Legacy and Falcons will meet in the quarter-finals of the Esports World Cup 2026 in a best-of-three series. Falcons enter as the clear favorites after winning three straight matches, but Legacy have already beaten them this year. Still, Falcons’ current form and deeper map pool make them the safer pick.
Falcons enter the quarter-final in strong form
Falcons have been one of the most convincing teams at the Esports World Cup so far. They opened their campaign with a 13-6 victory over K27, then defeated Astralis 2-0 before sweeping The MongolZ 2-0 in the Round of 16. The victory over The MongolZ was particularly impressive. Falcons won Inferno 13-3 and Dust2 13-9, with kyousuke producing a 1.78 rating across the series.
Their current lineup of karrigan, NiKo, m0NESY, TeSeS and kyousuke gives Falcons an enormous amount of individual firepower. m0NESY is especially important, while kyousuke has also been producing excellent numbers throughout the tournament.
Legacy have also built momentum during their EWC run. They lost 0-2 to FaZe in the upper bracket, but responded with a 2-0 victory over MIBR before eliminating NAVI 2-0 in the Round of 16. The victory over NAVI is a major confidence boost for Legacy. The Brazilian team has now reached the quarter-finals despite being drawn into one of the strongest groups.
Legacy have already beaten Falcons this year
The head-to-head record gives Legacy more hope than their current rankings would suggest. According to the provided statistics, Falcons lead the overall series 5-3, but Legacy won their most recent meeting at the CS Asia Championships 2026. The Brazilian side took that series 3-1, winning Dust2 13-6, Mirage 13-6 and Ancient 13-9.
That result is important because Legacy have already demonstrated that they can deal with Falcons’ aggressive style and high individual skill. However, Falcons have changed significantly since that meeting. The current roster includes m0NESY and kyousuke, giving the team additional firepower. That makes the previous head-to-head less decisive for this particular matchup.
Map pool gives Falcons more options
The map statistics suggest that the veto could be one of the most important factors in the series. Legacy have excellent numbers on several maps:
- Inferno: Legacy 88% — Falcons 60%
- Mirage: Legacy 60% — Falcons 33%
- Dust2: Legacy 57% — Falcons 75%
- Nuke: Legacy 40% — Falcons 75%
- Ancient: Legacy 40% — Falcons 60%
- Anubis: Falcons 80%, while Legacy have no recent data
Inferno clearly stands out as Legacy’s strongest map. The Brazilian side have won 7 of their last 8 recorded Inferno matches, while Falcons have a 60% win rate on the map.
Falcons, meanwhile, have much stronger numbers on Nuke and Dust2. Both maps could become excellent choices for the European roster.
The main problem for Legacy is that Falcons have several strong options. Even if Legacy secure Inferno, Falcons can potentially answer with Dust2 or Nuke. That gives the favorite more flexibility throughout the veto.
Key players
For Legacy, latto is the player to watch. Over the past three months, he has posted a 1.19 rating, 0.76 kills per round, 74.1% KAST and 81.0 ADR according to the provided statistics. Legacy will also need strong performances from arT and n1ssim. Their ability to create space against Falcons’ aggressive players could determine whether the Brazilian side can turn this into another upset.
Falcons have an even stronger individual profile. m0NESY leads the highlighted statistics with a 1.27 rating, 0.81 kills per round, 75.7% KAST and 80.9 ADR. The Russian AWPer has already shown his impact at the EWC, while NiKo and kyousuke provide additional firepower. If m0NESY maintains his current level, Legacy will have a very difficult time keeping the series under control.
VRS impact
The VRS forecast also reflects the difference between the teams. Legacy currently have 1832 points and rank No. 7, while Falcons sit at 1991 points and rank No. 2. A Legacy victory would give them approximately +54 points, potentially moving them to No. 4. Falcons would receive only around +7 points for a win but could lose approximately 18 points if eliminated. The ranking difference does not decide the match, but it highlights just how much Falcons have to lose despite entering as favorites.
Prediction
Legacy have enough quality to make this a competitive quarter-final. Their recent 2-0 win over NAVI and previous series victory against Falcons prove that an upset is realistic. However, Falcons are currently playing at a higher level. They have won three straight series at the EWC, defeated Astralis and The MongolZ without dropping a map, and possess a deeper map pool with more individual firepower. Legacy should be capable of taking one map, especially if Inferno survives the veto. Over a full BO3, though, Falcons should have enough advantages to close out the series.
Expected score: 2-1 for Falcons
