RIYADH: The Esports World Cup kicks off in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday as the world’s largest esports and gaming festival comes to Riyadh.

Running until August 24, the event features more than 2,000 elite players, 25 tournaments across 24 leading titles, and a record-breaking prize pool of over $70 million, cementing its status as the biggest and most significant esports event ever staged.

The event will bring together the world’s top 200 clubs to compete in a new format.

At the heart of the competition is the Club Championship, where teams accumulate points across multiple games to become the EWC Club Champion, claim a $7 million grand prize and hoist the coveted EWC Club Championship trophy.

The $70+ million prize pool also includes $38+ million for individual Game Championships, $5 million in global qualifier rewards, and $450,000 in MVP bonuses.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, the chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, praised the Saudi leadership for their support and said: “The Kingdom is cementing its position as a global leader in gaming and esports. The Esports World Cup is a clear reflection of that progress.”

The event, run by the Esport World Cup Foundation, was first held in Riyadh last year with a purse of $62.5 million. 

The team competition was won by Team Falcons, a Saudi esports team, in 2024. 

“This event stands as a global milestone for esports by showcasing the scale, ambition, and future of competitive gaming,” Prince Faisal said. “It is a moment that will shape the direction of the industry for years to come.” 

Faisal bin Homran, chief product officer of Esports World Cup Foundation, added: “The Esports World Cup is redefining what’s possible in esports. It brings together the world’s top teams to compete in the most iconic and advanced arenas, delivering a level of excitement that is unmatched across the industry.

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland: France produced a dominant display to thrash Wales 4-1 and go top of Group D at Euro 2025 on Wednesday, outclassing their opponents who scored their first goal at a major championship.
After England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier in the day, France went top of the group on six points, followed by the English and the Dutch on three points each.
Wales, who face England in their final group game on Sunday, have yet to register a point but still have a mathematical chance of going through to the knockouts. France face the Netherlands in their last group game.
Clara Mateo was at the center of much of France’s attacking play and lashed them into an early lead, controlling a flick-on from a corner on her chest and firing a volley into the net in the eighth minute.
The moment thousands of Wales fans had been waiting for came five minutes later when Ceri Holland broke down the left and though her first attempt to find Jess Fishlock was blocked, she managed to steer the ball to the 38-year-old, who poked home Wales’ maiden goal at the women’s European Championship finals.
That was as good as it got for Wales, who looked set to go into the break level only for Holland to chop down Mateo in the box and Kadidiatou Diani’s spot kick crept over the line after striking the foot of keeper Safia Middleton-Patel.
Middleton-Patel was at fault just after the break as she lost control of the ball in the box, allowing Mateo to tee up Amel Majri, who thumped it into the net.
After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win.
“We’ve got six points after two matches and that’s what we need to remember. It won’t be an easy (next) game because the Netherlands will have no choice but to attack and score goals,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.
Mateo was impressed with how her side bounced back from Fishlock’s equalising goal and how they went on to dominate.
“We had a bit of a scare at the start of the game but we had confidence in ourselves. It was a great evening, there are different strikers and that’s important for everyone’s confidence,” she said.