There are 13 days left until the IEM Cologne Major kicks off. We have evaluated the field and compiled our official power ranking of all 32 attending teams.
The heavy favorites
1. Team Vitality
Despite a slight hiccup at IEM Atlanta, Team Vitality remain the massive favorites for the title in Cologne. Winning the tournament would mark their third Major in a row and their fourth in total. The Cologne Major is the primary goal for Vitality, as a victory would equal the all-time Major record held by Astralis and solidify them as the greatest team in history.
The roster has already secured trophies at IEM Krakow, Cluj-Napoca, IEM Rio, and the ESL Grand Slam Season 6, alongside two BLAST tournaments in Rotterdam and Fort Worth this year alone. Anything but a title would be a disappointment for the French organization. Historically, their only real challenger was Team Falcons, but that dynamic changed after Falcons brought in karrigan as their in-game leader.
2. Team Spirit
Had this article been written a month ago, Spirit would not occupy the second position. Their recent performances, winning PGL Astana and placing second at IEM Rio, have put them right back at the top. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets displayed an unreal level at PGL Astana with an average rating of 1.61 across 14 maps against several playoff contenders including Falcons, MOUZ, G2, The MongolZ, and FURIA. We also saw tN1R continue his fine form from IEM Rio, which is critical if Spirit are to challenge Vitality. A trio of sh1ro, donk, and tN1R firing on all cylinders could pose a massive threat.
3. NAVI
The Ukrainian organization recently accomplished what Spirit have failed to do in recent matchups by defeating Team Vitality. At IEM Atlanta, NAVI broke Vitality’s top four streak with a 2-1 victory in the quarter-finals. This monumental win finally ended a 12-map loss streak against the Frenchmen.
This victory and their two 2026 trophies from ESL Pro League and IEM Atlanta have elevated NAVI to the third position in our ranking. While w0nderful and makazze are the main stars on the server, the real MVP is head coach Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi. Leading the team since 2019, he has once again put together a roster capable of replicating their 2024 victory in Copenhagen if all the pieces align.
4. Falcons
Featuring some of the best players in the world, it is hard not to place Falcons as a favorite for a top-four finish in Cologne. Their 2026 season has been a letdown, however. Whenever the playoffs have arrived, Falcons have headed for the airport.
The first two tournaments with Finn “karrigan” Andersen have seen Falcons take a step up and qualify for two Grand Finals in a row. A disappointing loss to Legacy in the Grand Final of CS Asia Championship was, however, a reminder of the issues that the Saudi-backed organization has been dealing with in the past year, when it comes down to big moments in matches.
Playoff contenders
5. FURIA
In my personal opinion, FURIA is not a direct contender for the title in Cologne. They started the year brilliantly with a second-place finish in Krakow, but they have not reached a Grand Final since. Why should they manage it on the biggest stage of them all? FURIA remains one of the most entertaining teams to watch, and if Danil “molodoy” Golubenko can replicate his performances from PGL Astana, they could be a team for the semi-finals, but I think that is their ceiling at the moment.
6. G2 ⬆️
G2 look good against lower-ranked teams, but they are not quite good enough to beat the absolute best in Counter-Strike at the moment. They have a solid chance of qualifying for the playoffs, as they have done in their last six tournament appearances. NertZ has been a strong addition to the roster, proving his worth with a decent 1.10 rating over his first two months on the team.
7. GamerLegion ⬆️
Two excellent tournaments in Atlanta and Fort Worth have increased our faith in GamerLegion. REZ showed in Atlanta that he does not just farm stats in Tier 2 tournaments. The Swedish rifler was the frontman for a cohesive roster that relies on teamplay rather than purely individual skill. They will have to fight through Stage 1, which could actually benefit the team by allowing them to heat up during the event. GL is a dangerous team to underestimate.
8. Legacy ⬆️
The Brazilians got the ultimate warm-up for the Major with a win at CS Asia Championship, where they won the Grand Final 3-1 against Team Falcons. Bruno “latto” Rebelatto showed that he can step up against the big teams, and he could be the deciding factor that puts Legacy into contention for the playoffs in Cologne.
9. FUT
I will fully admit this is a longshot. FUT has enjoyed an excellent 2026 season, and watching the young roster lift the trophy at PGL Bucharest was a welcome change from seeing the big organizations win every Tier 1 tournament. Their last two showings at Atlanta and Fort Worth were underwhelming. They start in Stage 2, but we still believe Krabeni and his squad can create a deep run in Cologne.
10. MOUZ ⬇️
A small resurgence at PGL Astana and at the CS Asia Championship has raised our hopes for MOUZ. Playing on home turf in Germany, it will be interesting to see if the once-stable playoff team can find its groove again. MOUZ is somewhat of an unknown factor for the Major, with Brollan stepping back to the team for the event. We’ve seen xertioN improving a lot since taking over the IGL role with newcomer Adrian “xelex” Vincze also chipping in. But how will the roles and positions look at the Major? MOUZ is a big question mark.
Stage 3
11. Aurora ⬇️
The Turkish team finds themselves in a frustrating spot where they are good enough to compete with the best but rarely make it to the final day of a tournament. Their win at last year’s PGL Masters Bucharest is still overshadowed by the fact that none of the top teams were present in Romania. It’s wrong not to consider them for the playoffs, but they need to improve. I think it is a team that could have benefited from starting earlier than Stage 3 in the tournament to allow themselves to get into the groove. With other teams in form, such as GamerLegion and Legacy, we can’t place Aurora higher up at the moment.
12. MIBR
Felipe “insani” Yuji showcased at the CS Asia Championship that he can deliver incredible CS at the highest level. The MIBR rifler registered the highest rating ever in a CS2 match with an astonishing 3.28 rating against B8 on Ancient. That alone is good enough for us to raise our expectations for the Brazilian roster that start their run in Cologne in Stage 1.
13. B8
The Ukrainians look like a team capable of beating anyone outside the top four on this list, but they also struggle when the pressure is highest. We can easily picture them fighting all the way to Stage 3, but their run will likely end there.
14. Astralis
The Danish organization has suffered a downward trajectory lately, losing to teams like GamerLegion and Legacy. We have our doubts about whether the Danes will make it to Stage 3. We must acknowledge, however, that there have been some uplifting moments in 2026, with their Grand Final appearance at PGL Bucharest in April serving as the highlight of the year.
15-16. The MongolZ and PARIVISION
Both teams received Stage 3 invites, but neither seems to have found their rhythm ahead of Cologne. PARIVISION, in particular, have lost all the momentum they built at the start of the year, with coach dastan even calling out his team in an interview.
Stage 2 competitors
17. BetBoom
Where do you place a team that recently defeated the almost invincible Team Vitality? BetBoom is one of the true dark horses of this Major. On a good day, they showcase an incredible ceiling, but their consistency is a massive issue. Their IEM Atlanta run was the perfect example, featuring a monumental win against Vitality followed by a total blackout on stage against NAVI and Legacy. Magnojez is the player to watch, and he could be the deciding factor that pushes BetBoom through Stage 2. We will have to wait and see which version of the team shows up in Cologne.
18-19. 9z and paiN
These teams are already qualified for Stage 2, and they definitely have the potential to advance. Inconsistency is the keyword for both rosters. We saw glimpses of what 9z can do at PGL Astana with huge wins against PARIVISION, Falcons, and MOUZ. Right before we could get our hopes up for the South American roster, they crashed out to magic in the quarter-finals. paiN is not in the best shape at the moment, and we do not expect them to make it out of Stage 2. They do possess some upset potential, so they should not be written off completely.
20. BIG
On home turf, I personally have high expectations for BIG. With tabseN playing in his home city, this could be the start of their redemption arc after spending countless hours grinding through Tier 2 and Tier 3 tournaments to return to the Tier 1 scene. A good showing in Stage 1 could set BIG up for a great run in Cologne. Against the better teams in the world, however, BIG has struggled. They have only beaten SINNERS and Sharks out of the teams participating in the Major this year, making it a surprise if they advance past Stage 2.
21-25. HEROIC, Monte, Team Liquid, and M80
I think most of the Counter-Strike world is looking for small signs of improvement from Team Liquid, hoping to see a North American roster succeed. It would be beneficial for the scene in general, but the American and Polish roster is heavily plagued by inconsistency. A good run at CAC could change our minds, but for now, Liquid looks like a Stage 2 team at best.
M80 shares a similar story, while HEROIC looked completely out of sorts on both Mirage and Inferno at PGL Astana, leaving two of their most played maps in a bad spot. Monte is probably the team that deserves to be higher on this list. They have secured decent results, like winning the CCT Global Finals, but their success remains mostly in Tier 2 tournaments. We have likely seen the best from Monte.
Stage 1 participants
26-32. SINNERS, Sharks, Gaimin Gladiators, NRG, TYLOO, Lynn Vision Gaming, THUNDERdOWNUNDER, and FlyQuest
At the bottom of our list, we find some of the usual suspects in terms of regions. The Oceanic teams look like the weakest of the bunch, especially given that neither squad has played in Europe for quite some time. The lack of practice against better teams will likely be visible during the Cologne Major.
Sharks and Gaimin Gladiators appear to be the two weakest Brazilian teams, while TYLOO and Lynn Vision Gaming will have to punch significantly above their weight to advance. NRG simply lose out whenever they face Tier 1 opposition. SINNERS hold the doubtful honor of being our pick for the weakest European team present in Cologne. It has been a couple of months since the Eastern European roster has beaten any of the teams attending the Major, so it will be difficult to see them move past Stage 1.
