Team Spirit Shatter Two-Year Curse to Eliminate Team Vitality from EWC 2026

In a monumental clash at the Counter-Strike 2 Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, Team Spirit pulled off a historic 2-1 victory over Team Vitality, eliminating in the quarterfinals what was once the best team in the world. This victory marks a massive milestone for Spirit, who had not defeated Vitality in nearly two years.

Breaking the Six-Match Curse

Going into this quarterfinal, Team Vitality held a formidable psychological advantage over Team Spirit. Since Spirit's last victory against Vitality at the BLAST Premier World Final 2024—where they won 2-0 in the group stage—Vitality has dominated the head-to-head, winning six consecutive matchups. 

This streak included a painful 3-0 sweep over Spirit in the Grand Finals of IEM Rio 2026. However, Spirit flipped the script this time around, shattering their losing streak on the EWC stage.

High-Stakes Drama Between Spirit and Vitality

The best-of-3 series lived up to its massive expectations, featuring some intense back and forth.

Team Spirit set the pace early on their map pick of Anubis, edging out a tight 13-11 victory to put Vitality on the ropes.

Their rivals responded with immense resilience on their pick of Nuke. An intense overtime battle saw the French organization scrape by with a 16-14 win, equalizing the series.

With their tournament lives on the line, Mirage was left as the decider. Spirit left no room for doubt as they completely dismantled Vitality in a dominant 13-3 that included a masterclass from donk and tN1R to seal the series.

Donk’s MVP Performance

The series showcased a legendary individual performance from Spirit's superstar, donk. Earning the MVP title, donk ended the series as the top fragger, recording an outstanding 70 kills and just 43 deaths. 

Supported by tN1R’s crucial 63 kills and magixx’s map-wide support of 29 assists, Team Spirit proved too hot for Vitality to handle.

Semifinals on the Horizon

While Team Vitality pack their bags, Team Spirit marches on to the semifinals against a team they have never met before. They are set to face the Brazilian underdog squad Legacy, who also shook Paris by sweeping the reigning Major champions Team Falcons earlier in the day.

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Featured Image Credit: Esports World Cup

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