MSI 2026 Team of the Tournament: The Best Player in Every Role

MSI 2026 is over after a thrilling two weeks of action, and Hanwha Life Esports get to rest easy knowing they are at the top of the League of Legends esports world — at least for now.

Before the dust fully settles in Daejeon, though, it is time to take a look at our 'Team of the Tournament', selecting one player per role who stood out above the competition throughout the event.

MSI 2026: Team of the Tournament

Whether it be for their consistency, their playmaking, their sheer carry performances, or their ability to shine bright in the clutch, here's a look at the five players who made our MSI 2026 Team of the Tournament.

Top Lane — HLE Zeus

Was it ever going to be anyone other than the tournament's Finals MVP? If Hanwha Life was able to pull through and win MSI 2026 in the end, that was largely thanks to their monster of a Top Laner: Choi "Zeus" Woo-je.

After playing the most amount of unique picks at MSI for any Top Laner, it was his Dr. Mundo that proved pivotal in the end as he took over teamfights at the eleventh hour.

The amount of praise deserved for outplaying and containing a player of Chen "Bin" Zebin's caliber throughout the entire finals, moreover, simply can't be understated.

When it came to reaching the MSI trophy, Zeus was the difference maker.

Jungle — BLG XUN

This wasn't necessarily a Jungler's tournament, that much is true. But while many top-tier Junglers struggled to consistently show their best form across the tournament, Peng "XUN" Lixun was at the heart of every play BLG made on their way to reaching the Grand Finals.

No Jungler at MSI came even close to XUN's kill participation numbers (74.5%), showing just how important he is for this rampant BLG despite often being one of the least talked-about players on the squad when it comes to star power.

Mid Lane — BLG knight

He may not have come away with the title — effectively putting an end to BLG's hopes of achieving the Golden Road — but Mid Laner Zhuo "knight" Ding continues to have one of the most impressive years a single player has ever produced all the same.

At MSI, knight did not disappoint. The Chinese player looked a step above all of his Mid Lane competition throughout the tournament.

Even in the Grand Finals, knight was the player with the second-highest damage per minute (876) of the series behind only the perennial champion Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyung (892), and leagues above his lane opponent Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo (601). 

Whatever you may think about knight, it cannot be said that he didn't try.

Bot Lane — T1 Peyz

The fact that T1 were eliminated so early into MSI despite the monstrous tournament that Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan was having is nothing short of heartbreaking.

Despite Peyz looking untameable throughout the event, the rest of the squad took turns disappointing fans and teammates alike.

Suffice to say that, in T1's elimination series against G2 Esports, Peyz finished the series with a KDA of 40/12/22 and a ridiculous damage per minute stat of 1274 (the second-highest in the series was only 853). All that during a 1-3 loss.

Support — LYON Isles

It was an absolutely stacked lineup of Support players at MSI 2026, and yet no one was more impressive than LYON's Jonah "Isles" Rosario.

If the LCS Champs blew all predictions out of the water by sweeping G2 and standing just one or two teamfights away from taking down the eventual champions of Hanwha Life, that was all thanks to the possessed performances of their Tasmanian devil in the Support role.

Time and again, Isles showed up everywhere on the map for LYON. On picks like Pyke, Bard, Alistar, and Camille, Isles consistently managed to look like the biggest playmaker at MSI. 

It has been no easy road for the Australian player to get to this point, but the amount of determination, boldness, and growth Isles displayed on the international stage over the past two weeks really needs to be celebrated.

A Spectacular Event on All Fronts

Gone, but not forgotten. With a double-elimination bracket only serving to deliver growing excitement, MSI 2026 in Daejeon, South Korea, was an absolute success of a tournament. BLG's Golden Road may have come to an end, but that will likely only serve as further fuel to work even harder before Worlds comes around.

Will the LCK continue to dominate the biggest tournament in League of Legends esports, or can a new region rise to the top before the year comes to an end? As we move deeper into the season, hype only continues to grow.

---

Follow Strafe Esports for the latest League of Legends news, and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.

Featured image credit: Christina Oh/Riot Games

Read more:

Hanwha Life Esports Crowned MSI 2026 Champions

G2 Esports Announce Perkz as New LoL Head Coach

League of Legends Patch 26.14 Preview: Locke Nerfs, Mordekaiser Buffs, and More!