League of Legends will be part of the Esports Nations Cup, a global national team competition taking place November 2–29 in Saudi Arabia, according to reports.

The tournament marks a new initiative under the Esports World Cup branding, giving nations the chance to compete in a global format similar to traditional sporting events.

ENC 2026 Expected to Feature 24–32 National Teams

Sheep Esports reports that the League of Legends tournament at ENC 2026 will feature between 24 and 32 national teams. This is based on announced formats for Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Rainbow Six Siege.

Half of the participating nations will receive direct invitations based on players’ annual performance and global leaderboard rankings. The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) will finalize the rankings during summer 2026, just before continental qualification tournaments begin.

The remaining spots will be decided through continental qualifiers and wildcard slots. Continental qualifiers are expected to follow patterns established for other announced titles, though the EWCF has not yet confirmed specific regional breakdowns for League of Legends.

Three-Player-Per-Club Rule Prevents Roster Stacking

No nation may send more than three players from the same club to Saudi Arabia, according to regulations revealed by the Esports World Cup Foundation. For example, T1’s full roster cannot represent South Korea, and no European nation can send four players from the same organization.

Each nation is allowed two substitutes. The three-player club restriction also applies to substitute players.

The club restriction will come into effect between three and six months before qualifiers begin. Players must hold the passport of the nation they represent for at least one full year prior to the roster lock, set for April 30 at 11:59 PM AST. Coaches must be selected before March 29, 2026.

Format Differs From Asian Games and Overwatch World Cup

The three-player restriction operates similarly to the originally planned Rainbow Six World Cup, which never took place and would have limited teams to two players per organization.

However, it differs significantly from other national-themed events. The Overwatch World Cup uses hand-picked players selected through community votes, with no club restrictions. The 2023 Asian Games featured League of Legends national teams with no player limitations, allowing South Korea to field three T1 players alongside two JD Gaming players.

Major regions such as China and South Korea will likely field strong national teams drawn from the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) and League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), respectively.

Europe presents a particularly interesting scenario, as many countries have established national leagues. Nations such as France and Spain could field competitive rosters, while smaller countries may need to qualify through continental tournaments.

Let's say they draft players by ladder rank.

The hilarious thing about the UK is that our team would literally just be streamers.

Top: Kagaroo/ Spearshot
Jungle: Kaostanza
Mid: BZ
ADC: Me
Support: Fck knows

Faker has some competition 💀 https://t.co/eDROVedOTL pic.twitter.com/Z4Mc3UAIHq

— Dragdar (@Dragdar_) February 20, 2026

Not sure we’ll see League of Legends “coming home” anytime soon, though.