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FURIA's Guigo on Cloud9 Win and MVK Rematch: "Fans Can Expect a Win"
17 Oct, 2026, 09:48
|Last updated: 17 Oct, 2026, 09:48
After FURIA eliminated Cloud9 3-1 from the 2026 League of Legends World Championship on Friday, October 16, top laner Guilherme "Guigo" Ruiz spoke to Strafe about what went wrong in the team's opening series and how the players recovered.
In this exclusive interview, Guigo discusses FURIA's limited preparation time following the CBLOL final, the pressure of international competition, Cloud9's draft decisions, and why he believes Saturday's rematch against MVK Esports will be different. The conversation was conducted in Portuguese and translated into English.
*The following interview has been lightly edited for readability
Recovering From Day 1 Loss to MVK
FURIA opened the Play-Ins Stage with a 3-0 defeat to MVK Esports, dropping to the Lower Bracket. There, they were set to face Cloud9, who had also fallen after losing to Karmine Corp.
"I honestly think yesterday was a very unusual day for us. Like I've said in other interviews, our schedule was really bad. We lost the final and then spent two days traveling here. Two days later, we already had to play, but one of those days was Media Day. On the other day, the only practice we managed to get was a mixed scrim with some Tier 2 players here in North America. So we really didn't have much time to prepare. We went into the MVK series pretty raw. But I feel like that was enough to warm us up for today's match. Thankfully, we were able to show a bit more of how we actually play today."
What Was Different About Today?
"Pretty much everything. We played really, really badly yesterday, individually in lane, in our team decisions, even in figuring out what we wanted to do in the game. Everything was slow and out of sync.
I feel like yesterday was a slap in the face that woke us up, and we came back much better today. There wasn't some big, elaborate team talk. I think everyone understood pretty quickly."
FURIA and Cloud9 Meet Again
FURIA and Cloud9 are no strangers to each other. During the Americas Cup, the debate over which region was stronger, Brazil or North America, was at its peak.
FURIA made their case on stage, sweeping Cloud9 3-0 in the Grand Final of the tournament, which awarded the winning team a funded bootcamp during MSI 2026. Seven months later, FURIA proved their worth once again, this time on the Worlds 2026 stage.
Did That Previous Experience Change How You Prepared for This Series?
"I don't think so. Actually, I'd say they were the ones who lacked preparation. I don't think they prepared particularly well for us. I also think we got a better understanding of what was strong as the series went on. It all happened pretty naturally."
Cloud9 Targeted You With Several Bans, Including Vayne, but Still Left Your Volibear Open in Game 3. Do You Think Their Draft Decisions Played a Part in Their Defeat?
"I see it pretty much the same way. We actually played Volibear against them at the Americas Cup and beat them with it, too. So it really was a bit strange."
FURIA on the International Stage
Since the Americas Cup, FURIA's international results have been far from impressive. Across MSI 2026 and the Esports World Cup, the team went winless, posting a combined 0-9 record.
According to Guigo, emotions play a major role in FURIA's international performances, often preventing the team from playing at its best. Following their loss to MVK Esports, the Brazilian organization extended its international losing streak to 10 games before finally breaking it with a victory over Cloud9.
Why Do You Think the Team Has Had Difficulty Adjusting to the Level of Play at International Events in the Past?
"At the last MSI, it was pretty similar to yesterday's loss. It was a huge blow for everyone. At MSI, we'd been having good practice sessions and were well prepared. We were scrimming against LCK and LPL teams and doing well.
So I think emotions played a big part when we started losing and found ourselves in difficult positions. We started rushing things and making decisions based much more on emotion. I didn't feel that as much today. Yesterday was like that again, but today we were calmer and more rational.
We're a pretty young roster, so it's normal not to have that much emotional control yet. That's something you develop throughout your career and your life. In my opinion, one of the hardest things for an athlete is staying in control of their emotions and knowing how to reset quickly. I think that has affected us quite a lot at international events."
With Such a Short Break Between Yesterday's Loss and Today's Match, How Did You Personally Deal With Those Emotions While Preparing to Face Cloud9?
"I think playing with such a short break between matches has pros and cons. The positive side is that you're already warmed up, and you go into the next day thinking about what you want to do differently and what you couldn't execute before. The downside is that you don't get the preparation time you'd usually have between series.
But our team has been in this situation quite a few times, losing early in the bracket and then having to play everyone through the lower bracket. So I'd say it's actually a situation we're pretty comfortable with."
There Were a Lot of Negative Reactions From Brazilian Fans After the Loss to MVK. Were You and the Rest of the Team Able to Block Out That Outside Noise Before Today's Match?
"Absolutely. We stayed completely off Twitter and Instagram between yesterday and today. We didn't even dare open them."
Playing at Worlds Is a Dream for Many Players, and Not Everyone Gets This Opportunity. After Today's Victory, Has Your Perspective Changed on How Far FURIA Can Go in This Tournament?
"I've always had a lot of confidence in this team, ever since the first tournaments we won. I think we have incredible players with so much talent and drive.
I think Tatu and Ayu are especially excited about playing internationally. Honestly, I do a lot of this for them. They're people who really deserve it, and I see how hard they work every day. I want to play well so everyone can succeed together. I really want to see them achieve great things."
Rematch Against MVK
"I think they're [MVK] a really chaotic team. They're fun to watch, including in today's series, even though they lost. They try a lot of different things and different picks.
Overall, they're the kind of team that will punish you if you come into the match half asleep. But I believe we're a team that adapts well and learns from playing against an opponent, which is the case with MVK. So I believe we'll go into this one much more alert."
What Kind of Playstyle Do You Think Defines FURIA Best, Especially When Everyone Is Playing at Their Highest Level?
"I think we're a very methodical team overall, even if some games don't make it look that way. We're a pretty controlled team, and I think we showed that in today's series.
When we're in good positions and have champions we're comfortable with, things tend to run very smoothly. Nobody needs to micromanage or control anyone else during the game.
Our challenge is finding good drafts and putting ourselves in good positions in-game so we're all on the same page. When that happens, everything flows naturally."
What Can FURIA Fans Expect in Tomorrow's Rematch?
"I think they can expect a win. What happened yesterday was a nightmare. It was an awful day. I don't see this team having another series like that. We came into today's match with a lot of confidence, and I think we're much more warmed up for tomorrow."
When Is FURIA's Next Match at Worlds 2026?
FURIA will face MVK Esports on Saturday, October 17, at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 18:00 UTC in the Play-In lower bracket final. The rematch comes two days after MVK swept FURIA 3-0 in the opening round.
The winner will move on to face Karmine Corp on Sunday, October 18, for the Play-In's only spot in the Swiss Stage. The loser will be eliminated from Worlds 2026.
Follow Strafe's full Worlds 2026 coverage for the match schedule, results, participating teams, and more from the League of Legends World Championship.
Follow Strafe Esports for the latest League of Legends news, and check out our X account for more updates and coverage. You can also visit the Strafe YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.
Featured image credit: Riot Games
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