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RIYADH: With five weeks now in the bag, the 2025 Esports World Cup is approaching the finish line with just two weeks to go.

The Club Championship leaders changed once again, as three more titles have been claimed during the last week, with Team Liquid also making history as the first club to win three EWC titles in one year as they claimed victory in EA Sports FC 25.

Team Secret secured victory against G2 Esports in a Europe vs Europe grand final. Team Secret had a flawless run-up to the grand finals, and with favorites Team Falcons being eliminated on day one, it was all to play for. A clean 3-0 victory for Team Secret in the grand final saw them sail ahead to secure the title.

Team Secret came into the tournament as Europe’s third seed, making their title run even more impressive. The victory also marks Team Secret’s first title at the Esports World Cup, and their first major trophy in Rainbow Six Siege.

Twisted Minds were able to see off a tough field of competitors to secure the title in Call of Duty: Warzone. The victory also saw the team’s storied roster claim their first LAN victory for all three players, despite their long-standing presence at the top of the Warzone scene. Aydan “Aydan” Conrad, Riley “zSmit” Smith, and Benjamin “Almond” Rosendahl all previously reached the podium at the inaugural Esports World Cup with different teams. They then formed a new roster, which has now successfully claimed the top position.

Twisted Minds secured victory in the 10th game of the series, having achieved match-point conditions earlier in the series during game six alongside rivals Virtus.pro. That set up the next four games as tense affairs, as more teams joined them on match point — and it all went down to the wire in the final game.

Team Liquid’s Dutch star Manuel “ManuBachoore” Bachoore lifted the FC Pro 25 World Championship trophy, becoming a two-time world champion in the process. He battled through the play-in stage, taking down many of the world’s top players to claim the title, as well as Team Liquid’s third title of this year’s EWC.

The match itself was a close one against Team Vitality’s Brice “Brice” Masson, with both players trading goals, and while ManuBachoore was leading 4-3 in the closing minutes of the game, Brice came close on so many occasions that it was a nail-biting finale. ManuBachoore managed to secure a late goal, easing the pressure, and with just minutes left, he ran the clock down to secure the win.

After Week 5, Team Liquid is back on top of the Club Championship table with 4,200 points, after their victory in EAFC 25. That win, combined with Team Falcons having a disappointing week where they only secured 200 points from three titles, was enough to push Liquid back to the top of the table.

Falcons underperforming has also had ramifications further down the table, with Team Vitality closing the gap on them to just 550 points. Now, with all three teams having multiple titles remaining, and the likes of Virtus.Pro and Twisted Minds having rosters in almost all the remaining games at EWC, the race for the Club Championship is wide open.

Meanwhile, In an EA FC 25 showmatch, two footballing icons, Ronaldo Nazario and Kaka, went head-to-head to find out who was the best on the virtual pitch. The two icons played in front of a sold-out crowd at the Esports World Cup, with the packed arena cheering the legends on.

The eventual winner was Kaka, though Ronaldo was quick to offer up a new challenge in defeat.

“I promise you, Kaka beat me in football, but in Call of Duty: Warzone I’ll beat him, for sure,” Ronaldo said during a recent episode of EWC Spotlight. “I remember recovering from my first injury, my knee. I remember doing physio and playing Call of Duty.”

Esports World Cup 2025 concludes with the New Global Sport Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh from Aug. 23-24.

RIYADH: Manuel “ManuBachoore” Bachoore has won the FC Pro World Championship at the Esports World Cup 2025 for Team Liquid in a 5-3 grand final win against Brice “Brice” Masson of Team Vitality, picking up Team Liquid’s third championship title at this year’s event.

ManuBachoore’s victory sees him become a two-time champion, having won in 2023. He claimed a top eight finish at the Esports World Cup 2024.

And ever since favorite and world No. 1 Anders “Vejrgang” Vejrgang was eliminated this year, ManuBachoore has looked like the most likely winner.

ManuBachoore made it to the World Championship stage via the play-ins, where he only dropped one match in the group stage, topping his group. His main event run proved more difficult, with multiple matches being won by just one goal, proving the intensity of the high-level competition.

The Grand Final was a close match, with ManuBachoore’s signature attacking style on display against his French rival, where goals were traded between the pair.

The final moments proved a tense affair, with ManuBachoore leading by just one goal. However, he was able to score a late goal to make it 5-3, which ended up sealing the championship in his favor.

“I’m so thankful to God, for me to be two-time World Champion is more than I ever asked for in my career. Honestly, I did not think it was possible to win two times.

“But here we are, I can’t believe it. It feels like a dream. It is my dream. I’m happy it’s a reality,” said ManuBachoore.

“I said in an interview before we started, the first time I did not really realize what I did. Now I realize and enjoy it, I’m so happy. It’s a dream. I started in the play-ins, so I came here, not even sure if I would qualify for the tournament.

“I’m here now with the trophy. I’m grateful for this dream.”

ManuBachoore earned Team Liquid 1,000 Club Championship points for his victory, sending the side firmly to the top of the Club Championship standings.

The victory in EA Sports FC 25 is Team Liquid’s third title at the Esports World Cup 2025, marking the first time a club has won three titles at the same Esports World Cup.

The result blows the Club Championship wide open, with Team Falcons having just one top-eight finish this weekend, as we head into the final two weeks.

Team Liquid’s victory in EA Sports FC 25 not only gained them 1,000 Club Championship points, but also denied third-place Team Vitality 250 more crucial points.

Team Vitality remain in third place; however, the strong showing in EA Sports FC 25 has seen them bridge the gap to Team Falcons in second place to just 550 points.

Week six at the Esports World Cup 2025 takes place until Aug. 17 with finals in Teamfight Tactics, Rocket League and Tekken 8.