The International 2026 is set as HULIGANI and Nigma Galaxy survive the qualifiers

In a little over a month, The International 2026 kicks off in Shanghai, China. While we saw a few teams obtain direct invites, the remainder had to make their way through gruelling regional qualifiers. Now, after a few weeks of action, the regional qualifiers are done and dusted, with Europe adding the final two teams into the mix for TI.

After Team Vision (PARIVISION) and Team Spirit were the first two teams from the region to lock themselves in for the upcoming event, Yellow Submarine, Virtus.pro, HULIGANI, and Nigma Galaxy were the final four teams looking to get into TI through the EU qualifier.

HULIGANI and Nigma Galaxy head to TI

Playing under the HULIGANI banner, L1GA Team had a very rough journey in the qualifiers. After losing to Power Rangers in the first round, the team were banished into the lower bracket, where they needed four wins to make it to TI. Their path began with a win over 4ikibamboni, before they took down Enjoy – the ex-1w Team roster. With two victories out of the way, things got even tougher, as Natus Vincere was their next challenge.

Surprisingly, they took down NAVI, before their qualifying matchup against VP would see them take a massive victory and secure their spot at TI 2026. This will be a massive achievement, as most of the roster will be attending their first ever TI.

For the final spot, Nigma and YES ended up as the final two teams to play. While there was an expectation for Nigma to return to TI and improve on their 2025 fifth/sixth place finish, it was not an easy task. With almost an entire team of players that have never been to TI, YES made sure to make Nigma panic and play the full series. Unfortunately for them, Nigma’s experience came into effect, as they held strong in the face of a possible loss, and eventually took the win in a challenging series to ensure they would be returning to TI.

With that, TI 2026 is set, as all 16 teams are now locked in and the hype begins to build. Although the Esports World Cup may come first, the teams will all have the prestigious stage of The International in the back of their mind.

Now begins the real road to TI 2026.