FalleN Reflects on Final Tournaments of His Career After FURIA's Thunderpick 2026 Win

Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo has reflected on the significance of winning another trophy as he approaches the end of his professional Counter-Strike 2 career. Following FURIA's victory at the Thunderpick World Championship 2026, the Brazilian captain admitted that individual struggles earlier in the season had made the title particularly meaningful.

FURIA defeated BETBOOM 3-2 in Sunday's (October 18) grand final in Malta, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to secure their second consecutive Thunderpick title and their first trophy of 2026.

In a lengthy post on X following the victory, FalleN spoke about his renewed confidence, the pressure of performing in decisive moments and the emotions of lifting another trophy with FURIA during what he described as some of the final tournaments of his career.

FalleN Reflects on Approaching Retirement After Thunderpick Victory

The 35-year-old captain explained that the championship carried particular personal significance because of his stage in his career. While celebrating the result, he acknowledged that his remaining opportunities to compete are becoming increasingly limited.

"At this stage of my career, knowing that every tournament carries a different weight and that these are among the last ones I'll play, experiencing a moment like this means even more. After so long, lifting a trophy with this team again is incredibly special, and I still believe we can finish this story with even more success!"

FalleN also highlighted how much more involved he felt in the team's success compared to previous tournaments. According to the captain, his ability to deliver in clutches and high-pressure situations helped restore his confidence.

"This tournament also had a special meaning for me individually. I felt I was able to help the team much more in important moments than in recent tournaments. I had decisive rounds, clutches and high-pressure situations where I managed to succeed and help us complete this comeback."

Despite his personal satisfaction, FalleN stressed that the achievement belonged to the entire roster, pointing out that every player had contributed important moments throughout the tournament.

The Brazilian also thanked fans who followed the championship from home and those who attended the event in Malta, acknowledging their support throughout the five-map final.

FalleN Reveals Intense Practice Routine Behind FURIA's Comeback

During the post-match interview on the official Thunderpick broadcast, Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo opened up about his individual struggles, the work he had put in following FURIA's previous elimination, and what winning another trophy meant to him.

"It means a lot to me. It means that hard work pays off. Only I know how much I've been working this week. After the last tournament, when we got eliminated, I felt like I played really badly and that I had to overcome that.

I talked to Mareks (YEKINDAR) and said, 'Is this going to be the moment that breaks us, or are we going to do something more about it?' I practiced a lot, played deathmatch every day, watched demos, Counter-Strike all the time. It shows that we can bounce back through hard work.

We practiced every match day. Practice and tournament, practice and tournament, because we don't have time. It's a packed schedule, but I'm happy to win here in Malta. I have some friends here, Milos, my physiotherapist, with his son.

Malta is FURIA's second home. They've supported us so much and have been helping esports for many, many years, so winning here for the second year in a row is an honor."

FalleN also reflected on his individual improvement throughout the tournament. The Brazilian captain felt he had contributed much more than in recent competitions, particularly during crucial moments of the grand final.

"Absolutely. I played really well individually in this tournament. I feel like I helped a lot more than in the others. It comes down to how much work I was putting in. It wasn't enough before.

I can see the difference now. I'm just happy with the work we're putting in and happy for my teammates. It wasn't easy. We played a great match, BETBOOM made everything difficult, and it was a great series. You can't ask for more entertainment than that."

His performance included a crucial two-versus-four situation on Mirage, which helped FURIA close out the map 13-11 before winning Cache 13-6 to complete the comeback.

FURIA Players and Coach React to Thunderpick 2026 Title

FalleN's teammates and coach Sid "sidde" Macedo also spoke to James Banks during the trophy ceremony, reflecting on the difficult final and the team's first championship victory of 2026.

Yuri "yuurih" Santos credited the team's ability to remain calm despite mistakes throughout the series.

"I think the difference today was that we stayed calm enough to close out the game, even though it was a little difficult. We lost rounds we shouldn't have lost, but I'm proud of everyone. Everyone played well.

Even on that last map, we lost rounds we shouldn't have, but we'd been practicing, and I'm proud of everyone."

Kaike "KSCERATO" Cerato acknowledged FURIA's difficult schedule and compared the hard-fought championship victory to scoring an ugly goal in football.

"It's been a tough road. We've played so many tournaments, but I'm happy we finally made it. Back-to-back champions at Thunderpick, it doesn't matter. That's what I was telling the guys: even if it's ugly, a goal is still a goal."

Coach sidde admitted he was furious after FURIA fell behind 2-1 in the series. He also revealed that YEKINDAR had played the final despite being sick.

"I was so angry after the third map. I don't think they've ever seen me that pissed off because we weren't playing our game. But I understand. It's a big match, and our opponents played really well. They made everything difficult for us, like FalleN said.

But I think sometimes we forget that in difficult games, the opponent might also be making our lives harder. We decided to just play and see how things went, and it worked out.

I'm happy for the guys, especially Mareks and what he did today while being sick. It's a happy ending for everyone. Everyone deserves it.

Like FalleN said, we're practicing before matches. It's crazy. I don't know how they manage it after the busy schedule we've had, but here we are. We did it."

Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis was visibly overwhelmed after the victory and struggled to describe his emotions.

"My mind is all over the place right now. At some point, you just get going, and it's hard to stop. That's why... I don't know, I can't even speak right now, really."

Danil "molodoy" Golubenko thanked FURIA's supporters for standing by the team despite several months without a title.

"First, I want to thank everyone who cheered for us. I know it's hard because we haven't been playing well for the last five or six months. Thank you for believing in us and cheering for us.

And I want to thank the team for playing alongside me. I also want to thank my family for believing in me. What can I say? We won a trophy. I'm happy."

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Featured image credit: Thunderpick

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