How Falcons won the IEM Cologne 2026 Major
Falcons swept FURIA 3:0 on 21 June to win their first Major. Before that final came a full-distance Vitality series and two overtime maps against Spirit.
A 3:0 final gave Falcons their first Major
Team Falcons beat FURIA 3:0 in the IEM Cologne 2026 Grand Final on 21 June. It was the organisation’s first Major championship and the first appearance in a Major final for both finalists. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov received the ESL Pro Tour DHL MVP award.
For Nikola “NiKo” Kovač, who hadn’t won a Major after more than a decade of competition, the final was a chance to close that gap while Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo returned ten years after lifting the Cologne trophy with SK Gaming. FURIA didn’t take a map.
Stage 3 left an uneven field for the playoffs
The tournament began with 32 teams across the first three stages from 2 to 15 June. Eight advanced to the playoffs. Falcons came through Stage 3 with a 3:1 record; FURIA and Spirit both finished that stage 3:0.
Falcons still needed three series wins.
Those records describe the position before the arena matches. Their quarterfinal opponent was Vitality, the defending Major champion, followed by Spirit in the semifinal. The eventual sweep in the final was only the last part of that route.
Vitality took every map to the full 24 rounds
Falcons defeated Vitality 2:1 in the quarterfinal. Valve’s recap records that each map took 24 rounds to produce a winner. All three therefore reached the last round of regulation, with a deciding third map needed before Falcons could advance.
Spirit pushed the semifinal into overtime
Falcons and Spirit also needed all three maps. Two went to overtime, and Falcons eventually closed Dust II 16:12 to take the series 2:1. Spirit entered as the reigning IEM Cologne champion, while Falcons earned their first place in a Major Grand Final.
On the other side of the bracket, FURIA beat 9z 2:1 and then Aurora 2:0. Both finalists were seeking their organisation’s first Major title.
The title left a record inside CS2 as well
Valve followed the tournament with the Cologne 2026 Champions Autograph stickers in Paper, Holo, Foil and Gold versions. The Major Shop also received Highlight Charms covering ten highlights from each of the event’s six stages, plus the Falcons trophy lift.
The shop pairs autographs from the winning roster with selected moments from the tournament’s six stages and the Falcons trophy lift.
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