League of Legends Worlds 2026: Schedule, Teams, Format and Betting Guide

The League of Legends Worlds 2026 is a global esports championship running from 15th October to 14th November 2026 in the United States. It will be played across three cities in the country, namely Los Angeles, Allen (Texas), and New York, while the Grand Final will be held at Barclays Centre in Brooklyn on 14th November.

19 teams will be competing through a Play-In, Swiss, and single-elimination knock-out stage to win the 2026 World Champion title. Among these 19 is the team T1. They were the runner-up in the 2022 LoL Worlds and have been three-time defending champions since 2023. 

As the competition draws closer, preview the schedule, teams, format, favourites, betting, and more in this complete guide.

LoL Worlds 2026 Schedule and Dates

The three stages of Worlds 2026 will be held across three main venues in the US. The tournament returns to North America for the first time since 2022. The Play-In stage will be in Los Angeles, the Swiss and Knockout stages will be in Allen (Texas), while New York will host the final for the first time. 

Here’s the complete League of Legends Worlds 2026 schedule:

Worlds 2026 Format Explained

Since 2025, LoL Worlds has used the Fearless Draft format for all best-of-three and best-of-five matches. Under this rule, a champion played in a series can’t be picked again by either team in that series. Meanwhile, best-of-one matches draft normally as there’s no series for picks to carry over. Let’s look at the League of Legends Worlds format in detail.

Play-In Stage

For the Play-In stage, four teams will play a double-elimination bracket. All matches will be best-of-five, and only the winner moves on to the Swiss stage. The draw was completely random, but here are the fixtures that will take place:

• 15th October 2026: Karmine Corp vs Cloud9 | 7:00 PM (UK time)
• 16th October 2026: FURIA vs MVK Esports | 12:00 AM (UK time)

Swiss Stage

In the Swiss-system stage, 15 direct qualifiers and the winner of Play-Ins, 16 teams play five rounds. When a team secures three wins, it qualifies for the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, when a team faces three losses, it gets eliminated. As the competition progresses into round 2, teams with the same record will be paired. For instance, 1-1 vs 1-1 or 0-1 vs 0-1. 

All matchups will be drawn after each round is completed, and two teams will not face each other twice. All rounds will be best-of-one, but qualification and elimination matches will be best-of-three. Also, the Swiss stage doesn’t have any rematches.

Knockout Stage

The eight teams that survive the Swiss stage will be drawn into a single-elimination bracket. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and grand final will be best-of-five. Also, as there is no bronze medal match, the losers of the semi-finals will tie for 3rd place at the Worlds.

Riot has yet to announce the prize pool, but it might be $5,000,000, as last year. The winners get the Summoner’s Cup, which was redesigned by Tiffany & Co. in 2022. Crafted from Sterling silver, it weighs approximately 44 pounds and stands 26 inches tall. 

Qualified Teams for League of Legends Worlds 2026

19 teams from six competitive regions have been selected for the LoL Worlds 2026. Korea (LCK) and China (LPL) have four teams each, because they were the top two regions at MSI 2026. Meanwhile, EMEA, North America and Asia-Pacific have three teams each, and Brazil has two. 

These allocations show regional strength and competitive performance. For UK fans, these three European teams stand out: G2, Movistar KOI, and Karmine Corp. They clearly represent the European LoL scene. 

Now let’s look at the teams qualified for the Swiss stage:

Here are the teams qualified for the Play-In stage:

Who Are the Favourites to Win Worlds 2026?

The Korean LCK can’t be ignored at the LoL Worlds 2026, as they have won the last three Worlds titles. Gen.G faced recent setbacks, including a loss to G2 in the First Stand, and they have yet to secure a Worlds title. However, betting and prediction markets widely list them as favourites. 

Meanwhile, defending champions T1 are chasing a fourth consecutive title after lifting the Summoner’s Cup in 2023, 2024, and 2025. They faced regular-season struggles by losing to G2 at MSI and Karmine Corp at the Esports World Cup. But historically, they have peaked at Worlds. Hanwha Life Esports further strengthened LCK, having won MSI 2026. 

From the East, Bilibili Gaming and Anyone’s Legend lead the Chinese challenge. Bilibili Gaming reached the Worlds final, where they narrowly lost to T1. In Europe, G2 Esports is the favourite. They defeated Gen.G and T1 this year, and proved that they can compete with tough contenders. Karmine Corp also impressed by knocking T1 out of the Esports World Cup.

LoL Worlds Winners: Recent Champions

Let’s look at the LoL Worlds winners in the last five years.

T1 made history in 2025 by completing the first-ever Worlds three-peat, defeating KT Rolster in the finals held in Chengdu. After this win, they became the most successful organisation in League of Legends competitive history and hold the record for the most Worlds titles with three championships.

How to Watch League of Legends Worlds 2026 in the UK

All matches are streamed completely for free on the official LoL Esports channels. You can watch via lolesports.com, Riot Games Twitch and the LoL Esports YouTube channel. These platforms also host the full schedule, standings, and viewing drops, so that you have everything you need in one place. As the matches run on a US schedule this year, UK viewers should expect late evening or overnight viewing times to catch their favourite teams in action. 

League of Legends Worlds Betting: How It Works

When it comes to LoL Worlds betting, there are numerous markets to pick from. Let’s look at the popular ones.

• Outright winner: In this market, you bet on which team will win the tournament.
• Match winner: You place a wager on which team will win a specific match within the tournament. As these series are best-of-five or best-of-three, a team must win the five or three games to take the match.
• Map handicap: This bet in LoL Worlds is a spread-style market where you bet on the margin of victory in terms of maps won, rather than just the match winner. For example, if you bet on a favourite at -1.5 maps in a best-of-five series, they must win the entire match 2-0 or 3-0 for your bet to win. 
• Correct score: Here you bet on the exact final map result of a series. You must predict the exact score, such as 3-1 or 3-0. If the actual result differs even slightly, the bet loses.
• Total maps: This bet wagers on the exact number of games played in a series, regardless of the winner. You bet whether the total will be over or under a set line. For instance, over/under 4.5 maps. In a best-of-five, “under” wins if the series ends in 3-0 or 3-1, while “over” wins if it goes to a deciding fifth map.
• In-game markets: These are wagers on specific events that happen during matches of a series. Common in-game markets include First Blood, First Dragon, First Tower, First Baron, or Total Kills. 

It’s important to note that League of Legends Worlds Championship betting is shaped by its format. Shorter best-of-one Swiss games are less predictable than best-of-five series. Meanwhile, Fearless Draft can favour teams with deeper champion pools in longer series. As available markets vary by match and bookmaker, punters have to adapt to these specific conditions.

Things to Consider Before Betting on LoL Worlds

We would strongly advise new punters to do your research before placing bets on LoL Worlds 2026. Here are a few things to look out for:

• Evaluate teams’ recent form by analysing their performance at MSI 2026 and their domestic playoffs to understand their skill level.
• Consider the current patch, as some teams can quickly adapt to shifts. 
• Understand that upsets are common in best-of-one Swiss games, as the single-elimination nature might lead favourites to lose easily.
• Use head-to-head records between regions to learn about their tactical advantages and psychological edges.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Is LoL Worlds 2026?

The League of Legends Worlds 2026 start date is 15 October, and it runs until 14 November 2026, in the United States.

Where Is the Worlds 2026 Final?

The Worlds 2026 final is at Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York, on 14 November 2026.

How Many Teams Are at Worlds 2026?

There are 19 teams at Worlds 2026. Four teams will start in the Play-In stage and 15 go straight to the Swiss Stage.

Who Won LoL Worlds 2025?

The South Korean organisation T1 won LoL Worlds 2025, and it was their third title in a row.

Can You Bet on LoL Worlds?

Yes, you can bet on LoL Worlds. Bookmakers offer outright and match markets throughout the tournament. You can check them out on the 7bet website.

Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org