The Esports World Cup Foundation announced this week that it has opened applications for esports organizations to apply for the 2026 Club Partner Program.
The 2026 EWCF Club Partner Program will give organizations that are accepted various financial incentives, with the total cap on this year’s program capped at $20 million USD.
The 2026 program will support 40 international organizations—up from the 30 that were accepted last year—and like 2025, will provide incentives for teams that promote the Esports World Cup on social media and video content, bring on more teams to compete in multiple titles that are partner of the Esports World Cup Club Championship, and generally grow their international fanbases in “key growth regions, including India, China, Southeast Asia, and LATAM,” while also promoting the summer event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Of those 40 clubs, eight have already received direct invites based on their performances at the 2025 Esports World Cup: Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Team Vitality, Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, AG.AL, Gen.G Esports, and Weibo Gaming.
The Esports World Cup Foundation said in its announcement that esports organizations will be assessed “on competitive excellence across multiple game titles, long-term vision, and the ability to engage and grow their communities through content and fan-centred initiatives.”
Applications for esports organizations worldwide are open until Dec. 18. You can find more information at esportsworldcup.com/clubprogram. Those organizations chosen for the program will be announced in January 2026, following completion of an evaluation process.
“Through the EWCF Club Partner Program, we continue to invest in organizations driving esports forward and growing their fanbase together with us,” said Hans Jagnow, director of club and player relations at the Esports World Cup Foundation. “Our focus for 2026 is to deepen our global reach, supporting Clubs as they grow their communities and bringing new audiences into the world of esports. This program is not only about sustainability, but also about building the next generation of esports fandom.”
The Esports World Cup Foundation, the Esports World Cup, and the 2026 EWCF Club Partner Program are all directly funded by a sports grant provided by the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund.
Esports World Cup competitions are operated and produced by ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Savvy Games Group. Savvy is owned by the Saudi government, and its Chairman of the Board is the country’s de facto ruler, HRH Crown Prince MBS. EFG is home to tournament organizer ESL, competition platform FACEIT, and esports and gaming festival company DreamHack.
Projects backed or owned by the Saudi Arabian government, such as the Esports World Cup are frequently criticized for helping the government engage in so-called “sports washing,” or using various forms of entertainment to cover up its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, its mistreatment (and executions of) journalists, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms have been highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.