JiJieHao, a Chinese team ranked 44th in the world, pulled off a major upset by defeating Team Spirit, one of the best teams globally, on the map Mirage during the group stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris on August 12. Spirit, a top-three global team fresh off an MSC championship at the same venue, were heavy favorites with pre-match betting odds around 1.05 to 1.06, compared to over 7.80 for JiJieHao. The Chinese squad, with total career earnings of approximately $154,597, won in a best-of-one format with no safety net, sending Spirit to the lower bracket. With 32 teams competing for a $2 million prize pool, Spirit now faces elimination matches just to reach the playoff stage.
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