HULIGANI will make their TI debut after a remarkable qualification run, taking down both VP and NAVI along the way.

Surprise contenders HULIGANI(formerly known as L1GA TEAM) have secured the third European qualification berth for The International (TI) 2026 after upsetting Virtus.pro 2-1 in the lower bracket.

HULIGANI become the third team to qualify for the world championship from Europe, joining Team Spirit and TEAM VISION, who both advanced through the upper bracket. They also join China's Team Resilience and Vici Gaming, South America's LGD Gaming, Southeast Asia's OG, and North America's GamerLegionamong the teams already qualified. The winner of the final TI 2026 qualification spot will be decided later today in a showdown between Nigma Galaxy and Yellow Submarine.

This qualification marks HULIGANI's biggest and most astonishing achievement yet. Heading into the qualifier, there were little expectations for them to claim one of Europe's four TI slots, especially given the presence of more established names in the competition like VP and Natus Vincere. HULIGANI on the other hand, have never been a Tier 1 contender.

HULIGANI (initially as L1GA TEAM) were formed in 2024 and, despite fielding multiple different rosters, have never qualified for a major tournament. The organisation’s only notable appearance came at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade in 2024 and several other Tier 2 events. On top of that, the team features a lesser-known field of players, with the exception of Oleg “sayuw” Kalenbet and Egor “RESPECT” Procurat, who both made TI appearances with Virtus.pro in 2023 and 1w Teamin 2024, respectively. Meanwhile, Mirage`, Ivan “Vazya” German, and ssnovv1will all make their first TI appearance at this year's championship.

HULIGANI's dramatic rise has certainly caught many off guard. After falling short in every major qualifier and making no appearances at top-tier tournaments, the team have now secured the most coveted qualification in Dota 2, earning their place at The International 2026 and set to make the org’s championship debut.

On the other side, Virtus.pro have to settle for an unexpected elimination just one step away from TI qualification. The Tal “Fly” Aizik-led team was assembled earlier this season, with the organisation bringing together familiar names–Enzo “Timado” Gianoli, Abed Azel “Abed” Yusop, Jonáš “SabeRLighT-” Volek, and Kirill “Hellscream” Lagutik.

Despite the stacked line-up, VP struggled to make any meaningful impact in the top-tier scene, producing disappointing performances at PGL Wallachia Season 8 and ESL One Birmingham this year. Even so, they entered the clash against HULIGANI with the stronger track record, only to fall agonisingly short after being reverse swept in the lower bracket.

The storied organisation will once again miss The International, with their last appearance at TI coming in 2023, where they secured a respectable Top 8 finish.

How HULIGANI qualified for The International 2026

During the TI qualifiers, HULIGANI embarked on an impressive Cinderella run, overcoming one of the longest and most grueling paths to TI qualification.

Coming from the Open Qualifier, HULIGANI began their Closed Qualifier campaign against the Aybek “TA2000” Tokayev-led stack Power Rangers, where HULIGANI were immediately knocked down to the lower bracket following a 1-2 defeat.

From there, HULIGANI embarked on a nail-biting lower bracket run, eliminating one team after another to reach the finish line. They reverse swept 4ikibamboniin the opening elimination round before convincingly defeating Enjoy2-0.

Riding that momentum, HULIGANI then faced one of the tournament favourites, NAVI. They managed to hold off the young Ukrainian squad, denying a comeback attempt and advancing another step closer to TI.

Finally, their TI-deciding series came against Virtus.pro. After conceding the opening game in a one-sided 42-minute defeat, HULIGANI pulled themselves together to turn the series around. The team outplayed VP in a tense 65-minute map before dominantly closing out the decider to complete the reverse sweep–ending one of the most intense TI qualification campaigns this year.

What are The International 2026 qualifier regions, dates, and slots?

The International 2026 regional qualifiers cover North America, South America, China, Southeast Asia, and a newly unified European region, replacing the traditional split between Western and Eastern Europe. 

Here are the dates and slots per region of TI 2026 Closed Qualifiers:

China

  • Dates: 15–18 June
  • Slot(s): 2

South America

  • Dates: 15–19 June
  • Slot(s): 1

SEA

  • Dates: 19–23 June
  • Slot(s): 1

Europe

  • Dates: 21–28 June
  • Slot(s): 4

North America

  • Dates: 24–26 June
  • Slot(s): 1

The qualifier winners will join the directly invited teams–Aurora Gaming, BetBoom Team, Team Falcons,Team Liquid, 1w Team, Xtreme Gaming, and Team Yandex–to complete the 16-team field. 

The list of qualified teams to TI 2026 so far include Chinese qualifier winners  Team Resilience and Vici Gaming as well as South American qualifier winner LGD Gaming, Southeast Asian qualifier winner OG, and now the first winner of the European qualifier in Team Spirit.

The International 2026 will take place in Shanghai, China, from 13 to 23 August, with a current prize pool of US$1.6 million. The tournament's final four days will be held live at the Oriental Sports Center, where the world's best team will be crowned champions in this 15th edition of The International.

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