MBS crowns Team Falcons as winner of Esports World Cup

After seven weeks of grueling battle in Saudi Arabia over computer screens and joysticks, the Esports World Cup 2025 competition proclaimed Riyadh-based Team Falcons as champ from a field of more than 2,000 players representing over 100 countries.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presided over the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup 2025 on Sunday, presenting the trophy to the Falcons, who led the standings with 5,200 points.

The team won the $7 million grand prize from a record-breaking $70 million total prize pool, the largest in esports history.

Among prominent personalities who attended the closing ceremony were soccer star Christiano Renaldo, Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and billionaire investor Evan Spiegel.

The tournament is part of the kingdom’s national esports strategy that aims to attract investment and achieve the goal of becoming the world leader in the $2.9 billion esports industry.

Over the course of the Esports World Cup, the site of the competition at Boulevard Riyadh City drew more than 3 million visitors, according to the Saudi Press Agency. At the same time, over 750 million viewers worldwide followed the competition through digital platforms.