This is IG's first time qualifying for the quarterfinals at Worlds.
The battle for a spot in the Knockout Stage continued at the League of Legends World Championship 2026, as North America's 
LYON faced off against LPL fourth seed 
Shanghai Invictus Gaming (IG). Both teams entered the best-of-three series with 2-1 records in the Swiss Stage so far, putting them just one victory away from advancing to the next stage.
In the end, it was IG who defeated LYON 2-1 to claim their slot at the Knockout stage and keep the LPL's title hopes alive. This is also IG's first time qualifying for the Knockout Stage at Worlds in seven years.
LYON had been one of the surprise performers of the Swiss Stage, opening their campaign with victories over 
Team Secret Whales and 
Karmine Corp. Their winning streak brought them to their first qualifying match against tournament favourites 
Gen.G in Round 3, where they managed to take a game off the LCK powerhouse before ultimately falling to a reverse sweep.
Meanwhile, IG had a rough start after falling to Gen.G in their opening match. However, the LPL squad bounced back with a victory over Team Secret Whales in Round 2 before pulling off an impressive upset against reigning MSI champions 
Hanwha Life Esports in Round 3. With two consecutive victories behind them, IG were looking to carry that momentum into their qualifying matchup against LYON.
Here's how the matches went:
Invictus Gaming dominate LYON in the opening game
IG dominated the first game, taking down LYON at every opportunity and building an early gold lead. The North American squad tried to find ways back into the game, but IG had an answer for everything they threw their way. 
Kang “TheShy” Seung-Iok also stepped up with impressive plays, repeatedly outplaying LYON and helping IG maintain their advantage.
Eui-jin “Rookie” Song made his mark in a team fight that broke out in the mid lane, securing a quadra kill that opened the way for IG to push into LYON's base. With little resistance left, IG marched towards the Nexus and destroyed it in just 28 minutes with a commanding 19–4 kill lead to claim the first game.
LYON fight back against Invictus Gaming to even out the series
LYON came out swinging in the second game, securing early picks to build a gold lead. IG tried to keep themselves in contention, finding opportunities to fight back, but LYON continued to extend their advantage and tighten their control over the map.
While IG managed to turn some encounters in their favour, LYON remained firmly in control, eventually building a commanding 10,000-gold lead. Every attempt by IG to mount a comeback was either shut down or outplayed by the North American squad, who maintained their momentum and ultimately destroyed the Nexus after a 38-minute battle with an 18–8 kill lead, evening out the series at 1–1.
Invictus Gaming outmanoeuvre LYON to claim the series
The third game began with both teams actively looking for kills, leading to some cheeky early plays during the laning phase. While LYON managed to secure more kills, IG focused on taking objectives, including turrets across the map, to build a comfortable gold lead.
LYON refused to back down, finding more kills in the side lanes to prevent IG from snowballing their advantage. However, IG managed to break open LYON’s base with the Rift Herald before turning their attention to the remaining objectives on the map.
As the game progressed, IG's champions became increasingly difficult to deal with, especially 
Yan “Wei” Yang-Wei's Trundle. This became evident in the next team fight, where Trundle provided a strong frontline for IG's carries, allowing Jia-Qi “JiaQi” Zi to secure a triple kill as they wiped out LYON in a clean ace.
With that decisive fight, IG marched into LYON's base and destroyed the Nexus in just 23 minutes with a 7–5 kill lead, winning the third game and securing the series 2–1.
The victory sends Invictus Gaming through to the Worlds 2026 Knockout Stage, becoming the first LPL team to join the teams already qualified for the next round.
For LYON, their Worlds campaign is not over just yet. They will have one last opportunity to reach the top eight in the final round of the Swiss Stage.
