Monte secured their place in Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 after defeating paiN 2-0 in the final round of Stage 2. The series was the first of three scheduled matches today and resulted in the elimination of the Brazilian squad from the tournament.
The two teams arrived at this elimination match with contrasting strength of schedules. Monte had worked through a difficult path against BetBoom, G2, BIG, and Legacy. BetBoom and G2 have already qualified for Stage 3, while BIG and Legacy play for their tournament lives later today. Conversely, paiN faced a different caliber of opponents in Astralis and FlyQuest, alongside BIG and TYLOO, who also remain in contention to advance.
A punishing Nuke pick by the Brazilians
The series began on Nuke, selected by paiN. This decision quickly presented itself as a tactical miscalculation. Although paiN secured the pistol round and converted the subsequent anti-eco round, they failed to establish any further control on the map. Monte demonstrated cohesive team play, functioning seamlessly as a unit and leaving very small gaps for their opponents to exploit.
The first half concluded with an 8-4 advantage for Monte. Transitioning to their T-side, the European roster dominated the proceedings. They dropped only a single round in the second half, securing a 13-5 victory after a 5-1 run on the attack to take a confident 1-0 lead in the series.
AZUWU and Rainwaker step up to secure Dust2
The veto moved to Dust2 as the choice of Monte, with Mirage left over as the decider. The Dust2 selection surprised analysts at the desk in Cologne, given that Monte had lost their last four official matches on the map. paiN capitalized on this unusual pick early in the game, establishing a 6-2 lead on the defense. Monte adjusted their strategy effectively and strung rounds together to narrow the deficit to 5-7 by halftime.
The second half evolved into a highly entertaining brawl. paiN won the second pistol round, threatening to pull away and build a solid gap. However, Oscar ‘AZUWU’ Bell, who has been a revelation for Monte throughout this Major, proved his worth immediately. The Englishman delivered a stunning ace at the start of the second half to quell the hopes of the Brazilian squad. The remainder of the map saw both teams trade heavy blows and give each other a run for their money. Monte ultimately found the edge at 12-11, where Aleks ‘Rainwaker’ Petrov closed down the B-site, securing the map 13-11.
With this 2-0 series victory, Monte punch their ticket to Stage 3 in Cologne. For paiN, the loss means they are officially out of the IEM Cologne Major 2026.
