Saudi Crown Prince Attends Esports World Cup 2026 Closing Ceremony in Paris
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PARIS, August 23 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — AG.AL won the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Championship after finishing first in the overall standings with 5,300 points, securing the $7 million grand prize.
French President Emmanuel Macron presented the official trophy to AG.AL during the closing ceremony in Paris, attended by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The 2026 edition brought together more than 2,000 professional players representing 200 clubs from 100 countries. Competitors participated in 25 tournaments from July 6 to August 23.
The total prize pool exceeded $75 million, which SPA described as the largest in esports history.
More than 850 million viewers followed the competition across digital platforms, generating over 440 million hours of watch time. Content was distributed worldwide in 47 languages.
Ticket sales for esports competitions increased by 94%, although the information released did not specify the comparison period.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, said:
“We are deeply grateful for the continued support of HRH the Crown Prince, which has been instrumental in building the Esports World Cup into the global platform it is today. Bringing EWC to Paris marks an important new chapter and demonstrates the strength of the model established in Saudi Arabia, while Riyadh remains its home.”
He added:
“Congratulations to AG.AL on an extraordinary victory and their place in Esports World Cup history. I also want to thank Paris for its warm welcome and hospitality, the French Government, and all our partners and stakeholders who made this first international edition possible. Paris embraced the Esports World Cup and made it its own, proving that something created in Saudi Arabia can belong to fans everywhere.”
The Crown Prince announced the Esports World Cup in 2023. Riyadh hosted the inaugural edition in 2024 and an expanded second edition in 2025.
Paris became the first international city to stage the tournament outside Saudi Arabia in 2026, while Riyadh remains the home of the Esports World Cup.
