The team LYON, representing the LCS, continued to demonstrate remarkable performance at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026. On Friday, the 10th, the North American team overcame G2 Esports with a score of 3-0, eliminating the LEC champion and securing its spot in the lower bracket final of the international League of Legends tournament.
This result reinforces LYON's excellent trajectory, having previously defeated the Brazilian team FURIA, and now defeating another prominent organization in the global competitive scene.
G2 Esports had entered the series motivated after a significant victory over T1, the three-time world champion and one of the favorites for the title. The European team managed to beat Faker and his teammates 3-1, interrupting a losing streak against the South Koreans in international competitions. However, against LYON, G2 could not maintain the same level of performance.
Throughout all the games, the North American representative maintained control of the pace of the matches and managed to neutralize G2's strengths, especially in the top and jungle lanes. Player Kacper “Inspired” Słoma was the main highlight of this qualification. He demonstrated crucial performances throughout the series, particularly using the character Lee Sin, exerting constant pressure on G2 and generating advantages from the early confrontations.
In the bot lane, Kim “Berserker” Min-cheol also stood out, while support Jonah “Isles” Rosario was fundamental, accumulating 14, 13, and 16 assists in the three games, being an important pillar for the team. Conversely, G2's bot lane duo struggled to react, with ADC Hans Sama recording only two kills throughout the entire series.
After securing qualification, Inspired adopted a challenging tone during the official broadcasted interview. The jungler expressed that he expected a series without major complications and downplayed G2's victory over T1 in the previous round. He stated: 'I knew we were the best team. I think they just got very lucky beating T1. I expected them not to do much in the game, and that's exactly what happened.' Furthermore, the player reiterated his claim of being the best jungler in the West, saying: 'That discussion ended a long time ago. I have been the best for several years.'
With this victory, LYON advances to the lower bracket final, where it will face Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) in the fight for a spot in the grand final of MSI 2026. The South Korean team HLE reaches this matchup after being defeated by Bilibili Gaming (BLG) in the upper bracket final. The winner of this match will advance to the grand final of the championship, which will determine the international mid-season champion of League of Legends.
G2 Esports achieved a notable feat at MSI 2026 by defeating T1 3-1 on Tuesday (8), resulting in the elimination of the South Korean team from the competition. This result not only secured a spot for G2 in the tournament's Top 4 but also marked the worst international performance ever achieved by the organization led by Faker.
The victory also ended a long period without wins for the European organization against T1. G2's last victorious encounter against the South Koreans took place in 2019, when the team was managed by Caps. Since then, T1 has maintained consistent superiority in international matchups.
The start of the series was quite balanced, with the first map exceeding 40 minutes in duration. After several shifts in favoritism, G2 gained a crucial advantage in the mid lane, eliminating all members of T1 and opening up the series. In the second game, the European team demonstrated continuous dominance, finishing the match with a significant lead in eliminations.
T1 managed to react in the third map, reducing the gap and keeping the possibility of a comeback alive. However, the fourth game again surpassed 40 minutes and was characterized by G2's relentless pressure on the opposing base. Although T1 managed to secure the Elder Dragon and presented chances for recovery, the European team controlled the map until destroying the Nexus, sealing the 3-1 victory.
This elimination constitutes a low point for the organization considered one of the most successful in League of Legends history. Before MSI 2026, T1 had won Mid-Season Invitational titles in 2016 and 2017, in addition to reaching the finals in 2022 and 2025. In almost all its international appearances, the team reached at least the semifinals. The fifth place achieved this edition marks the worst international performance for the organization since its founding.
With qualification, G2 remains in the lower bracket and will face LYON in pursuit of a spot in the lower bracket final. The North American team arrives motivated after eliminating FURIA and defeating Team Secret Whales, while G2 seeks to maintain its good rhythm after taking down one of the major title favorites. The winner of this matchup will compete for a spot in the grand final of MSI 2026 against the loser of the upper bracket final between Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) and Bilibili Gaming (BLG).
FURIA's journey in MSI 2026 started off difficult, as the Brazilian team suffered a 3-0 defeat against LYON, representing LTA North. This result occurred early Friday morning (4th), during the opening of the Play-In Stage of the major international League of Legends tournament of the mid-season.
Due to the loss, FURIA was relegated to the lower bracket of the competition. Now, the team awaits the winner of the match between Bilibili Gaming (BLG) and T1. It is important to note that any other loss will result in the team's elimination from the championship.
In the first map, despite FURIA managing to take control of the game by winning a fight for the third dragon and securing Baron, the Brazilian team failed to turn this advantage into a victory. Errors made in crucial confrontations allowed LYON to react. The North American team won the Ancient Dragon dispute, eliminated three FURIA players, and advanced to destroy the Brazilian Nexus, opening the score at 1-0.
In the second game, FURIA started with good pressure and gained kills advantages. However, LYON demonstrated greater tactical organization in the macro game and managed to control the main objectives of the map. Similar to the first confrontation, FURIA failed to capitalize on the secured Baron and watched their opponents regain control. In a decisive dragon fight, FURIA initiated the combat hastily and suffered four eliminations, allowing LYON to destroy the Brazilian base and increase the lead to 2-0.
To remain in the upper bracket, FURIA faced great difficulties from the start of the third map. The game remained balanced until approximately the 20-minute mark, when LYON won a central fight, secured Baron, and established a gold advantage of about five thousand. From that point on, the North American team completely dominated the confrontation, leading LYON to invade the FURIA base and seal the series with a convincing 3-0 score.
Even after the defeat, FURIA remains in the competition thanks to the double-elimination system adopted by MSI 2026. The team will now compete in the lower bracket and will have to face the loser of the series between Bilibili Gaming and T1. A win will maintain the Brazilian participation in the tournament, while another loss will end their presence in the event.
