The Esports World Cup 2025 is almost here. From August 20 to 24 in Riyadh, the best teams in the world will fight for the huge $1,250,000 prize pool. On the official website, esportsworldcup.com, fans can play Pick’em by predicting the top 8 teams and their final positions.

We tried to make our own Pick’em prediction. Here is what we expect.

The top 8 teams

Some teams look like clear outsiders in the opening round. Liquid, 3DMAX, GamerLegion, Virtus.pro, Aurora, HEROIC, G2, and TYLOO are not expected to reach the quarterfinals.

That leaves us with our eight strongest teams:

• Vitality
• Spirit
• Falcons
• NAVI
• The MongolZ
• FaZe
• MOUZ
• Astralis

Quarterfinal stage

We start by choosing which teams will stop at the quarterfinals.

• Spirit vs FaZe is one of the expected matches. Spirit should win here, which means FaZe go down to 7th place.
• Falcons vs MOUZ is another big match. Falcons are strong, but their current roster looks unstable. MOUZ should be better, so we put Falcons in 5th place.
• In The MongolZ vs NAVI, things get tricky. NAVI did beat The MongolZ at IEM Cologne 2025, but right now The MongolZ look more stable. NAVI have problems with roles and form, so they take 6th place.
• Astralis vs Vitality is the last quarterfinal. Astralis are improving, but Vitality are too strong. That means Astralis finish 8th.

So the quarterfinal exits are: Falcons (5th), NAVI (6th), FaZe (7th), Astralis (8th).

The top 4

Now we move to the semifinals and beyond. Unlike many tournaments, EWC has a third-place match, so every spot in the top 4 will be decided.

• In the first semifinal, Vitality vs The MongolZ, Vitality look like clear favorites. They should reach the grand final, so Vitality are top 2 at least.
• The second semifinal is MOUZ vs Spirit. Spirit are playing their last event with zont1x, as he will be replaced by tN1R after EWC. This change, plus the pressure, makes them look weaker than usual. MOUZ should win and also reach the grand final.

That sets up Vitality vs MOUZ in the final, and Spirit vs The MongolZ in the third-place match.

Final matches

• In the third-place match, The MongolZ are dangerous, but Spirit have donk, and he can change any game. We expect Spirit to secure 3rd place, while The MongolZ finish 4th.
• The grand final will be Vitality vs MOUZ. Yes, MOUZ did beat Vitality in the Cologne semifinal. But Vitality are still the stronger and more complete team. They should bounce back and win the trophy.

Final Pick’em order

Here is our full predicted top 8 for the Esports World Cup 2025:

1. Vitality
2. MOUZ
3. Spirit
4. The MongolZ
5. Falcons
6. NAVI
7. FaZe
8. Astralis

This is how we see the tournament going. Vitality are the favorites, MOUZ will continue their great form, and Spirit’s last ride with zont1x will probably end with a top 3 finish. The MongolZ remain a dangerous dark horse, while Falcons and NAVI must prove they can fix their issues on time.