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Esports Foundation Announces the 40 Clubs for 2026 Club Partner Program
Today, the Esports Foundation (EF) announced the selected 40 esports clubs for the 2026 Club Partner Program. The program, a $20M dollar initiative, provides funding and support for all the selected clubs. Now in its 3rd year, over $100M has been reportedly invested to date.
The 40 Teams Selected for 2026 Announced
Each year, the Club Partner Program announces the selected esports clubs. These few selected will then benefit, gaining up to $1M in funding per club. The Esport Foundation has also outlined that along with the financial funding, each club on entry also gains strategic guidance and international exposure.
The official statement also underlines how the club selection process is carried out. “Clubs are selected based on annual review of competitive results, fan engagement, and evaluation of strategic vision and marketing proposals,” EF affirms.
8 teams received direct invitations based on the 2025 EWC Club Championship final standings. The remaining slots were filled through an open application process, with over 175 applicants worldwide. A total of 40 teams have been selected this year.
| No. | Club/Org/Team |
| 1) |
100 Thieves |
| 2) |
9z Globant |
| 3) |
All Gamers |
| 4) | Alpha7 Esports |
| 5) |
Cloud9 |
| 6) |
EDward Gaming |
| 7) |
Fluxo W7M |
| 8) | Fnatic |
| 9) | FURIA |
| 10) |
FUT Esports |
| 11) |
G2 Esports |
| 12) |
GAM Esports |
| 13) |
Gen.G |
| 14) | Gentle Mates |
| 15) |
GdLike |
| 16) |
HEROIC |
| 17) |
JD Gaming |
| 18) |
LEVIATAN |
| 19) |
MOUZ |
|
20) |
NAVI |
| 21) |
NIP.eStar |
| 22) |
NRG |
| 23) |
ONIC |
| 24) |
REJECT |
| 25) |
S8UL |
| 26) |
Sentinels |
| 27) |
T1 |
| 28) |
Team Falcons |
| 29) |
Team Heretics |
| 30) |
Team Liquid |
| 31) |
Team RRQ |
| 32) |
Team Secret |
| 33) |
Team Spirit |
| 34) |
Team Vitality |
| 35) |
Titan Esports Club |
| 36) |
Twisted Minds |
| 37) |
Virtus.pro |
| 38) |
Weibo Gaming |
| 39) |
Wolves Esports |
| 40) |
ZETA Division |
*Membership does not guarantee qualification for the Esports World Cup 2026. All Clubs must qualify through official competition pathways.
It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that association with the EF, previously branded as the EWCF (Esports World Cup Foundation), with its reach and resources, would massively increase the profile of many of these esports clubs.
“Through the Club Partner Program, we’ve been able to connect with our global fans with the key moments that have defined Team Vitality. For every triumph at the EWC, the Hive’s presence has been felt and seen by millions of viewers around the world as we continue to move closer to claiming the EWC Club Championship trophy. The scale of the event, followed by fans at home and around the world, showed just how influential esports has become.” - Fabien "Neo" Devide, Chairman, and Co-founder of Team Vitality.
"The Club Partner Program gives us the platform to build around our players and the moments that define our season. We want fans to follow that journey closely through our players' stories and the voices of the community behind our team that bring it to life." - Joe Marsh, CEO of T1
According to the release statement, the selected clubs together reach a combined audience of more than 300 million fans worldwide. So, in terms of gain, both sides stand to gain a lot from a successful partnership.
“Spanning the North America, Europe, MENA, China, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, and Latin America, the 2026 cohort reflects the global reach and continued development of esports across regions.”
It's worth noting that while most names from the 2025 edition made the cut again, several notable names are absent this year including Karmine Corp, Movistar KOI, LOUD, and FaZe Clan. NRG returns as well, after missing out in 2025.
Club Partner Program Announcement Video
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Featured Image Credit: Esports Foundation
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