One of the biggest surprises of Stage 3 at IEM Cologne Major 2026 came in the second round, as 9z defeated world No. 1 Vitality 2-1. After dropping the opening map, the South American side mounted an impressive comeback to secure a place in the 2-0 pool, while Vitality fell to a 1-1 record.
Teams’ road in Cologne
Vitality entered Stage 3 directly through the Valve Regional Standings and opened the tournament with a victory over B8. However, their hopes of reaching the playoffs with a perfect record were halted by 9z, dropping the French organization into the 1-1 pool.
9z, meanwhile, continued their incredible run. After advancing from Stage 2 with wins over Astralis, FlyQuest and TYLOO, the South Americans began Stage 3 by defeating PARIVISION and have now followed it up with a statement victory over the world’s top-ranked team. They now stand at 2-0 and are just one series away from the playoffs.
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9z shock the favorites
Vitality looked in complete control after dominating Inferno 13-4. The French organization appeared on course for a comfortable victory, but 9z responded in spectacular fashion.
The South Americans took Mirage 13-9 despite it being Vitality’s map pick and then completed the upset on Dust2 with a narrow 13-11 victory. Led by Ignacio “meyern” Meyer and Luciano “luchov” Herrera, 9z secured one of the most memorable wins of their recent history.
meyern leads the upset
Ignacio “meyern” Meyer was voted player of the match after finishing the series with a 1.11 rating. Although the statistics were relatively balanced, the Argentinian played a crucial role in the comeback and helped 9z close out the decisive map.
For Vitality, flameZ was the team’s highest-rated player with a 1.23 rating, while ZywOo and mezii were unable to prevent the upset.
VRS implications
The result had a noticeable impact on the Valve Regional Standings. Despite remaining second in the rankings, Vitality lost 25 points after the defeat. 9z, meanwhile, gained 46 VRS points and climbed from 13th to 9th place. The victory over the world No. 1 team significantly strengthened the South Americans’ position ahead of future events.
Team reactions
The upset became even more ironic considering the exchanges between both teams before the match. Earlier, Vitality jokingly wrote:
We’re gonna make it quick and painless @9zTeam.
After the victory, 9z quickly responded with humor:
I hope it was slow and painful @TeamVitalityCS.
The organization also celebrated the win with the message:
GAUCHO POWER.
On the losing side, Vitality players openly admitted their poor performance. Captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire wrote:
Well I was a big dog today unfortunately. And we didn’t show up as a team. GG wp 9z. 1-1.
Meanwhile, William “mezii” Merriman simply stated:
1-1 poor performance today, time to step up tomorrow.
What’s next?
With the victory, 9z advanced to the 2-0 bracket and moved within one win of the playoffs. Vitality, meanwhile, dropped to the crowded 1-1 pool, where another loss would put one of the tournament favorites under serious pressure.
Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge
Running alongside the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is the Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge — an interactive feature where fans predict match results, choose advancing teams, and earn points throughout the tournament. By making accurate picks, participants unlock rewards ranging from premium skins to rare gloves and knives, with the ultimate prize being the iconic AWP | Dragon Lore.
