Team Falcons.
A final day that hung on Trackmania
The Club Championship entered its closing hours with Falcons leading on 4,600 points. Their seven-time world champion, Carl-Antoni ‘Carl Jr.’ Cloutier, fell in the quarter‑finals. That defeat opened a narrow path for AG.AL, but it meant nothing unless Gwen delivered in front of his home crowd at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
Gwen’s decisive run under pressure
After neither club’s Fortnite duo made the top eight, Trackmania became the sole decider. Gwen needed to finish third or better in the Grand Final to claim the crown. He seized the race, winning the tournament outright and collecting the $130,000 first prize alongside the club’s championship.
The victory capped a campaign that included a Tekken 8 title from M. Zubair and second‑place finishes in Chess, Free Fire and Honor of Kings. “Winning the Club Championship is a historic milestone for AG.AL and a proud moment for everyone who believed in what we are building,” Eddy Chen, the organisation’s COO, told reporters afterwards.
The broader festival spanned 25 tournaments across 24 games, drawing more than 2,000 players from 100 countries and a record‑breaking $75 million prize pool. Team Falcons, winners in 2024 and 2025, finished second and took $5 million back to Riyadh.
A championship of such scale turned on a single run. For AG.AL, the moment belonged to a driver who needed one clean race and found it.
