The Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF), which is a National Team Partner of the Esports Nations Cup, continues to familiarize the community with all the key aspects of the upcoming championship.
ENC 2026 will give every EA SPORTS FC player the chance to compete for a spot on the national team and represent Ukraine on the international stage. The qualifying round will be the first step toward the final, which will take place in Riyadh. There, the best esports players from various countries will compete not only for the championship title, but also for the honor of representing their countries at a prestigious international tournament.
Qualification format: from the FC ENC Ladder to the finals in Riyadh
The final stage of the 2026 Esports Nations Cup will bring together 128 participants. Half of the spots— 64 slots — will go to players who, as of July 27, 2026, are among the top players in the FC Pro World Rankings. At the same time, the organizers have imposed a restriction: only one representative from each country can receive an automatic invitation. Only after all possible countries have been included in the list can additional slots be considered.
Another 56 spots in the finals will be decided through regional qualifiers. The Esports Foundation will allocate the remaining eight spots separately, at its discretion. In general, a maximum of two esports players may represent a single country in the final stage of the tournament.
The first challenge on the road to the ENC will be the FC ENC Ladder, which will take place from July 29 to August 2. This is an open online round in which participants can play at their convenience over the course of five days. The final result is based on the best performance over the entire period, not on the outcome of a single match. At this stage, 256 spots in the next round are available for players from Eastern Europe. You can register directly through EA SPORTS FC.
The next step will be the regional qualifiers, which will take place on August 8–9. The first day will be held using the Swiss system, after which the top players will continue competing in a double-elimination bracket.
The organizers have allocated 14 spots in the Esports Nations Cup finals for the Eastern Europe region. If several participants finish the selection process with the same results, their rankings will be determined based on additional criteria. First, the final standing in the regional qualifier will be taken into account, followed by the result in the Swiss stage, then the position on the FC ENC Ladder, and finally, the position in the FC Pro World Rankings as of July 27, 2026.
Eligibility Requirements, Total Prize Pool, and Schedule of Key Stages for ENC 2026
To be eligible to compete in the Esports Nations Cup 2026, players must comply with the tournament’s official rules and complete the verification process to confirm their eligibility to represent their chosen country. To do this, you must provide proof of citizenship or residency in the country under whose flag the participant plans to compete.
The ENC 2026 finalists will compete not only for the title of their country’s best representative, but also for a share of the massive $600,000 prize pool. In addition to financial rewards, participants will have the chance to make a name for themselves on the global EA SPORTS FC stage and join the ranks of the discipline’s top players.
Schedule of Key Milestones for the 2026 Esports Nations Cup:
- FC ENC Ladder — July 29–August 2, 2026
- FC ENC Regional Qualifiers — August 8–9, 2026
- FC ENC Special Qualifications — August 15–16, 2026
- The final stage of the ENC — November 17–22, 2026, Riyadh