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Paris set to welcome the Esports World Cup this summer
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Updated 20/05/2026 at 19:20 GMT+1
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Paris will host the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC), the world’s largest multi-title esports and gaming event, from July 6 to August 23. This is the first time the competition won’t be happening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since its creation.
Esports World Cup 2026 Comes to Paris
Image credit: Getty Images
Presidential welcome
French President Emmanuel Macron was the first to welcome the decision, stating: "France is proud to host the 2026 Esports World Cup in Paris.
"After the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, our country continues to attract the world’s greatest international competitions.
"Esports is a sport, a creative industry, and a culture that brings together a talented, demanding, and deeply European French youth."
Reason for the strategic shift
The decision to host the tournament in France follows an extended evaluation and shows the current regional situation, while preserving the event’s full scale, structure, and competitive integrity.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, added: ”Paris brings together an incredible combination of infrastructure and institutional support to run the tournaments.
"You can’t organise something of this scale without it. Along with the iconic landmarks, the atmosphere of this city… Paris being Paris will make it a very special edition.
"It’s about the fans and we cannot wait to have them part of this Esports World Cup.”
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Emmanuel Macron
Image credit: Getty Images
Massive scale
The seven-week festival will bring together more than 2,000 professional players from over 200 clubs and 100 countries, competing in 24 games across 25 tournaments for a record-breaking prize pool exceeding $75 million.
It builds on the success of the 2025 edition, which attracted 750 million viewers worldwide, generated over 350 million hours watched, and peaked at nearly eight million concurrent viewers.
France has grown itself as Europe’s powerhouse for esports over the past decade.
The country recently hosted the Six Invitational at the Adidas Arena and the RLCS Major 2 at Paris La Defense Arena, with EVO France set to return to Nice in October 2026.
French organisations Team Vitality and Gentle Mates will compete on home soil alongside global giants such as G2 Esports, Fnatic and BIG, highlighting Europe’s strength in the sector.
Economic and cultural boost
The event will leverage Paris’ world-class Olympic infrastructure and boost its already well-known tourism, hospitality, and culture during the peak summer season.
With more than 12 million esports participants in France, the tournament is going to be a major celebration for European youth and a platform for international sporting and cultural exchange.
Paris, already known as a global capital of sport, will be taking the world’s biggest esports event to new heights. Full venue details will be announced in the coming weeks, with direct communication to ticket holders and participating teams.
We’ll be bringing you the latest updates throughout the Esports World Cup, so stay tuned to TNT Sports.
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