IEM Rio 2026 results and highlights video
The world’s best Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports teams converged on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the IEM Rio 2026 event, fighting for a $1 million prize pool and the coveted trophy. At the current Dollar to Rand exchange rate, that’s roughly R16.4 million. Here’s how things went down in Rio!
Team Vitality wins IEM Rio 2026
It all began in the Group Stage, where Team Falcons topped Group A by beating Team Vitality, and Team Spirit clawed their way into the Playoffs Stage in 3rd place. In Group B, FURIA didn’t disappoint the home crowd, topping the group, with MOUZ in 2nd and NAVI in 3rd.
Continue reading to find out what happened in the Playoffs Stage of IEM Rio 2026, or watch the highlights video below, or both!
In front of a massive, roaring crowd at the Farmasi Arena, we witnessed the historic events of the Playoffs Stage unfold in a single-elimination bracket. In the Quarterfinals, Team Spirit made quick work of MOUZ with a 2-0 score, and in the Semifinals, beat down Team Falcons with shocking ease in a 2-0 affair.
On the other side of the bracket, Team Vitality powered up once again to beat NAVI with a clean 2-0, and repeated the process against FURIA, eliminating the hometown favorites in a dominating 2-0 match. Team Falcons took care of business against FURIA in the Third-Place Decider match, beating them 2-0 in front of the Brazilian crowd.
In the Grand Final of IEM Rio 2026, sparks flew as Team Spirit managed to challenge Team Vitality in some exciting maps.
Team Vitality narrowly beat Team Spirit 16-13 on Mirage after an intense overtime affair, followed by a 13-10 win on Nuke. apEX’s men closed out the series 3-0 with a convincing 13-5 on Dust2 to lift the IEM Rio 2026 trophy.
With the win, Team Vitality becomes the first squad in Counter-Strike history to win two ESL Grand Slams. French superstar AWPer, ZywOo, was named the MVP. Congratulations!
Final IEM Rio 2026 standings
Check out the table below showcasing the final standings and winnings for each team at IEM Rio 2026.
| Placement | Team | Prize Money | Club Reward |
| 1st | Vitality | $125,000 | $170,000 |
| 2nd | Spirit | $50,000 | $120,000 |
| 3rd | Falcons | $30,000 | $95,000 |
| 4th | FURIA | $20,000 | $75,000 |
| 5th–6th | Natus Vincere, MOUZ | $12,500 | $55,000 |
| 7th–8th | Aurora, G2 Esports | $7,000 | $35,000 |
| 9th–12th | B8, HOTU, RED Canids, 3DMAX | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| 13th–16th | Legacy, Passion UA, Liquid, Gentle Mates | $4,000 | — |
Stay tuned to Esports Central as we are hyped to bring you more CS2 esports reports, news, and viewers’ guides in 2026 and beyond!
Header image via ESL.
