MSI 2026 features a clear three-team race at the top, but the gap between the S-tier and the rest is closer than the rankings suggest. On the right day, any of the teams in this field can cause an upset, which makes predicting the winner far less straightforward than it looks on paper. Here is our full MSI 2026 team tier list and predictions for how the tournament plays out.
Table of Contents
MSI 2026 Team Tier List
| Tier | Teams |
|---|---|
| S | HLE, BLG, T1 |
| A | TES, G2 |
| B | Furia, KC, LYON |
| C | Team Liquid, TSW, Deep Cross Gaming |
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MSI 2026 Predictions: Who Will Win
HLE
Hanwha Life Esports enter MSI 2026 with arguably the most dominant individual player performance in the LCK this split. Kanavi is sitting at the top of our jungle rankings and Zeus is right behind Bin at second in the top lane. Zeka in mid is a consistent force and Delight at support rounds out one of the most complete rosters at the tournament. What makes HLE particularly dangerous is that they do not have a single weak link. Every lane can win independently and Kanavi has the ability to influence every part of the map. If HLE are playing at their peak this is the team most likely to take the trophy.
BLG
Bilibili Gaming bring the most individually talented roster when you look at the top lane and mid lane specifically. Bin is our top ranked top laner at MSI 2026 and Knight sits at the top of the mid lane rankings. That combination of raw carry power is genuinely terrifying and on the right day BLG can look unbeatable. Xun in the jungle is strong and ON at support is a reliable foundation. The question with BLG is always consistency. When they are on they are the best team in the world but they have shown a tendency to drop games they should not in international play. If they can stay disciplined throughout the bracket they are a serious title contender.
T1
T1 come into MSI 2026 as the defending world champions and while they are not necessarily the favourites on paper this time around they remain one of the hardest teams to beat in a series. Keria is the best support at the tournament by our rankings and Peyz tops the ADC list, giving T1 one of the most dominant bot lanes in the field. Faker in mid is as reliable as ever even if he sits fourth in our individual mid rankings, and Oner is a strong second in the jungle. T1's strength has always been their shotcalling, adaptability, and ability to find wins in situations other teams cannot. Do not count them out of any series regardless of who they are facing.
Other Teams to Watch at MSI 2026
G2 Esports
G2 are the most unpredictable team at this tournament and that cuts both ways. On a good day they are genuinely capable of taking a game or even a series off any of the S tier teams, and they have done exactly that on international stages before. The problem is that for every moment of brilliance there is an equal chance you are watching them throw a late game lead they had no business losing or drop a series to a team they should comfortably beat. BrokenBlade, SkewMond, Caps, Hans Sama, and Labrov are all capable players but G2 as a unit are streaky in a way that makes them very hard to predict. If everything clicks they are a genuine upset threat. If it does not you already know what happens.
TES
Top Esports is the other team worth keeping a close eye on. When TES is in form, they do not look like an A-tier team at all, they look like a third S-tier team. Knight is our top-ranked mid laner at the tournament, and Creme is not far behind, giving TES a scary amount of mid lane firepower. The issue is their international consistency. TES has shown up to multiple international tournaments looking capable of winning it all and repeatedly found ways to underperform when it matters most. If they arrive at MSI 2026 in the form they showed during their best domestic performances, they will cause serious problems for HLE, BLG, and T1. Whether they actually do that or revert to their international habits is the big question.
