This edition of the Esports World Cup has been full of surprises, at least in CS2. Teams like Natus Vincere, FaZe Clan, Team Spirit, and MOUZ, who were expected to be serious contenders for the trophy, have been eliminated in the quarterfinals or even the round of 16!
However, not all the fan-favorites are out of the race. Team Vitality, The MongolZ, Team Falcons, and Aurora Gaming are set to compete this Saturday in the semifinals of the tournament.
Team Vitality vs. The MongolZ
In 2025, we’ve already seen this match-up seven times. Vitality won the first six matches while The MongolZ won the last, ending their run at BLAST Bounty Fall in the semifinals.
This rematch comes precisely one week later, and Vitality are probably eager to get revenge. Given their most recent matches, there’s a high chance that The MongolZ will beat them again.
It’s not yet clear what is going on internally, but we can tell that something broke after the Austin Major. Either the players lost their drive to win every single tournament, or their opponents have started to figure out their strategies.
If Vitality win this match, their odds of winning the tournament are very high. After failing to win two consecutive competitions after winning seven in a row, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire and his crew are probably eager to prove to themselves that they still have it.
Team Falcons vs. Aurora Gaming
Team Falcons came close to winning the trophy at IEM Melbourne and BLAST Rivals Spring, but were denied each time by Team Vitality on the 5th map of the Grand Final.
Then they lost all momentum and started to suffer defeats against unlikely opponents from Brazil. MIBR eliminated them from the Austin Major, causing them to finish 20th – 22nd. FURIA eliminated them from IEM Cologne, causing them to finish 9th – 12th.
But now it seems that the Falcons are back. At this tournament, they defeated G2 Esports and MOUZ, two formidable teams that are very hard to beat. Their chances against Aurora look very good on paper, so they should win 2 – 0 or at least 2 – 1.
