FURIA secured a place in the semifinals of IEM Cologne Major 2026 after defeating 9z 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Despite losing their opponents’ map pick, the Brazilians recovered strongly on Mirage and Overpass to continue their run toward the title, while 9z bowed out after one of the biggest surprise campaigns of the tournament.
Teams’ Paths
FURIA started Stage 3 with victories over B8 and MOUZ before suffering a defeat against Falcons. The Brazilians recovered by eliminating BetBoom in the final Swiss round and have now overcome 9z to reach the semifinals.
9z enjoyed one of the most impressive runs of the Major. The Argentine side defeated PARIVISION and stunned Vitality to begin Stage 3 with a 2-0 record. Although losses to Spirit and Aurora pushed them into the 2-2 bracket, they bounced back with a victory over The MongolZ to qualify for the playoffs. Their journey eventually ended against FURIA in the quarterfinals.
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9z Strike First on Dust2
The South American squad opened the series with an impressive performance on Dust2, their own pick. Led by Matias “HUASOPEEK” Ibañez Hernandez and Luciano “Luchov” Herrera, 9z took control early and closed the map 13-8 to put FURIA on the brink of elimination.
FURIA Answer Back
FURIA responded immediately on Mirage. Yuri “yuurih” Santos and Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis spearheaded the comeback as the Brazilians secured a convincing 13-9 victory to level the series. The decider on Overpass was one-sided. FURIA dominated from the beginning and cruised to a 13-6 victory, completing the reverse sweep and booking a place in the top four.
yuurih Leads the Charge
Yuri “yuurih” Santos was the standout player of the series, finishing with 40 kills and a 1.20 rating. YEKINDAR also delivered an important contribution with a 1.16 rating, while Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato added a 1.09 rating.
For 9z, Luciano “Luchov” Herrera was the highest-rated player with a 1.04 rating, but the Argentinians were unable to maintain the level they showed on Dust2.
VRS Impact
The victory earned FURIA 37 VRS points and lifted the Brazilian side from eighth to sixth place in the rankings. Meanwhile, 9z lost 13 points and dropped from tenth to twelfth.
Team Reaction
FURIA celebrated the victory on social media with a passionate message:
2×1 de virada contra a 9z para cravar a pantera no top 4 e na briga pelo título do IEM Cologne Major 2026!
The organization also posted the final map scores and celebrated reaching the semifinals. 9z, meanwhile, bid farewell to the tournament with an emotional statement:
Our run at the Major comes to an end. We fall 1-2 to FURIA in the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs and bid farewell to the cathedral of Counter-Strike. Thank you for letting us dream, YOU MADE HISTORY.
The Argentine organization thanked its players and fans after a memorable campaign that saw the team reach the playoffs and record upset victories over Vitality and The MongolZ.
What’s Next?
With the victory, FURIA moved one step closer to lifting the trophy and will now compete in the semifinals of IEM Cologne Major 2026. Despite the defeat, 9z leave Cologne with their heads held high after producing several upsets and establishing themselves as one of the breakout teams of the tournament.
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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.
