The International 2026: The Returning Hopefuls

Every year we get a new possibility of another player or organization returning to set a new record for the most TI Championships, and we decided to check every possible two, three or four-time champion at The International 2026.

On top of the expected contenders, Valve was forced to add a last-minute possible three-timer after Santiago "TaiLung" Agüero Gustavo was replaced on LGD Gaming's roster.

Four Timer? Yes, But Not as a Player

Kurtis "Aui_2000" Ling is the only current three-time champion if we count his championships as both a player and a coach. This means that if Team Falcons wins TI 2026, he will become the only four-time champion, the only Canadian to achieve the feat, and the only coach with three TI titles. A pretty impressive accomplishment.

Three-timers: A Last Minute Addition

Nobody has won The International three times yet, and TI 2026 features plenty of contenders among both players and organizations that could become the first three-time champions.

Organizations

OG: The Only Back-to-Back Two-Time Champions

OG was the first team to win two TIs and remains the only organization to win back-to-back championships. Despite being one of the three-time contenders, their chances are slim due to their inconsistent performances since they region-hopped to Southeast Asia.

Team Liquid: High Morale and High Hopes

Team Liquid did not perform consistently throughout the season, but they did win a Grand Final against the reigning TI champions at 1win Essence II. They head into TI 2026 with high morale and a chance to become the first three-time champions in Dota 2 history.

Team Spirit: Miposhka Back, Performance Not Optimal

Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov has returned as Team Spirit's coach, but aside from qualifying for The International 2026, the team did not perform particularly well at the Esports World Cup. Unless they undergo a dramatic improvement in form, they are not expected to win this edition.

Players

Sneyking and skiter

Jingjun "Sneyking" Wu and Oliver "skiter" Lepko won The International in 2022 and 2025 on Tundra Esports and Team Falcons. They are returning as defending champions this year and Team Falcons has a relatively good chance of defending the Aegis of Champions.

33

Neta "33" Shapira also won TI 2022 alongside Sneyking, while his second Aegis came with Team Liquid in 2024. After being dropped by Tundra and acquired by 1w Team, the team did not perform as well, but they still rank among the Top 5 favorites to win TI 2026.

Yatoro and Collapse 

Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov have been together since Team Spirit's first championship, and winning TI 2026 would make them the first players to win three Internationals with the same organization.

Mira

Myroslav "Mira" Kolpakov also has a shot at a third championship, but he was one of the players who left Team Spirit. Aurora Gaming is a strong team, but winning TI 2026 would still be considered a major upset given their performances throughout the season.

Topson

Due to LGD's unexpected last-minute roster change, Topias "Topson" Taavitsainen has also earned an unlikely, but real, chance of becoming the first player to win three TIs if LGD Gaming wins TI 2026.

Coaches

Miposhka

If Team Spirit wins The International 2026, Yaroslav "Miposhka" Naidenov will become the second coach to win three TI championships, matching Aui_2000. He would also become the only person to win two titles as a player and one as a coach.

Airat "Silent" Gaziev is also a two-time champion as a coach, but he is currently on Team Spirit's inactive roster.

Two-timers: A Last Minute Addition

Despite not being a new achievement, winning The International twice is still an impressive accomplishment. Currently, only three organizations have won TI twice: OG, Team Spirit and Team Liquid.

Organizations

Team Falcons

Despite having a couple of two-time champions on its roster, Team Falcons has only won The International once and is the only team with a chance to join OG as a back-to-back TI champion.

Players

Malr1ne, ATF and Cr1t

Most of Team Falcons' roster is aiming for a second TI championship, and if they succeed, Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak, Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf and Andreas "Cr1t-" Nielsen will join the list of back-to-back TI champions.

m1CKe, Nisha and Boxi

Team Liquid is in a similar situation, with Michael "miCKe" Vu, Michał "Nisha" Jankowski and Samuel "Boxi" Svahn all chasing a second International championship.

Veteran fans will remember that miCKe and Boxi have been together since their Alliance days, and winning another International would be the ultimate reward for their long-standing partnership.

Saksa

Martin "Saksa" Sazdov transformed Team Yandex's performances after joining the roster and might add his name to the list of two-time champions, considering that Team Yandex won multiple important tournaments and finished among the Top 3 teams throughout the Dota 2 professional season.

Larl

Denis "Larl" Sigitov joined Team Spirit after TORONTOTOKYO departed and could become a two-time TI champion, while his veteran teammates would set the new record with a third championship if they lift the Aegis of Champions in 2026.

SumaiL and GH

Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan still holds the record as the youngest player ever to win The International, but he has not managed to win another title since his debut.

Maroun "GH" Merhej also won The International 2017 with Team Liquid but has yet to lift another Aegis after joining Nigma Galaxy.

Bach and y`

Zhang "Faith_bian" Ruida, also known as Bach, and Zhang "y`" Yiping were not only part of the last Chinese TI-winning roster, but also members of the legendary PSG.LGD lineup that might have dominated professional Dota 2 if not for OG's dynasty.

They will try to bring the Aegis of Champions back to the East and end Europe's uninterrupted championship streak while representing Vici Gaming in Shanghai.

Coaches

kpii, Blitz and Jabbz

Damien "kpii" Chok, William "Blitz" Lee and Mathis "Jabbz" Friesel formed the coaching trio that helped Team Liquid lift the Aegis of Champions in 2024.

They will now attempt to repeat that success and become two-time champion coaches. Kpii now coaches Aurora Gaming, while Blitz and Jabbz remain with Team Liquid.

Puppey

Clement "Puppey" Ivanov is the coach with the longest career and won the very first International as a player with Natus Vincere. Now, after spending almost a decade with Team Secret, he will try to lift his second Aegis of Champions as TEAM VISION's coach.

KuroKy

Kuro "KuroKy" Salehi Takhasomi won The International 2017 with Team Liquid and, after gradually stepping away from his role as captain and hard support, now joins Nigma Galaxy as a coach in pursuit of a second championship.

Closing Thoughts

The International no longer has the astronomical prize pool it became famous for, but the glory of lifting the Aegis of Champions remains the same for every player and organization that carves its name into Dota 2 history.

If you want to follow our The International 2026 coverage, remember to check the news section on the Strafe website!

READ MORE: PGL Issues Life Time Ban For TaiLung

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