Falcons and FURIA have secured their places in the playoffs of the Thunderpick World Championship 2026. Falcons beat 9z 2-1 in the Group A upper bracket final, while FURIA earned their berth with a 2-1 win over Legacy. As a result, 9z and Legacy must now fight on for a spot in the final four.
This day matters because it shaped the race between the South American teams. FURIA won a grudge match for the title of best South American team, having lost to Legacy twice earlier this season. Meanwhile, 9z must now face a team they have already beaten once in this tournament.
Falcons Take Down 9z in Three Maps
The series began on Nuke, which was 9z’s pick. However, Falcons controlled the CT side from the start. They won the pistol round with a three-man setup on Ramp, which stopped a push and gave Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin four kills. After that, Falcons built a 7-1 lead.
9z won three of the last four rounds before the switch. They also won the second pistol round and came within two rounds of Falcons. Even so, Falcons won four straight rifle rounds to reach map point at 12-6. They closed out the map four rounds later.
Luciano “luchov” Herrera, 9z’s shining star, posted a 1.20 rating on the first map. Then he stepped up on Mirage with a 2.06 rating and a +9.68% swing, leading 9z to a 13-8 win. In contrast, kyousuke struggled, posting a 0.54 rating, his eighth lowest-rated map since joining Falcons.
Dust2 decided the series, and Falcons controlled it from the beginning. They won the first pistol round on the attack and led 8-4 at the half. This was a far cry from the last time the two teams met at PGL Astana, where 9z won the map 13-1.
The European squad reached 11 rounds just four rounds into the second half. Although 9z made a last push, they fell short. Falcons, led by the Finn Finn “karrigan” Andersen, won 13-9 and punched their ticket to the playoffs.
FURIA Beat Legacy in a South American Grudge Match
Legacy had won both earlier meetings between the two teams this season, at the Esports World Cup and FISSURE Playground 3. Therefore, FURIA changed their veto this time. They left Inferno open and picked Cache themselves.
Cache was scrappy early, with both teams playing many force-buy rounds. Legacy then stabilized and took a 7-5 lead at the half. After winning the pistol round on their T half, they moved to 10-5. FURIA recovered somewhat, but the deficit was too big. An ace by Eduardo “dumau” Wolkmer on a bad buy sealed the map, 13-10, and gave Legacy the series lead.
FURIA looked much stronger on Inferno, starting with a force-buy win in the second round. Their CT side found opening kill after opening kill. In addition, Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo moved from his usual B support role into the rotator slot and made excellent rotations. Legacy got back into the half through clutches from Bruno “latto” Rebelatto and Santino “try” Rigal. Still, FURIA led 8-4 at the half. Another force-buy win set up their offense, and they romped to a 13-5 victory.
Mirage went FURIA’s way as well. Their slow-burn offense in the first half picked apart Legacy’s CT side, reminiscent of Dzhami “Jame” Ali. Legacy gained some momentum on their T side. However, a late surge by Danil “molodoy” Golubenko and a vital 1v2 clutch by FalleN righted the ship. FURIA won 13-8 and took the series.
What Comes Next
With their win, FURIA progress to the playoffs. Legacy, on the other hand, must fight for their berth in a final group stage game against BETBOOM. In Group A, Falcons are already through, while 9z will replay Aurora in the lower bracket. They beat Aurora in the opening round, so they hope to repeat that result.
For the South American scene, the outcome is important. FURIA took revenge on Legacy at a key moment, and 9z still have a last chance to reach the final four.
