Team Spirit are one step away from a third TI title after stomping Team Yandex to make the grand finals of TI 2026.
The final day of The International (TI) 2026 on Sunday (23 August) kicked off with a showdown between two Eastern European Dota 2 giants in the lower bracket finals, where 
Team Spirit overwhelmed 
Team Yandex in a 2-0 dominance to advance to the grand finals.
Spirit now advance to the championship round where they will face the tournament’s final boss, 
TEAM VISION (aka PARIVISION), for the third time in the event.
The result sets up an explosive storyline for the best-of-five finale taking place later today (23 August). The face of modern Dota 2, 
Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk, is eyeing his third TI title at just 23 years old, a feat that would also be achieved by his teammate 
Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov, who is just a year older. It would also mark an unprecedented third Aegis of Champions for the organisation.
But before they can reach the milestone, the team must overcome the tournament behemoth that is TEAM VISION. Scorching-hot prodigy Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov spearhead the stacked roster, with living legend 
Clement “Puppey” Ivanov in the coaching seat. Undefeated throughout the tournament, VISION are in formidable shape as they chase their first title.
The grand final clash will be their third encounter at TI 2026, with TEAM VISION outlasting Team Spirit in both previous meetings: a 2-0 sweep on the final day of the Group Stage and a 2-1 victory in the upper bracket semi-finals. While TEAM VISION may seem untouchable, they have bled map losses before. Meanwhile, Team Spirit have plenty of high-pressure finals experience up their sleeves, which could prove to be the defining factor in their quest for the Aegis.
Team Yandex, a newcomer that emerged as the season’s most consistent team, settle for third place on the TI 2026 podium after their narrow loss. It marks a satisfying conclusion to their debut campaign, with the team leaving the tournament with an estimated US$298,716 in winnings.
Team Spirit are one step away from making history
As if Spirit’s legacy were not prolific enough, the organisation is now just one series win away from reaching an unprecedented milestone in Dota 2 history–with a third title within reach for the organisation, while two of its star players are set to pioneer the club of three-time TI champions.
The team may have a reputation for peaking when it matters, which was a pattern behind their previous two title campaigns. But heading into this year’s TI, not many were convinced that they could take the Aegis home.
Team Spirit had bombed out early in the previous two TIs, placing 9th-12th and 9th-13th at TI 2024 and TI 2025, respectively. It did not help that the team endured a tumultuous season this time around, putting together weaker performances than in previous campaigns.
The team visibly struggled following the departure of veteran captain Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov and coach Silent in the aftermath of TI 2025, prompting further roster changes. Spirit brought in 
Nikita “Panto” Balaganin to replace Miposhka, but his tenure lasted just seven months before the team promoted not me from their academy side, 
Yellow Submarine, in May. His arrival also prompted a reshuffle in the support positions, with Aleksandr “rue” Filin adapting to take over the position 5 role instead.
The mid-season shuffle yielded immediate results, with the team securing their first podium finish at DreamLeague Season 29 just weeks later. Team Spirit then added more firepower to the roster by welcoming Miposhka back into the fold, this time taking over the coaching role. Spirit subsequently claimed a Top 8 finish at the Dota 2 Esports World Cup, giving them some momentum heading into TI 2026.
The story was a much different affair for Team Yandex, a newcomer that took the scene by storm. Headlined by 
Martin “Saksa” Sazdov and a talented group of players, Yandex emerged as the season’s most consistent team, recording podium finishes at seven Tier 1 events, including three victories at DreamLeague Season 27, PGL Wallachia Season 7, and BLAST Slam VII.
With such a stacked record throughout the season, Yandex entered TI 2026 as heavy favourites, with only TEAM VISION ranking above them after winning the Dota 2 Esports World Cup last month.
Team Spirit and Team Yandex's paths at The International 2026
At TI 2026, Team Spirit opened with three wins against 
Xtreme Gaming, 
Aurora Gaming, and 
Team Liquid, but their near-perfect start faltered after losses to TEAM VISION and 
Nigma Galaxy. The 3-2 record left them just outside the Group Stage podium, forcing them to fight through the Elimination Round, where they defeated 
Team Resilience–although it proved to be a strenuous 2-1 affair.
In the Playoffs, Team Spirit came out strong, sweeping 
Iron Wing (aka 1win) before once again stumbling against TEAM VISION and dropping into the lower bracket. However, the series was far closer than their previous encounter, with Spirit finally taking a map off their formidable opponents.
With their backs against the wall, Spirit went rampant in the lower bracket. They demolished Team Liquid 2-0 before delivering another dominant sweep against 
BoomBoys (aka BetBoom Team). Their 2-1 victory over Yandex saw the team looking even stronger, building fierce momentum heading into the tournament's final clash.
Yandex, meanwhile, could not complete their recovery. The team kicked off TI 2026 shakily, earning a low seed in the Group Stage after managing just two wins against 
Huligani and Team Resilience while falling to Team Liquid, Aurora Gaming, and Iron Wing.
But the team would slowly recover, barely escaping elimination against 
LGD Gaming in the Elimination Round. In the Playoffs, Yandex knocked Team Liquid and Nigma Galaxy into the lower bracket before falling to TEAM VISION, ultimately placing them directly in the path of an ascending Team Spirit–sealing their third-place finish at the year's biggest championship.
What is The International 2026?
TI 2026 will be this year's iteration of Dota 2's annual world championship tournament, taking place in August in Shanghai, China. As with previous iterations of the tournament, TI 2026 will feature a total of 16 teams that earn their spots in the tournament by receiving direct invites or earning slots through regional qualifiers.
The list of directly-invited teams to TI 2026 include Aurora Gaming, BoomBoys (aka BetBoom Team), 
Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Iron Wing (aka 1w Team), Xtreme Gaming, and Team Yandex. Meanwhile, the teams that earned their spots through the regional qualifiers include European qualifier winners Team Spirit, TEAM VISION (aka PARIVISION), HULIGANI, and Nigma Galaxy, North American qualifier winner 
GamerLegion, Southeast Asian qualifier winner 
OG, South American qualifier winner LGD Gaming, as well as Chinese qualifier winners 
Vici Gamingand Team Resilience.
TI 2026's main event will be hosted in the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai. Valve first announced that Shanghai will host TI 2026 during last year's world championship tournament, where Team Falcons claimed the Aegis of Champions after defeating China's Xtreme Gaming in the five-game grand finals.
This will mark the second time that Shanghai will host TI after TI 2019, where Western Europe's OG became the first-ever two-time TI champions after defeating Team Liquid in four games to claim the grand prize of US$15.6 million, out of the US$34.3 million prize pool.
TI 2026 will be split into two phases: the ‘Road to The International’ and ‘The International’ main event. The Road to The International will be a Swiss-style Group Stage from 13 to 16 August, where the 16 teams will be cut down to the final eight that will play in the game's biggest stage from 20 to 23 August in Shanghai's Oriental Sports Center.
TI 2026's prize pool follows that of previous editions, with a US$1.6 million base prize pool that will then be boosted through sales of the TI 2026 Compendium.
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