Venezuela Defies the Odds While Panama and Bangladesh Secure First ENC Spots in Street Fighter 6 Qualifiers for Esports Nations Cup 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (July 3, 2026) - The Esports Foundation (EF) today announced the completion of the online regional qualifiers for the Street Fighter 6 tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), the global nation-based esports competition set to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2-29, 2026.

A total of 24 teams will compete in the Street Fighter 6 tournament at ENC 2026. 12 countries and territories received direct invitations through the ENC Rankings last week, which aggregates points earned by players based on their placements in a selection of Street Fighter 6 tournaments. The invited team consists of the top-ranked player from the 2026 World Warrior Ranking, joined by the three highest-ranked players according to the ENC Rankings.

Now, 10 more teams have earned their spot in the main event through online regional qualifiers across North America, Central America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, South/East Asia, and Oceania. An additional slot has gone to the team representing Saudi Arabia, who secured the Host Region Wildcard as the next highest-placing competitor from the GCC region.

Here’s the full list of countries and territories that qualified through online regional qualifiers, alongside the regional qualifier winner and team captain. Full rosters will be announced on July 6th, which will consist of the qualifier winner, the top-ranked player from the 2026 World Warrior Ranking, and the two highest-ranked players according to the ENC Rankings.

North America: Mexico (LUGABO)
Central America: Panama (GranTODAKAI)
South America: Venezuela (Salvatore)
Western Europe: Netherlands (Xerna)
Eastern Europe: Sweden (Jns)
Middle East: Syrian Arab Republic (Hamood)
Africa: Algeria (Dims)
Southeast Asia: Singapore (Xian)
South/East Asia: Bangladesh (SI Anik)
Oceania: Australia (Travis Styles)
Host Regions Slot: Saudi Arabia (Latif)

In North America, LUGANO and KUSANAGI fought in the qualifier final for the right to lead Mexico into ENC, with LUGANO ultimately winning their head-to-head battle. Panama and Puerto Rico squared off in the Grand Final in Central America, with GrandTODAKAI claiming a thrilling 3-2 victory on behalf of Panama, qualifying the country for its very first ENC title. And down in South America, Salvatore of Venezuela went on a miraculous run through a gauntlet of Brazilian favorites, fighting through the lower bracket and resetting the Grand Final to guarantee Venezuela’s place at ENC.

Brothers Hamood and Abood bboy clashed in the Grand Final of the Middle East qualifier, and while Hamood won the battle today, they’ll team up to represent the Syrian Arab Republic in November. And two players from Bangladesh, RaiHan and SI Anik, met in the Grand Final of the South/East Asia qualifier, guaranteeing their country’s very first qualification to an ENC tournament with SI Anik taking the win. With Bangladesh and Panama now qualifying for their first ENC title, the total number of represented countries and territories at the ENC Finals in Riyadh now climbs to an impressive 99.

The full list of qualified players and nations can be viewed directly on the Street Fighter 6 page of the ENC website.

The Street Fighter 6 tournament at ENC will begin on November 18 and will conclude with the Grand Final on November 22. The first stage will be a 24-team round-robin group stage featuring four groups of six teams. The top four from each group will advance to the Playoffs, with best-of-four matches and a best-of-eight Grand Final.

About the Esports Nations Cup

The Esports Nations Cup (ENC) is a biennial global esports competition created by the Esports Foundation (EF) that brings national pride to the world stage. Launching in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2026, the ENC will feature the world’s best players competing not for their clubs, but for their countries and territories, across a lineup of leading esports titles. Built in collaboration with game partners, clubs, and esports organizations, the ENC establishes the first recurring, large-scale platform for national teams in esports. Beyond competition, it aims to fuel fandom, inspire heroes, and provide sustainable pathways for nations, players, and partners to grow within the global esports ecosystem. esportsnationscup.com

Esports Nations Cup media contact:
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