Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman joined French President Emmanuel Macron, football star Cristiano Ronaldo and Fifa president Gianni Infantino as the Esports World Cup drew to a star-studded close in Paris on Sunday.
The high-profile guests attended the closing ceremony of the Riyadh-founded tournament, which concluded after seven weeks of competition in the French capital.
Ronaldo, captain of Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, is also the global ambassador for the Esports World Cup.
Prince Mohammed, who has been a driving force behind Saudi Arabia's ambitions to become a global gaming and esports hub, was also due to hold talks with Macron. The leaders were expected to sign deals and discuss alternative routes to the Strait of Hormuz and also oversee the signing of agreements in technology, transport, energy and health. They were also to convene the first meeting of the Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council.
What is Esports World Cup?
Launched in Riyadh in 2024, the annual Esports World Cup is widely regarded as the largest esports event in the world by prize money and number of titles represented. The event evolved from the Gamers8 festival launched in 2022 and was formally established in 2023 by Prince Mohammed as part of the kingdom’s wider ambitions to become a global gaming and esports hub.
The 2026 edition of the Esports World Cup was moved to Paris amid regional instability. More than 2,000 players from 200 clubs and more than 100 countries competed across 24 games and 25 tournaments, with an overall prize pool exceeding $75 million, ranking it among the largest in esports history.
“Fans should view this as both a response to the current situation and a glimpse into the future,” Mike McCabe, deputy chief executive and chief operating officer of the Esports Foundation, told The National.
“From the beginning, our ambition has been to build the Esports World Cup into a global platform. Riyadh played a critical role in establishing the event and helping it grow into one of the largest esports competitions in the world, but we have always believed the model could travel,” McCabe said. He added that the Saudi capital remains “a central pillar”.
Who won the Esports World Cup 2026?
AG.AL claimed the 2026 Club Championship after French player Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc won the final Trackmania competition on Sunday.
The result took AG.AL to 5,300 points and ended Saudi Arabia's Team Falcons' hopes of winning the overall title for a third consecutive year. AG.AL received $7 million for winning the Club Championship, while Team Falcons finished second and collected $5 million.
The championship had remained undecided until the final day. Team Falcons entered the Trackmania play-offs leading with 4,600 points, but seven-time Trackmania world champion Carl-Antoni “Carl Jr” Cloutier was eliminated in the quarter-finals.
That opened the door for Duparc, who needed to finish third or higher to secure the overall championship for AG.AL. Instead, he won the event outright in front of his home crowd, collecting a further $130,000 individual prize.
