Saudi Crown Prince and French President Witness the Crowning of World Esports Champions
Paris – Agencies: Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman attended the 2026 Esports World Cup champions’ coronation ceremony in Paris, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, at the Grand Palais, as part of the Crown Prince’s state visit to France. French President Emmanuel Macron crowned the AG. AL (OG Global) team with the Esports World Cup title, an annual sporting event and global celebration of competitiveness and excellence in esports, hosted in Paris for the first time, following seven weeks of competition.
The Crown Prince’s attendance at the tournament’s closing ceremony underscores his ongoing support for the gaming and esports sector, reflecting the depth of Saudi-French relations and both countries’ shared commitment to leveraging sports, culture, and creative industries to enhance cooperation and partnership.
The champion team topped the overall standings with 5,300 points, claiming the grand prize of $7 million from total tournament prize pools exceeding $75 million, marking the largest prize pool in global esports history. Prizes were distributed among participating clubs and players based on their performance and rankings.
This year’s tournament continued its growth trajectory, held over seven weeks from July 6 to August 23. It delivered a unique experience blending competition and innovation in the French capital, featuring broad global participation with more than 200 teams and over 2,000 professional players from 100 countries competing in 25 tournaments featuring the world’s most popular esports titles.
The event also achieved record growth across various metrics, drawing massive crowds and recording a 94% increase in ticket sales for esports competitions. More than 850 million viewers worldwide watched the matches via digital platforms, accumulating over 440 million viewing hours, supported by a global media production covering 47 languages.
On his part, Ralph Riechert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, praised the “significant and continuous support” received from the Saudi Crown Prince, emphasizing that hosting the event in Paris represents a new international chapter in its journey. He noted that it exemplifies the success of the model launched from the Kingdom to build a global sports and cultural platform capable of moving between major capitals, while Riyadh remains the primary home of the tournament and a cornerstone of its long-term vision.
The Esports World Cup launched in Riyadh under a Saudi vision, with Paris selected for the 2026 edition due to its advanced infrastructure, strategic location facilitating global access, and ideal competitive environment ensuring the event meets its standard global benchmarks, according to the Esports World Cup Foundation website—a non-profit Saudi organization responsible for organizing the tournament.
In the same context, despite the Esports World Cup being held in Paris, bringing together more than 2,000 players representing 200 clubs from over 100 countries, Riyadh retains its position in the global esports landscape as the strategic hub nurturing the tournament’s long-term future. Saudi tournament competitions will return to the Kingdom in the 2027 edition.
