Crown Prince Attends as Macron Crowns 'AG.AL' Champions of the Esports World Cup in Historic Grand Palais Finale

In a scene that encapsulates the global nature of the event that began in Riyadh two years ago, French President Emmanuel Macron crowned the team 'AG.AL' as champions of the 2026 Esports World Cup Club Championship. The closing ceremony and trophy presentation took place on Sunday evening at the historic Grand Palais in Paris, near the Champs-Élysées, with the esteemed presence of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at the start of his official visit to France at the invitation of President Macron.

'AG.AL' claimed the grand prize of $7 million, concluding seven weeks of competition across 25 games, in the first edition held outside Saudi Arabia since the tournament's inception — the largest of its kind globally — in Riyadh in 2024.

The Decisive Moment: A Frenchman Seizes Victory in Paris

The crowning of 'AG.AL' came at the end of a dramatic finale that was only decided in the final hours. The Saudi team 'Falcons' — champions of the previous two editions — led the club rankings until the final week, with only a 300-point lead over their pursuers, before an unexpected early loss in the 'Counter-Strike 2' quarterfinals against 'Legacy' changed the course of the race. On the final 'Trackmania' platform, Frenchman Guendall 'Gwen' Dubarc dominated the grand final to secure the championship points for 'AG.AL', denying 'Falcons' a historic consecutive triple — creating a beautiful scene: a champion crowned by his country's president on home soil.

'Spirit' Closes the Curtain at Bercy

The last cup of the tournament was decided hours before the ceremony on the court of 'Accor Arena' in Bercy, where 'Team Spirit' defeated 'FUT Esports' 3-1 in the grand final of 'Counter-Strike 2' — a final moved to Paris's largest indoor venue after tickets sold out in record time.

A Saudi Bet Reaps Global Rewards

With the leaders of both countries standing together in the Grand Palais — the venue that hosted the Paris Olympics two years ago — among thousands of fans, the symbolism of the night was complete: a purely Saudi product, embraced by the Crown Prince since its inception, is now exported to the European cultural capital, competing for the honor of hosting it. The Crown Prince and the French President inaugurate a visit described as spanning 'from esports to the Middle East' — before attention turns today to the Élysée Palace, where the first meeting of the French-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council and a package of anticipated agreements will take place.