The Esports Foundation has confirmed the 16 national teams that received direct invitations to the VALORANT competition at the Esports Nations Cup 2026, with the United States topping the ranking on 13,000 points. The rosters were unveiled on 15 June 2026, locking in every directly qualified nation and its players ahead of the event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this November.
The United States, South Korea, and China headline the top three, with the VALORANT tournament scheduled to run from 8 to 15 November. The remaining 16 spots will be settled through continental qualifiers and two wildcard slots over the coming months.
How the 16 Invited Nations Were Decided
The Esports Foundation, which runs the Esports Nations Cup, used an in-house ranking system based on player performances across the 2026 VALORANT circuit. Only the points from each nation’s five best players counted toward direct qualification, and the 16 rosters with the highest totals secured their place in Riyadh.
Each invited team is made up of three to seven players. Of the 32 teams expected for the VALORANT bracket, half have now been confirmed through direct invites. The other 14 places will come from seven continental qualifiers offering two slots each, with the final two awarded as wildcards: one Solidarity Slot and one Host Region Slot reserved for a non-qualified country from the Gulf Cooperation Council.
All rosters, including those for nations still entering through the qualifiers, have already been confirmed and validated. The qualifiers are scheduled to take place online from 26 to 28 June.
All 16 Invited VALORANT Nations and Their Points
The full ranking of directly invited teams runs from the United States on 13,000 points down to Chile on 3,300. The top three of the United States, South Korea, and China feature players from G2 Esports, NRG, T1, Nongshim RedForce, and EDward Gaming. Returning names across the list include Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen, and Gustavo “Sacy” Ross, all of whom have been out of professional play for over a year.
| Rank | Nation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 13,000 |
| 2 | South Korea | 8,525 |
| 3 | China | 7,975 |
| 4 | Canada | 6,250 |
| 5 | Turkey | 6,200 |
| 6 | Brazil | 5,800 |
| 7 | Singapore | 5,750 |
| 8 | Poland | 5,225 |
| 9 | Philippines | 4,875 |
| 10 | Great Britain | 4,750 |
| 11 | Chinese Taipei | 3,975 |
| 12 | Malaysia | 3,800 |
| 13 | Finland | 3,675 |
| 14 | Lithuania | 3,650 |
| 15 | Thailand | 3,450 |
| 16 | Chile | 3,300 |
Top Three Rosters – United States, South Korea, and China
The United States lead the ranking by a wide margin on 13,000 points, fielding a roster drawn from the strongest names in North American VALORANT.
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Trent “trent” Cairns |
| Player | Jacob “valyn” Batio |
| Player | Nathan “leaf” Orf |
| Player | Zachary “zekken” Patrone |
| Player | Logan “skuba” Jenkins |
| Player | Ethan “Ethan” Arnold |
| Player | Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiban |
| Coach | Josh “JoshRT” Lee |
South Korea sit second on 8,525 points, with a roster led by players from T1 and Nongshim RedForce.
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Yu “BuZz” Byeong-cheol |
| Player | Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom |
| Player | Ham “iZu” Woo-ju |
| Player | Park “Ivy” Sung-hyeon |
| Player | Kim “Francis” Mu-bin |
| Player | Lee “Dambi” Hyuk-kyu |
| Coach | “SilKanoN” |
China complete the top three on 7,975 points, with a seven-player roster anchored by EDward Gaming talent.
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Zheng “ZmjjKK” Yongkang |
| Player | Wan “CHICHOO” Shunzhi |
| Player | Wang “nobody” Senxu |
| Player | Liu “Knight” Yuxiang |
| Player | Sun “slowly” Kelun |
| Player | Huang “K1ra” Zhihao |
| Player | Liang “Lysoar” Youhao |
| Coach | Deng “NaThanD” Senqiao |
The Remaining Invited Rosters
The other 13 directly invited nations span North and South America, Europe, and Asia. The full rosters and coaching staff are listed below in ranking order.
Canada – 6,250 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Tyson “TenZ” Ngo |
| Player | Adam “mada” Pampuch |
| Player | Daniel “eeiu” Vucenovic |
| Player | Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen |
| Player | Jonah “JonahP” Pulice |
| Player | GianFranco “koalanoob” Potestio |
| Player | Alexander “Zander” Dituri |
| Coach | Dakota “Stunner” MacLeod |
Turkey – 6,200 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Emir “Alfajer” Beder |
| Player | Enes “RieNs” Ecirli |
| Player | Uğur “Ruxic” Güç |
| Player | Yusuf “Lar0k” Kanber |
| Player | Doğan “xeus” Gözgen |
| Player | Mert “Wo0t” Alkan |
| Player | Efe “s0pp” Tur |
| Coach | Mert “KEY” Çelebi |
| Assistant Coach | Berke “Vlad” Kantürk |
Brazil – 5,800 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Gustavo “Sacy” Ross |
| Player | Erick “aspas” Santos |
| Player | Felipe “Less” Basso |
| Player | Arthur “artzin” Araujo |
| Player | Rodrigo “spike” Lombardi |
| Player | Lucca “lukxo” Travaioli |
| Player | Eduardo “Sato” Nagahama |
| Coach | Ian “shaW” Jardim |
Singapore – 5,750 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Wang “Jinggg” Jing Jie |
| Player | Wayne “wayne” Chang |
| Player | Marcus “nephh” Tan |
| Player | Derrick “Deryeon” Yee |
| Player | idus “STYRON” Goh |
| Player | Rodman “Vera” Yap |
| Player | Wong “JayH” Heng |
| Coach | Benedict “Benkai” Tan |
Poland – 5,225 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Kamil “kamo” Frąckowiak |
| Player | Kajetan “kaajak” Haremski |
| Player | Dawid “PROFEK” Święć |
| Player | Miłosz “westside” Duda |
| Player | Patryk “starxo” Kopczyński |
| Player | Patryk “paTiTek” Fabrowski |
| Player | Bartosz “UNFAKE” Bernacki |
| Coach | Daniel “yaotziN” Roczniak |
Philippines – 4,875 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza |
| Player | Adrian “invy” Reyes |
| Player | Xavier “xavi8k” Juan |
| Player | Jhian “Zeus” Vega |
| Player | Kelly “kellyS” Sedillo |
| Player | Mark “Markyyy” Tuling |
| Player | Brheyanne “Wild0reoo” Reyes |
| Coach | Jose “Rbtx” Jamir |
Great Britain – 4,750 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Jacob “Lime” Foster |
| Player | Ethan “Sevire” Starke |
| Player | Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish |
| Player | Georgio “keiko” Sanassy |
| Player | Theo “Ticey” Cranshaw |
| Player | Lewis “YaBoiLewis” Hughes |
| Coach | Neil “neilzinho” Finlay |
Chinese Taipei – 3,975 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Shao “Nicc” Yi-chun |
| Player | Lin “SpiritZ1” Ting-yu |
| Player | Huang “WsLeo” Ping-wei |
| Player | Liu “Spring” Chun-ting |
| Player | Hsieh “S1Mon” Meng-hsun |
| Player | Huang “Yuicaw” Yung-chieh |
| Coach | Lo “AfteR” Wen-hsin |
Malaysia – 3,800 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee |
| Player | Xan “xan” Ng |
| Player | Sirajul “Riza” Azrie |
| Player | Mathanraj “theDoctorr” Munisparan |
| Player | Amirul “Fixy” Zaqwa |
| Player | Darwish “toggle” Nazari |
| Player | Aqil “aplycs” Azfar |
| Coach | Hoc Wah “Fayde” Chong |
Finland – 3,675 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen |
| Player | Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev |
| Player | Ilari “iluri” Puranen |
| Player | Ramses “Famsii” Koivukangas |
| Player | Joona “H1ber” Parviainen |
| Player | Aaro “hoody” Peltokangas |
| Player | Otto “Snowi” Rautiainen |
| Coach | Jiri “KUNDIKUNDI” Honkala |
Lithuania – 3,650 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Ričardas “Boo” Lukaševičius |
| Player | Dominykas “MiniBoo” Lukaševičius |
| Player | Martynas “Koshmaras” Namikas |
| Player | Kajus “Kajuks” Skurvydas |
| Player | Tomas “Destrian” Linikas |
| Player | Povilas “roxie” Krivelis |
| Player | Vakaris “vakk” Bebravičius |
| Player | Laurynas “Nbs” Kisielius |
Thailand – 3,450 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Jittana “JitboyS” Nokngam |
| Player | Tanate “killua” Teerasawad |
| Player | Papaphat “Primmie” Sriprapha |
| Player | Kititkawin “PTC” Rattanasukol |
| Player | Apinya “Apinya” Laotaew |
| Player | Kantapon “Kadoom” Kingthong |
| Coach | Piyangoon “MYM” Kitisin |
Chile – 3,300 Points
| Role | Player |
|---|---|
| Player | Francisco “kiNgg” Aravena |
| Player | Roberto “erde” Lobos |
| Player | Roberto “Mazino” Rivas |
| Player | Angelo “keznit” Mori |
| Player | Luis “Tunaso” Bustos |
| Player | Fabian “Shyy” Usnayo |
| Player | David “david” Olivares |
| Coach | Álvaro “WKN” Bustos |
What Comes Next for the VALORANT Bracket
With the 16 direct invites locked, attention turns to the continental qualifiers running online from 26 to 28 June, which will decide 14 of the remaining places across seven regions. The last two spots will be filled by the Solidarity Slot and the Host Region Slot for a non-qualified Gulf Cooperation Council nation. The completed 32-team field will then converge on Riyadh for the VALORANT tournament from 8 to 15 November, part of an Esports Nations Cup spanning 16 titles and around a hundred competing countries.