An Argentine, a Korean and a Spaniard. Josedeodo, Faker and Elyoya reach Worlds 2026 by very different paths: the first as LCS champion with Team Liquid, the second defending the world title with T1, and the third with his sixth straight Worlds qualification. This interactive guide covers who they are, when they play in your time zone and whether they can meet on the road to the trophy.
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Brandon “Josedeodo” Villegas won the LCS with Team Liquid on October 4 (3-1 over LYON) and was Finals MVP. He has unfinished business: at MSI 2026 he lost two 3-0 series to T1.
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok won Worlds in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024 and 2025. With T1 he’s chasing a fourth straight title, something no team has ever done at Worlds.
Javier “Elyoya” Prades plays his sixth straight Worlds, now with Movistar KOI, the LEC’s second seed and a direct Swiss stage qualifier. He’s the European jungler with the most consecutive Worlds appearances.
Worlds 2026 countdown and schedule
Worlds 2026 is played entirely in the United States: the Play-In in Los Angeles (October 15–18), the Swiss stage in Allen, Texas (October 23–31), the quarterfinals and semifinals also in Allen (November 3–8), and the grand final on November 14 at Barclays Center in New York. The final starts at 2 PM ET (11 AM PT).
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Next up: Worlds 2026
Times converted automatically to your zone:
Start time of the first day of each stage per the published schedule. Riot may adjust times.
Josedeodo: the Argentine who won the LCS
Brandon Joel “Josedeodo” Villegas was born on May 22, 2000, in Argentina. He won the LLA with Rainbow7, played for FlyQuest in the LCS, returned to Latin America with Estral and Isurus, and joined Team Liquid in December 2025. In 2026 he plays alongside Morgan, Quid, Yeon and CoreJJ.
On October 4 Team Liquid won the LCS final 3-1 over LYON, Josedeodo was Finals MVP, and LoL Esports highlighted him as the first Latin American player to win the LCS. As North America’s champion, Liquid goes straight to the Swiss stage in Tier 1. The sore spot: at MSI 2026 he lost 3-0 to T1 twice. Read the full story in Josedeodo vs T1: the Worlds 2026 rematch.
Faker: the king goes for four in a row
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is the most decorated player in League of Legends history: six world titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024 and 2025), all with T1. In 2026 he plays with Doran, Oner, Peyz and Keria, and T1 arrives as defending champion.
If T1 wins in New York, it would be their fourth straight world title, Faker’s seventh, and Korea’s fifth in a row since 2022. T1 is in Tier 3 for the Swiss draw. See also his Asian Games story.
Watching the final in T1 colors? The T1 Worlds 2026 jersey is 29.99 USD (was 39.99), shipping to the US, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Spain.
Elyoya: the Spanish jungler who never misses Worlds
Javier “Elyoya” Prades Batalla has played every Worlds since 2021: he reached the top 8 with MAD Lions in his debut and finished 9th–11th with Movistar KOI in 2025. He has four LEC titles (Spring and Summer 2021, Spring 2023 and Spring 2025) and re-signed with Movistar KOI through 2027.
Movistar KOI’s 2026 lineup is Myrwn, Elyoya, Jojopyun, Supa and Alvaro. The team finished third in LEC Versus and Spring, runner-up in Summer (0-3 to G2) and qualified as Europe’s second seed, straight into the Swiss stage. Their stated goal: back to the top 8.
Simulator
Can they meet at Worlds 2026?
Pick two players. In Swiss round 1, Tier 1 faces Tier 4 and Tier 2 faces Tier 3; from round 2, teams with the same record are paired.
Fun fact: none of the three can face each other in round 1. The draw is on October 18.
Quick quiz
Which Worlds player are you?
4 questions. No sign-up.
1. The game starts. What do you do?
2. You’re down 0-5 in kills…
3. Your ideal champion?
4. What defines you in ranked?
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How far does each one go? Pick and share it with your group. Official Swiss stage Pick’Ems open on October 18.
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FAQ
When and where is the Worlds 2026 final?
November 14, 2026, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, at 2 PM ET.
Which teams do Josedeodo, Faker and Elyoya play for?
Josedeodo for Team Liquid (North America), Faker for T1 (Korea) and Elyoya for Movistar KOI (Europe). All three go straight to the Swiss stage.
How many Worlds has Faker won?
Six: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024 and 2025, all with T1.
Has Elyoya played every Worlds?
Every one since 2021, always with the same organization, MAD Lions, which now competes as Movistar KOI. 2026 is his sixth in a row.
Can Team Liquid, T1 and Movistar KOI meet in round 1?
No. Because of the draw tiers none of the three can face the others in round 1, but they can from round 2 or in the knockouts.
Sources: Inven Global, Insider Gaming, LoL Esports, Liquipedia, Movistar eSports, Sheep Esports, esports.gg and Hotspawn.
