Defending champions Team Falcons eliminated from TI 2026 by Team Liquid

The defending champions are out of The International 2026, with Team Liquid recovering from a brutal opening game to eliminate Team Falcons 2-1.

It was a matchup many probably expected to see at some point in Shanghai. Few would have predicted it would arrive this early, with elimination on the line.

Liquid and Falcons are certainly no strangers to one another. Across 50 previous head-to-head meetings, Falcons held a 62% win rate over Liquid, and both teams entered Friday with the pedigree to make a deep run through the Lower Bracket. But only one would get the chance.

Falcons take their time with a stomp Game 1

Falcons picked up Bounty Hunter in Game 1, shortly after the hero had suffered its first Main Event loss in the previous BoomBoys and Iron Wing series. Liquid, meanwhile, built heavily around Lina, with three heroes geared toward protecting and enabling their carry. Falcons had an answer waiting in Sven. And what followed was a stomp.

Falcons took complete control of the game and built an enormous advantage, but apparently weren't in any particular hurry to actually end it.

By the time GG was finally called at 55 minutes, Falcons had amassed an 89,000 gold lead. The game had effectively been over for what felt like half an hour, with Dota Plus eventually giving Falcons a 100% win probability and Liquid precisely zero.

Perhaps they were waiting for the tenth Roshan. In all seriousness, whatever the reason, Falcons eventually put Liquid out of their misery and moved one game away from continuing their title defence.

Liquid, historically, have rarely been afraid of taking the long road. To stay alive, they were going to need it again.

In game 2 Liquid force one more game

Liquid changed the pace with their Game 2 draft, giving themselves a more aggressive lineup and looking to make things happen earlier. For around 20 minutes, there was still little separating the teams in net worth, even as Liquid established an advantage in kills. Then Falcons began giving them openings.

A series of questionable engagements resulted in heroes dying in fights that Falcons simply didn't need to take, and Liquid were more than happy to accept the invitation. Unlike Falcons in the previous game, they didn't take another half hour to finish the job.

Liquid quickly converted their advantage, closed out Game 2 and forced the elimination series to a decider.

Liquid tear the defending champions apart

Falcons returned to some familiar comfort picks for Game 3, while Liquid brought out Faceless Void alongside Viper as an answer to Razor. But as the game unfolded, the difference between the teams became increasingly stark. Falcons looked fragmented and Liquid looked anything but. Their combinations connected, their movements came together and seemingly every engagement ended with Falcons being punished again. And again.

What had begun as a fight for survival became domination from Liquid. Falcons could not find a way to disrupt their opponents or regain control as the game continued slipping further away. Team Liquid completed the reverse sweep, eliminating the reigning champions from The International 2026 and keeping their own Lower Bracket run alive.

Following the game Andreas "Cr1t-" Nielsen said that this would probably be his last TI, implying he would be looking at retirement now.

The action continues with two Upper Bracket series to close out the day. Team Spirit face TEAM VISION before Team Yandex and Nigma Galaxy meet to end the day.