Team Liquid stayed alive at The International 2026 with a 2-1 win over Team Falcons in the first round of the lower bracket on 21 August, while Team Falcons were eliminated and finished in 7th-8th place.
The result narrowed the tournament to its final six teams and ended the run of the defending champions. It also continued a busy stretch between the two teams, who had met just a week earlier when Team Liquid swept Team Falcons in the grand finals of 1win Essence II.
How the match got there
Both teams entered The International 2026 as recent TI champions, but they arrived in the lower bracket after losing their opening playoff matches. Team Liquid were swept by Yandex, while Team Falcons fell to Nigma Galaxy in a reverse sweep.
Their paths through the Group Stage showed how strong both teams could be, even if the playoff results did not go their way. Team Liquid finished the Group Stage with a 4-1 record, opening with a sweep of Vici Gaming in Round 1 before beating Yandex in three games in Round 2, losing to Team Spirit in Round 3, defeating Iron Wing in Round 4 and then reverse sweeping Aurora Gaming to secure a spot in the main event.
Team Falcons also reached the main event after a solid run. They beat LGD Gaming in their first match, then lost to TEAM VISION and Iron Wing before defeating GamerLegion in Round 4 and BoomBoys in Round 5. In a do-or-die match for a playoff spot, they swept Vici.
What it means next
For Team Liquid, the win keeps the team in the hunt for the title and sets up a matchup on 22 August against the loser of the upper bracket semifinal between Team Yandex and Nigma Galaxy. For Team Falcons, the loss brings a sudden end to a title defense that had already become difficult after the opening playoff setback.
The elimination also leaves OG as the only back-to-back TI champions, a reminder of how hard it is to repeat at the event even for the most accomplished teams.
