Today, July 10, at 4:50 p.m., DarkAngel of NAVI will continue his run at the Esports World Cup 2026 in the Fatal Fury discipline. The player is just two steps away from the playoffs: to advance to the next stage of the tournament, he needs to win two matches in a row.
DarkAngel’s first test will be Japan’s SCORE from the GodLike club. Although he didn’t participate in the Esports World Cup last year, this opponent should definitely not be underestimated. This season, SCORE has already made a name for himself on the international stage: he won MAX MODE 2026, finished in the top three at GEMA LIVE, and placed 5th–6th in the Evolution Championship Series 2026.
If DarkAngel defeats SCORE, the next match will be decisive in the race for a spot in the playoffs. There, he will face the winner of the match between Kindevu of the Falcons and GO1 of DetonatioN FocusMe.
Both matchups look tough for NAVI. Kindevu remains one of the most dangerous players on the scene, and GO1 enters the tournament as the reigning Esports World Cup 2025 champion. So if DarkAngel faces either of them, it will be another test of their skill in the battle for the million-dollar prize pool.
A loss in the first match won’t mean the end of the road for Luis Guadalupe “DarkAngel” Castillo Gómez. He ‘ll still have the chance to take advantage of the lower bracket of the group stage and try to advance to the next stage of the tournament.
If the situation unfolds exactly according to this scenario, DarkAngel will most likely face one of two strong opponents again in the decisive match—Kindevu from the Falcons or GO1 from DetonatioN FocusMe.
However, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to predict the outcome of the 2026 Esports World Cup. The tournament has already surprised viewers with several unexpected results. One of the biggest surprises was the elimination of Xiaohai—last year’s EWC silver medalist. In the decisive match to advance from the group stage, he lost to his opponent 2–3 and ended his run in the tournament.