Overview
- AG. AL secured the 2026 Club Championship on Sunday when French player Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc won the inaugural Trackmania final, giving the club 5,300 points and a $7 million first‑place prize while Duparc took $130,000 for the event win.
- The seven‑week Paris run featured more than 2,000 players from about 200 clubs competing across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a $75 million prize pool and delivered record reach with 850 million viewers and 175,000 tickets sold.
- Organisers moved this edition from Riyadh to Paris because of safety concerns tied to the US–Iran conflict, and the closing ceremony was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
- The event faced boycotts and criticism from some players and commentators who said Saudi investment seeks to whitewash the kingdom’s image, but many teams still participated because of the scale, prize money and global exposure.
- AG. AL’s rise from 38th in 2024 to champion in 2026 highlights China’s growing club power in esports and could accelerate investment and club expansion as the Esports World Cup returns to Riyadh in 2027.