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Riyadh: French esports powerhouse Karmine Corp secured their second major tournament victory of the year by dominating the Rocket League competition at the Esports World Cup 2025.

The team convincingly beat Geekay Esports 4-1 in the grand final to claim the lion’s share of the $1 million prize pool, pocketing $400,000.

Following their Birmingham Major triumph in March, Karmine Corp’s performance in Riyadh firmly establishes them as one of the leading contenders in Rocket League this season. The win was a strong comeback after a setback at the RLCS Raleigh Major, demonstrating their resilience and elite form heading into the RLCS 2025 World Championship.

Karmine Corp set the tone early in the grand final, racing to a 3-0 lead without conceding a single goal. Although Geekay Esports managed to respond with a match win to stave off defeat, the French club closed out the series decisively on their second match point opportunity, sealing a dominant championship win.

Geekay Esports reached the final after a thrilling semifinal clash against Team Vitality. The closely fought encounter went down to a Game 7 overtime, where Geekay scored a golden goal to secure their spot in the final.

On their road to the title, Karmine Corp defeated Team Falcons, a result that further boosts their reputation as frontrunners ahead of the RLCS World Championship. Their consistent and commanding performances earned them 1,000 Club Championship points, propelling them 34 places up the rankings to joint-11th overall.

Reflecting on the win, Karmine Corp’s Axel Touret expressed his pride: “I’m feeling great, it was a good match, we played really well. I love my team. It means a lot [to win], the team will have more money now, so that’s great. I’m really happy to be in Karmine Corp, we just won, so I’m really proud of everyone.”

Samy Hajji was named Sony MVP for his outstanding performances throughout the tournament. After his third major Rocket League title and second consecutive Esports World Cup win (having previously done so in 2024 with Team BDS), Hajji praised the Saudi tournament scene, saying: “I always play really well in ��������, I think it’s the hospitality, and even the tournaments. I love them, they are incredible.”

Meanwhile, Team Falcons secured third place after edging out Team Vitality in the decider, earning 500 Club Championship points. Although they missed out on the title, Team Falcons extended their lead in the Club Championship standings, holding a 500-point advantage over second-placed Team Liquid with three events remaining.

The Esports World Cup 2025 continues until Aug. 24, featuring tournaments in Crossfire, Counter-Strike 2, and Street Fighter 6. 

The event will culminate with the New Global Sport Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh from Aug. 23-24 — a premier B2B platform bringing together key figures from gaming, esports, sports, and entertainment to discuss the future of competitive entertainment.

ZURICH: FIFA President Gianni Infantino says that two incidents of alleged racist abuse which marred German Cup games are “unacceptable” as German police investigate.
Infantino’s comments came a day after Schalke’s Christopher Antwi-Adjei said he was subjected to racist abuse in a cup game at Lokomotive Leipzig. He was whistled by fans throughout the match after reporting the incident to officials.
In another incident, a Kaiserslautern substitute was racially abused while warming up in a game at RSV Eintracht, the team’s coach said. He didn’t name the player affected. Both incidents occurred as lower-league clubs from the former East Germany hosted larger teams in first-round games.
“It is unacceptable that incidents have occurred at two DFB-Pokal matches in Germany,” Infantino wrote on social media, using the German name for the competition. “Football has no place for racism or any form of discrimination.”
Infantino said FIFA’s Players’ Voice Panel would be “in touch” with the German football federation.
“Everyone at FIFA, The Players’ Voice Panel and the whole football community stands firmly with all those impacted by these events – we are committed to ensuring that players are respected and protected, and that competition organizers and law enforcement authorities take appropriate action,” Infantino added.
Antwi-Adjei filed a complaint about the incident at Lokomotive Leipzig and police were investigating, Schalke said late Sunday. At RSV Eintracht, fans and security quickly identified the alleged perpetrator and fans of both teams chanted “Nazis out,” German agency dpa reported.
The incidents in Germany came two days after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported that he was racially abused by a spectator while playing at Liverpool. The game was briefly paused as the referee spoke to the coaches and captains of both teams.
Police said Saturday that a 47-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense. He was taken into custody to be interviewed. Infantino has said FIFA’s Players’ Voice Panel would contact Semenyo.