With the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC) scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the process for countries to formally build their national teams is now underway. The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has opened applications for organisations to become official National Team Partners, who will be responsible for constructing and representing their nation’s esports squads.

To support the initiative, the EWCF has set a $45 million fund, of which a total of $20 million is allocated as direct prize money for players and coaches, with a further $5 million designated as Club incentives for organisations that release their contracted professionals to compete. The final $20 million will be distributed via the ENC Development Fund to support national team partners with operational and logistical costs, including team travel and promotional activities like training camps and watch parties.

Update 13 February, 2026: shortlists prepared as 630 applications received

The Esports World Cup Foundation has completed the initial review of applications for the 2026 Esports Nations Cup, selecting a shortlist of candidates from 630 submissions across 152 countries, according to an update from EWCF Director of Clubs, National Teams & Players, Hans Jagnow.

Jagnow confirmed that over 150 interviews will now be conducted with shortlisted organizations and individuals, focusing on governance, operations, and national fan engagement strategies. The selection process prioritized candidates trusted by players and capable of uniting national esports communities.

A notable trend observed across applications was the formation of coalitions bringing together clubs, tournament organizers, associations, and media partners within individual countries. Jagnow described this as a “wave of unity” reflecting strong local community roots.

Clarifying the participation model, Jagnow stated that a country’s presence at the November 2026 event in Riyadh is not dependent on having a selected National Team Partner. Players remain eligible to compete regardless of application outcomes. In some cases, delegations will be led by a National Team Manager or, in limited instances, supported regionally by an EWCF coordinator.

Final partner selections are expected to be announced in March 2026. The EWCF’s criteria can be seen here.

The ENC is planned as a biennial event, beginning with a fixed host city in Riyadh for 2026 before moving to a rotating host-city model.

The 2026 edition will feature 16 game titles played over four weeks, with formats co-developed with official game partners including Electronic Arts (EA), Chess.com, KRAFTON Inc., and Ubisoft. A key rule confirmed by the EWCF prohibits full club rosters from competing as national teams, requiring nations to form distinct line-ups.

The confirmed titles to date are

Update 4 March 2026: EWCF position after regional escalation

Following the sharp escalation of conflict across the Middle East—which saw the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh targeted by drone strikes—The Esports Radar has reached out to the EWCF for an official statement. The direct impact on the capital city has raised urgent questions regarding the safety and logistical feasibility of the ENC.

The EWCF provided us with the following statement:

“EWC and ENC remain on track. Both events are scheduled several months from now, and preparations are proceeding as planned. At the same time, we are keeping a close watch on the situation and remain in active coordination with relevant authorities.“

The safety and well-being of all players, fans, partners, and staff is our priority. We have robust operational and contingency plans in place and will keep stakeholders informed should circumstances change.“

When asked for specifics on these contingency plans, the EWCF did not indicate that a change of location or date is being considered: “For safety and security reasons, we don’t publish specific operational measures. Preparations for EWC and ENC continue as planned.”

The Esports Radar will continue to update this article as further key developments emerge nation to nation, from who’s applying to who’s confirmed, and more!

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Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) will return in 2026 with a bigger and bolder edition, taking place across 18–21 June in Cologne, Germany, alongside IEM Cologne. The schedule and details about ticket sales are available in this link.

Countries are in alphabetical order.

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Argentina

CADE submits application for Argentina

According to information obtained by The Esports Radar, the Argentine Chamber of Electronic Sports (Cámara Argentina de Deportes Electrónicos, CADE) has applied to become the National Team Partner. The chamber is an organization founded by major esports teams in the country, including 9z, Furious Gaming, Isurus, KRÜ and Leviatan, alongside event producers and other key industry entities.

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Belgium

Local federation running for representation

The Belgian Esports Federation (BESF) has confirmed its application to become the National Team Partner for Belgium. The federation has proposed its Commissioner for National Teams & Competitions, Samy Bessi, as the prospective National Team Manager. Bessi is also a Board Member of the Global Esports Federation (GEF).

In its public announcement, the BESF emphasized a stakeholder-driven strategy for its bid, issuing an open call for coaches, community figures, and other ecosystem participants to help form teams across the tournament’s titles. The federation stated that, if selected, it would focus on using the associated development fund to support grassroots initiatives and better connect them with the national competitive structure.

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Brazil

Club alliance applying for representation

The Esports Radar learned that an alliance of major clubs from the Brazilian esports scene is sending an application to the Esports World Cup Foundation.

Participating teams in the group are Fluxo W7M, FURIA, LOUD, MIBR, paiN Gaming, and Red Canids, with Yuri “Fly” Uchiyama, CEO at gaming platform Gamers Club and former President of MIBR, as the Team Manager.

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Canada

Canada holds open community call to inform bid

In Canada, Esport Canada and OverActive Media are collaborating to submit a bid to become the National Team Partner. The organisations hosted an open community call exclusive to Canadians, inviting “community members, athletes, tournament organizers, and stakeholders” to help shape their application.

Neil Duffy, Chief Commercial Officer, Americas at OverActive Media, announced the call, stating participants would “hear from Melissa Burns (EC) and Neil Duffy (OAM) about our experiences, aspirations and how you can get involved!” The session aims to inform “a connected approach to supporting Canadian participation” and ensure alignment with “equity, integrity, and transparency in decision-making.”

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Chile

Chile’s bid led by GameClub Studio

Tomás Mosquera, President of Chile’s National Esports Association, confirmed to The Esports Radar he is designated as Chile’s National Team Manager in the case the application led by GameClub Studio, a national gaming club chain founded by former Riot Games staff and industry experts, succeeds.

The studio currently organizes the ULeague, a university esports circuit involving 28 institutions, and reports having organized over 600 tournaments since 2019.

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Denmark

Sources: Denmark’s esports elite submit bid for Nations Cup

Sources heard by The Esports Radar informed that a consortium of Denmark’s top esports industry figures has submitted a bid to become the National Team Partner.

The group includes high-profile names such as Martin Rosenbæk (Founder of HLTV and Dust2.dk), Daniel Vorborg (CEO of UNCORE), Jonas Gundersen (Founder of Fusion Esports Group, owner of Astralis), and former football captain Simon Kjær as an ambassador. Sources indicate the proposal plans for a merit-based selection system and the establishment of a dedicated bootcamp facility in Copenhagen.

The application is reportedly structured to operate as an independent legal entity and has outlined long-term initiatives including national tournaments and grassroots pathways. The bid is now under review by the Esports World Cup Foundation.

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France

UFCEP v France Esports

A coalition of France’s leading esports organizations, united under the Union Française des Clubs d’Esport Professionnels (UFCEP), has formally submitted its bid to become the National Team Partner. The UFCEP, founded in early 2025, includes major clubs such as Team Vitality, Karmine Corp, and Gentle Mates.

The bid will be led by a structure co-founded by industry figures Bertrand Amar, a prominent media personality and former head of esports at Webedia, and Matthieu Dallon, founder of the Trust Esport investment fund. Olympic medalist Matthieu Péché is designated to lead the delegation, focusing on high-performance preparation and player development.

The application has noted public support from the French presidency, though UFCEP President Nicolas Maurer clarified to The Esports Radar in an interview that there is no direct, officially stated support. The coalition’s proposal emphasizes unifying the country’s top competitive talent, citing recent international successes across multiple titles, to field a team capable of winning the Nations Cup.

A second application to represent France has been submitted by France Esports, which has named two-time Dota 2 world champion Sébastien “Ceb” Debs as its proposed National Team Manager. The bid is co-submitted with three partner associations: Women In Games France, the Union des Associations Esportives Françaises (UAEF), and the Syndicat des Éditeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs (SELL).

The application emphasizes a federated, ecosystem-wide approach, aiming to involve amateur clubs, event organizers, and player communities alongside professional organizations. This creates a directly contested bid, as major clubs including Team Vitality and Karmine Corp are with the UFCEP application.

Both applications are now under review by the EWCF.

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Netherlands

Netherlands Esports Trade Association advancing through phases

The Netherlands has advanced to the final phase of the selection process after being shortlisted as a candidate for National Team Partner, according to the Branchevereniging Esports Nederland (BEN).

The Dutch bid began taking shape in late January, when BEN issued an open call for ecosystem partners and supporters, setting a January 27 deadline for organizations to pledge their backing. At the time, BEN stated its ambition to position the Netherlands structurally within the world’s top 10 esports nations.

Following the shortlist notification in mid-February, the bid moved into phase 2, with organizers formalizing partnerships and collecting written statements of support.

Milo van Heugten, Dutch esports teacher and entrepreneur, confirmed that phase 2 documentation has now been submitted. The bid was developed with input from clubs, creators, and stakeholders across the Dutch esports landscape. Van Heugten noted that the process demonstrated alignment and unity within the country’s esports community, regardless of the final outcome.

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Poland

Poland submits three-entity application

One of the submitted bids by Poland involves three entities: arrMYgg, eMine (ProPlayers), and ZW Agency.

arrMYgg is listed as the lead applicant. Should the bid succeed, the organization’s COO Jakub Kubiak is designated to be the National Team Manager; ProPlayers is noted for player networking and bootcamp facilities; and ZW Agency is cited for its work in content creation with clients such as Red Bull and Riot Games in Poland.

This is one of multiple reported bids emerging from Poland. The Esports Radar will continue to monitor developments.

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Portugal

Application by local federation

The Portuguese Esports Federation (FPDE) has submitted an application to become a National Team Partner, sources tell The Esports Radar. The federation, which holds affiliations with both the Global Esports Federation (GEF) and the International Esports Federation (IESF), recently made headlines for renewing its partnership with MOONTON Games to develop Portugal’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang scene.

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Spain

OverActive Media supports Spanish bid

The Spanish bid for the ENC was detailed in a social media post by Adam Adamou, CEO of OverActive Media. The application involves a collaborative coalition of Spain-based esports organizations. OverActive maintains a presence in the Spanish scene through its team, Movistar KOI.

Adamou claimed that this supportive role does not create a conflict of interest, contrasting it with OverActive’s lead-operator position in Canada’s application. He attributed the different approaches to Spain’s more structured esports ecosystem, which allows the company to contribute from within a coalition.

“We have people, talent, teams, and players in both markets, and we’ll support where we can add real value so the best players from the top nations can compete at the highest level,” the post read.

Both the Spanish and Canadian national bids are currently pending formal approval from the Esports World Cup Foundation.

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Tunisia

Tunisia’s Bid Focuses on National Structure

Gamefy Academy has submitted its application to represent Tunisia, framing the bid as part of a longer-term effort to structure the national esports ecosystem. The organization emphasizes improving team readiness, creating player development paths, and better connecting local clubs and operators.

The application is supported by a coalition of local organizations, including JSK Esports, Ghools Esports, EST Esports, and cinema chain Pathé.

Ambassadors mentioned at the announcement are esports personality and current Head of Marketing at GnG Esports Foued El Beji, creator Yassine Sondes, esports caster Karim Mellouli, and creator Nour Ben Youssef.

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United Kingdom

UK consortium applies, seeks national team manager

In the United Kingdom, a consortium led by the British Esports Federation, with support from partners at Fnatic, The Football Association, Esports Wales, Scottish Esports and The UK Esports Teams Committee (UKETC), is applying to be the National Team Partner.

As part of its bid, the collective has begun seeking a National Team Manager for a potential Great Britain team. The manager would serve as the primary point of contact with the ENC, select game coaches, and help build national rosters in coordination with publishers, clubs, and players. The EWCF sets the compensation for the role at up to $25,000 annually, comprising a $5,000 service fee and up to $20,000 in incentives.

The federation has issued a public call for expressions of interest, noting that “the successful candidate will be submitted as the preferred National Team Manager for our collective application.” It emphasised that the role is contingent on the consortium’s bid being successful. Interviews scheduled for 28th January. A duo headed by Resolve Esports’ Jeff Simpkins and flanked by Ninjas in Pyjamas’ Grant Rousseau has publicly expressed their interest in leading the United Kingdom push for the ENC.

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