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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.

Paris: Saudi club Al-Hilal on Thursday signed AC Milan’s French full-back Theo Hernandez on a three-year contract.
The 27-year-old leaves the Serie A side in a deal worth 25 million euros ($29.2 million), Italian media report.
Hernandez has played 38 times for France with two goals, and figured in the last World Cup, including the defeat by Argentina on penalties in the 2022 final in Qatar.
Moving to the Saudi Pro League a year before the next World Cup could be considered a risk for his chances of getting called up again by coach Didier Deschamps.
But he can take encouragement that Deschamps selected N’Golo Kante for Euro 2024 whilst he was playing for another Saudi club, Al-Ittihad.
Theo is the younger brother of Paris Saint-Germain and France defender Lucas Hernandez.