Team Liquid begin their Esports World Cup 2026 Open Qualifier campaign with a Group 12 opening match against French mix Dhala. On paper, this is one of the most one-sided matchups of the opening round, with Liquid holding a significant advantage in experience, firepower, and recent form.
Liquid aiming for a confident start
Although Liquid narrowly lost the Stake Pulse Beat I grand final to Betclic, the team showed clear progress throughout the event. Their structured approach and improved individual form make them one of the strongest teams in the qualifier.
Recent results:
- 1-2 vs Betclic
- 2-0 vs fnatic
- 2-0 vs 9INE
- 2-1 vs Betclic
- 0-2 vs Spirit
EliGE continues to be Liquid’s most impactful player with a 1.13 rating over the past three months, while malbsMd and NAF provide consistent support. The addition of lorko has also brought more stability to the lineup.
Dhala face a massive challenge
Dhala enter the qualifier as complete outsiders. The French mix has played very few notable officials, with recent losses to Citron and Citronnade highlighting the gap between them and stronger opposition.
Without experience against Tier-1 or even Tier-2 competition, Dhala will likely need outstanding individual performances from Zrutax and flawless teamwork to stay competitive.
Map pool & veto — Liquid control every scenario
Stats (last three months):
- Cache: Liquid 67% | Dhala —
- Dust2: Liquid 17% | Dhala —
- Mirage: Liquid 50% | Dhala —
- Inferno: Liquid 60% | Dhala —
- Nuke: Liquid 62% | Dhala —
- Ancient: Liquid — | Dhala —
- Anubis: Liquid 62% | Dhala —
The available statistics for Dhala are extremely limited, making the veto difficult to evaluate. However, Liquid have a much deeper map pool and should comfortably steer the series toward their preferred battlegrounds.
Expected veto flow:
- Dhala likely remove one of Liquid’s strongest maps.
- Liquid should eliminate their weakest option, likely Dust2.
- Nuke, Inferno, or Anubis are the most probable picks.
- The decider should still heavily favor Liquid.
Key duel — EliGE vs Zrutax
EliGE remains the centerpiece of Liquid’s offense, consistently creating openings and converting difficult rounds. On the other side, Zrutax appears to be Dhala’s biggest individual threat and will need the best performance of his career if his team hopes to challenge the favorites.
Prediction
Everything points toward a comfortable Liquid victory. The North American side possess superior experience, better structure, and a massive advantage in individual quality. Unless Liquid severely underperform, Dhala should struggle to keep pace over a full Bo3.
Prediction: Liquid 2-0 Dhala
