Ukraine's CS2 national team has ended its run in the Eastern European qualifier for the Esports Nations Cup 2026. In the decisive match on 19 July the side lost 1-2 to Poland and missed out on a spot at the world championship.
The series went the distance: Poland took Ancient (13:9), Ukraine hit back on Anubis (13:9), and on the deciding Cache the Poles won 13:5.
During the qualifier Ukraine beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and Estonia, but lost to Romania and, ultimately, Poland. The core was built around fnatic players, joined by Viktor "sdy" Orudzhev and Serhii "DemQQ" Demchenko, with Miks "Independent" Silins as coach.
The Eastern European qualifier ran online from 17 to 19 July, with 16 national teams fighting for a place in the final stage and the region's top four earning tickets. The Esports Nations Cup 2026 itself takes place on 10-15 November in Riyadh, with a $1.32 million prize pool.
As a reminder, Ukraine earlier named its squad for the Esports Nations Cup qualifier.
