ESL has officially locked in the rosters for all 32 teams heading to the IEM Cologne Major 2026, with most squads choosing to bring either a coach, a benched player, or an academy prospect as their listed substitute. The lineup confirmation sets the stage for the first Counter-Strike Major of the year, though a few unresolved stand-in situations still hang over the event.
For most of the field, the substitute slot is more of a formality than a plan. A handful of teams, however, are walking into Cologne with stand-ins who will play from the first map, not the bench, which meaningfully changes the competitive picture going in.
Teams Playing With Stand-Ins From Day One
Falcons will field Finn “karrigan” Andersen at the Major, with the veteran in-game leader slotting in rather than sitting as a backup option. It is the kind of situation where the “substitute” label on paper does not match the reality on the server.
MOUZ are in a similar position. Adrian “xelex” Vincze is stepping in for Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo, and the event will be Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin’s last with the team. That is a significant moment for one of the more consistent young cores in Counter-Strike over the past couple of years, and it will be playing out under the brightest lights the game has to offer.
Gaimin Gladiators are rolling with Fernando “fer” Alvarenga as part of their starting five rather than as a reserve. The Brazilian veteran’s inclusion gives the roster a different competitive identity than the one listed on the official sheet.
The BetBoom Situation Remains Unresolved
The biggest question mark hanging over the locked rosters is BetBoom. The organisation has not confirmed who will actually take the server for them in Cologne, telling HLTV that they cannot share information yet and need to wait for official announcements.
BetBoom qualified for the Major using stand-ins Aleksandr “zorte” Zagodyrenko and Timur “FL4MUS” Marev. Zorte then joined the team properly, replacing Artem “ArtFr0st” Kharitonov, but the picture has not fully settled since. Daniil “d1Ledez” Kustov’s availability is clouded by visa issues, while FL4MUS’s loan from Virtus.pro ended after the qualifier run concluded. The listed roster on the official sheet names FL4MUS and d1Ledez, but neither is a certainty to play.
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Stage 1 Rosters
| Team | Players | Coach | Substitute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heroic | CHR1ZN, NILO, SUSP, xFLOUD, yxngstxr | TOBIZ | HOLY |
| Sinners | BEASTIK, Kisserek, MODO, Shock, STRESS | ARNB | FULLCACA |
| NITRO | M80 JBa, Lake, s1n, slaxz-, Swisher | DEPH | HMONSTR |
| NRG | BRO, GRIM, NITRO, oSee, Sonic | daps | daps |
| Sharks | doc, gafolo, KOALA, maxxkoR, RONZAO | Coach | ID10S |
| Gaimin Gladiators | felps, HEN1, JOTA, Luken, nekiz | horvy | fer |
| MIBR | BRN, Z4N, insani, kl1m, lnz, venomzera | letn1 | BRNS |
| Team Liquid | ELiGE, MALBS, MD, NAF, siuhy, ultimate | FLASHIE | jokasteve |
| GamerLegion | hypex, PR, REZ, SNAX, Tauson | IMD | GRASH |
| OG | BIG BLAMEF, FAVEN, Gr1ks, JDC, tabseN | XENN | JBoen |
| BetBoom Team | BOOMBL4, FL4MUS, Magnojez, s1ren, zorte | FIERCE | d1Ledez |
| B8 Esports | ALEX666, esenthial, kensi, zork, NPL, s1zzi | MADDEN | EDK1N |
| TYLOO | JamYoung, Jee, Mercury, Moseyuh, Zhokiny | Zhokiny | ATTACKER |
| Lynn Vision Gaming | C4LLM3SU3, EmiliaQAQ, Starry, Westmelon, z4k | RGum | Gum |
| Thunder Downunder | Alistair, aSap, dexter, Liazz, TJP | Viridian | Viridian |
| FlyQuest | INS, jks, nettik, Story, vexite | azr | azr |
Stage 2 Rosters
| Team | Players | Coach | Substitute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team Spirit | donk, magixx, sh1ro, tN1R, zont1x | hally | sOf1k |
| Astralis | HooXi, jabbi, Phzy, Ryu, Staehr | ruggah | MightyMax |
| G2 Esports | HeavyGod, huNter-, m4tys, NertZ, SunPayus | SAW | TAKFU |
| FUT Esports | cmtry, Demon, Dziugss, Krabeni, LauNX | Coolio | Coolio |
| Monte | Afro, azuwu, bymas, Gizmy, rainwaker | kakafu | kakafu |
| 9z | dgt, HUASOPEEK, Luchov, Max, meyern | Bit | Bit |
| paiN Gaming | biguzera, nqz, PIRIAjr, snow, vsm | rikz | Saffee |
| Legacy | art, dumau, latto, n1ssim, saadzin | adr | adr |
Stage 3 Rosters
| Team | Players | Coach | Substitute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Gaming | MAJ3R, Soulfly, Wicadia, woxic, XANTARES | Fabre | jotaaa |
| MOUZ | Brollan, Jimpphat, Spinx, torzsi, xertioN | sycrone | xelex |
| FURIA | FalleN, KSCERATO, molodoy, YEKINDAR, yuurih | sidde | sidde |
| The MongolZ | 910, bLitz, Cobrazera, mzinho, Techno4K | maaraa | maaraa |
| Team Vitality | apEX, flameZ, mezii, ropz, ZywOo | XTQZZZ | Lucaozy |
| Natus Vincere | aleksib, b1t, iM, makazze, w0nderful | B1ad3 | jL |
| PARIVISION | Belchonokk, Jame, nota, xielo, Zweih | hdastan | dastan |
| Team Falcons | kyousuke, kyxsan, m0NESY, NiKo, TeSeS | zonic | karrigan |
The Picture Going Into Cologne
With rosters locked, the storylines heading into the Cathedral of Counter-Strike are starting to crystallise. Brollan’s farewell run with MOUZ, Falcons relying on karrigan’s in-game leadership, and BetBoom’s scramble to confirm a usable five are the situations most likely to shape the early narrative of the event. The rest of the field looks largely as expected, which puts more pressure on the teams dealing with disruption to prove they can still make a deep run.