FURIA started BLAST Open Porto 2026 with a dominant 2:0 victory over paiN just three days after finishing fourth at the Esports World Cup. According to HLTV, Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis said the frustration left by the EWC run helped the collective reset before the next event.
FURIA won Mirage 13:2 and Cache 13:6, while YEKINDAR led the server with a 1.64 Rating 3.0. It was also the first 2:0 series victory for FURIA in two months and the first Cache win for the collective.
FURIA were angry after missing the EWC final
FURIA entered Porto only a few days after a painful finish at the Esports World Cup. The collective reached the semifinals after beating Aurora 2:1 and G2 2:1, but then lost 1:2 to FUT and missed a place in the grand final.
The series against FUT went all the way to a deciding Dust2. FURIA lost Ancient 11:13, answered with a 13:6 victory on Nuke and then fell 13:16 in overtime on the decider.
YEKINDAR explained that the frustration was mostly directed at themselves. FURIA felt there had been enough opportunities to reach the final, but several mistakes stopped them from closing important situations.
“After EWC, we felt angry at ourselves; I guess that actually helped.”
The EWC run ended the following day with another 1:2 defeat, this time against Legacy in the third-place decider. FURIA won Ancient 13:9 before losing Nuke and Dust2 by identical 9:13 scores, finishing the tournament in fourth place.
YEKINDAR leads the rout against paiN
There was little sign of that disappointment in the opening match in Porto. FURIA completely controlled the paiN pick of Mirage, taking a 10:2 lead at halftime before closing the map 13:2.
The advantage continued on Cache, the map where YEKINDAR has been taking over in-game leading duties. He finished the first half alone with an 18–7 K–D and 163.7 ADR as FURIA built an 8:4 lead before closing the map 13:6.
Across the full series, YEKINDAR recorded:
- K–D: 34–21
- ADR: 113.6
- Rating 3.0: 1.64
He was voted Player of the Match by 86.7% of HLTV users. Danil “molodoy” Golubenko followed with a 1.38 rating, while every FURIA player finished the series above a 1.00 Rating 3.0.
YEKINDAR still sees himself as a role player
The performance on Cache also brought more attention to the temporary calling responsibilities of YEKINDAR. Asked whether he enjoys leading, the 26-year-old said he could see himself becoming a full-time IGL later in his career, but does not believe that moment has arrived yet.
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“I still feel that I’m in my prime in terms of decision-making.”
For now, YEKINDAR believes he can still bring more value through his individual decisions and work as a role player. The performance against paiN supported that point, with the rifler combining calling responsibilities on Cache with the best individual numbers in the server.
FURIA will face M80 for a playoff spot
The victory moved FURIA into the Group A upper bracket semifinal at BLAST Open Porto 2026. Their next opponent will be M80 on August 28, with the winner advancing directly to the playoffs.
M80 reached the match after upsetting Natus Vincere 2:1 in their opener. The North American collective lost Anubis 4:13 but responded with 13:6 victories on both Mirage and Inferno.
FURIA enter the matchup ranked third in the HLTV world ranking, while M80 are 38th. Despite the difference on paper, M80 already showed in Porto that they can punish a favorite, giving FURIA an immediate test of whether the anger from EWC can continue to work as motivation.
