Rocket League Esports World Cup 2026 begins on August 12 with Karmine Corp, Falcons, Gentle Mates, NRG and Vitality in action.
Rocket League Esports World Cup 2026 kicks off on Wednesday, August 12, with the first group stage fixtures, when 14 teams will start their campaign for the coveted trophy.
Esportbet brings you free Rocket League betting predictions and expert picks for the upcoming games, along with odds from the top-rated bookmakers every esports punter should have in their arsenal.
Karmine Corp are the reigning Major champions and one of the strongest teams attending the Esports World Cup.
The Major title run came after a fairly disappointing performance in the domestic league, with a top-four finish in EU Open 4, second in Open 5, and fifth-sixth in Open 6.
However, while Karmine Corp have managed to win only two gold medals this season, the recent Major title run is proof enough that this squad has what it takes to compete for big trophies.
Wildcard are the strongest team from the Oceanic region, but they failed to make any noise in the Paris Major, proving they do not have the tools to challenge the world’s elite.
And it gets hardly any more elite than Karmine Corp.
Karmine Corp -2.5 maps
Team Falcons have one of the highest ceilings in the scene, but also a very low floor.
This is one of the most volatile tier-one Rocket League teams in the world, and you never know which version of Falcons you are going to get.
Despite dominating the MENA region and even reaching the semifinals of the Boston Major, Falcons then went on to miss out on the Paris Major.
This has given them plenty of time to work on their issues, granted, the volatility is likely going to stay.
R8 Esports are not among the top contenders at the EWC, but they know the Falcons very well, having faced them three times since April.
The last two games ended in a loss, yet all three extended to the final map, proving that R8 know how to push Falcons to their limits.
R8 Esports +1.5 maps
Gentle Mates are -20000 favourites to defeat Five Fears, which translates to a 99.5% implied probability of winning Wednesday’s game.
That is an absurd number, but given the state of Five Fears and their showings at the Paris Major, where they got swept by MIBR, Man City Esports, and NRG, it does not sound wrong.
From a betting perspective, taking Five Fears to take a map does not sound too wrong, mainly due to the fact that Gentle Mates have not played a match since early June.
Rust is a factor, and considering M8 have previously dropped maps against weaker teams, another slip-up is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Five Fears +2.5 maps
MIBR.LOS are viewed as heavy underdogs for their clash against Spacestation Gaming after producing an underwhelming performance at the Paris Major.
There, MIBR crashed out in ninth-12th place following a 2-4 loss against SSG.
MIBR will be hungry to get their revenge on Wednesday, and while expecting them to upset the high-flying Spacestation Gaming is too optimistic, MIBR can leave a dent.
They took two maps off SSG last time out and even forced NRG to five maps in the group stage of the Paris Major.
The South American squad have fight in them and are not the type to roll over and die.
MIBR.LOS +1.5 maps
NRG are listed as -4000 favourites on the top-rated Rocket League bookmakers, which gives them a 97.6% implied probability of beating TSM.
This is a huge number on a team that struggled in the last LAN event, exiting the Paris Major in ninth-12th place.
TSM were not too successful in the Paris Major either, exiting the tournament in 13th-16th place.
Even though TSM are APAC’s top squad, their showings on LAN this season have been disappointing at best, suggesting another early exit is likely on the cards.
NRG should win, but at plus money, it is hard not to take TSM to steal one map.
TSM +2.5 maps
Team Vitality are among the leading candidates to win the Esports World Cup, having shown strong form throughout the season.
They won EU Open 4 and 6, and made the semifinals of the Paris Major, where they had to admit defeat to Karmine Corp in a closely fought seven-map series.
FURIA are not to be overlooked either, as one of South America’s top squads.
However, while FURIA have looked potent domestically, their performances in the two RLCS Majors this season have left a lot to be desired, suggesting FURIA are not as efficient on international stages.
Team Vitality are viewed as favourites, and for good reason. This is their game to lose.
Team Vitality -1.5 maps
No odds available.
Shopify Rebellion are expected to dominate NIP.eStar, which comes as no surprise.
While Shopify Rebellion are not among the leading Esports World Cup title contenders, they played well in the recent Paris Major, where SR reached the semifinals.
That adds to their strong showings in NA Open 4-6, with two top-four finishes and a gold medal from Open 5.
Ninjas in Pyjamas have had their moments in recent months, placing top-four in EU Open 5 and 6. However, they collapsed at the Paris Major, suggesting NIP are unlikely to find more success in their return to France.
These two teams met in May, in the final round of Paris Major Group C, when Shopify Rebellion won 3-0.
Considering how that game played out, another sweep is unlikely, but Shopify Rebellion can win with two rounds to spare.
Shopify Rebellion -1.5 maps
Mark Prezelj
Esports Betting Analyst
Mark Prezelj is a Slovenian esports betting analyst with over 3,500 articles at EsportBet and the founder of Lines64.com — someone who has been reading odds longer than most readers have been watching esports.
