The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) released additional details on the nations vs. nations esports competition, the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), including regional structures, recognized participating counties, funding, and more.
National teams will be operated by “National Team Partners,” who must go through a multi-step approval process. Once approved, they will serve as the “official national counterparts for the ENC within their respective countries.” They will be in charge of coordinating national representation for the ENC, overseeing and supporting national team coaches in each supported title, and coordinating with publishers and clubs “within the ENC framework.”
These National Team Partners can be individuals, esports organizations, esports and/or sports federations, non government organizations (NGOs), “recognized government-mandated entities,” content creators, esports professionals, and other stakeholders that are “nationally recognized” and capable of handling the task of operating regional qualifiers and other ENC competitions that will ultimately feed the top players into the ENC finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November.
Further, the ENC says that it will earmark $20 million USD for ENC in 2026. The ENC Development Fund can be used to facilitate competitions, foster player growth, and more. In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t a great deal of money when you consider that more than 200 countries have been approved for participation in the first annual ENC event. Interestingly, individuals players from Russia can participate but the nation will not be allowed to play under its flag. Further, Iran, a long-time adversary of Saudi Arabia, has been excluded from the games.
A spokesperson for the EWCF told us following the publication of this story story that while more than 200 countries/territories have been approved, they think it is highly unlikely that someone from every location will apply and/or ultimately be approved, meaning that more money will be available to those places that will ultimately be approved.
More from the announcement:
“The Fund will support national team programs by covering travel and logistics for participation in the Esports Nations Cup, and by enabling promotional and fan-facing activities that build relevance, awareness, and engagement around national teams beyond the main competition, supported by the commercial, marketing, and operational capabilities required to deliver these activities consistently over time.”
“The purpose of the Esports World Cup Foundation is to elevate esports and make it sustainable,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “The Esports Nations Cup is a natural next step in that journey. By opening this application process, we are inviting trusted National Team Partners to help define the framework for how countries and territories are represented in esports with clear roles, aligned governance, and a system that works for players, game partners, and fans alike.”
Applications are now open at esportsnationscup.com and will close on Jan. 31. EWCF said in its announcement that submissions will be reviewed through a “multi-stage evaluation process, assessing governance standards, ecosystem standing, operational capability, community reach, and alignment with game partners’ requirements.”
Properties owned or tied to the Saudi Arabian government such as the Esports World Cup Foundation and the Esports Nations Cup are frequently accused of helping the government engage in so-called “sports washing,” or using various forms of sport and entertainment to cover up its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGTBQ+ rights, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms are actively highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Iran was not included in the list of approved countries; this was incorrect and we apologize for the error.