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Sentinels Qualify to the League of Legends Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026
In their first year fielding a League of Legends team, Sentinels just became the first North American team to qualify for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. The team rampaged through the EWC NA Qualifier, dropping just two games throughout the entire bracket to secure their spot in Riyadh.
Sentinels on a Tear
It's been a little over three months since Sentinels played their first official League of Legends match in the LCS. Now, the team has already qualified for their first international tournament.
Throughout the North American Qualifier, Sentinels seemed eager to make a statement. The squad made quick work of Disguised, Cloud9, and FlyQuest to reach the Grand Finals with a record of 6 wins and just 1 loss.
With a spot at the EWC 2026 on the line, Sentinels faced off against FlyQuest yet again in the finals. Though the series looked to be a tough one on paper, SEN burst out of the gates full of energy. It took just over an hour of gameplay for Sentinels to set themselves up 2-0; just a single win away from booking their ticket to Riyadh.
FlyQuest tried their best to fight back, punching hard in Game 3 before setting themselves up in a great spot to take Game 4 as well. In the end, though, things fell apart for FLY in the crucial final teamfight, granting Sentinels a clean path towards the enemy nexus and the Esports World Cup.
Two Teams Locked So Far
As the reigning EWC champions, Gen.G were the first team to secure their spot at the 2026 edition of the tournament. Now, Sentinels join Gen.G to become the second team qualified for the event. For North America, this means only one spot remains, which will go to the champions of the 2026 LCS Spring Split.
Over in EMEA, your favorite LEC and EMEA Masters teams are currently competing in their own EWC Qualifier. Make sure to check out the latest results and coming matchups as the race to Riyadh continues.
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Featured image credit: Heaven Wolf/Riot Games
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