Five matches from CS2 Esports World Cup Opening round that you can’t miss

So the Esports World Cup 2025 is set to begin tomorrow with a Single-Elimination bracket! Yes, you heard it right, Single-Elimination. Sixteen teams will be flying to Riyadh, out of which eight will be forced to pack up on the first day itself. It is cruel, but good for a change, while also promising some high-stakes games. And if you top it up with some poetic clashes, I am all for it. So here are five matches in the opening round that you absolutely cannot miss.

Liquid vs. Vitality

Well, Liquid has been rambling about how you have to be delusional to win, and we saw them walk the talk when they picked Vitality back-to-back in Bounty. They lost both times, but came hair’s breadth close in their second affair, as they lost both maps in overtime. Now it feels like the Counter-Strike gods, still unsated, have asked them to lock horns again, handing Liquid another crack at breaking Vitality’s shins. Vitality, though, are nursing a slump, and for a team of their pedigree, even missing trophies have been considered below par. They’ve dropped two now, and like wolves who haven’t fed, they are going to fight with everything.

TYLOO vs. Astralis

Now now, the last time these two were set upon each other was at FISSURE Playground 1 Final, where TYLOO, the underdog, filched the trophy right under Astralis’ nose. For HooXi’s Astralis, still wet behind the ears at that point, it must have been a tough pill to swallow. Since then, Astralis have improved from a last-place finish at IEM Cologne 2025 to making it to BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals. And now, the opening round is going to be a match stitched by the furies, giving Astralis a chance to settle their scores in the opening round itself.

G2 vs. Falcons

Ah, yes, another clash that carries spice in its marrow. NiKo and m0NESY facing their old team and the battle of Kovacs. The last time they crossed blades, the matchup was home to some gnarly glances and funny mid-game interactions. But back then, G2 were still patching their quilt. Now, you can say they’ve earned some battle scars,  bonded under huNter-‘s leadership, and this will weigh their overhaul against the specter of their past. Falcons will also push kyousuke further into the light, who is turning out to be a hot prospect after a stunning debut.

FaZe vs. Aurora

It has been a year of struggle where nothing has clicked for FaZe. They’ve tried roster swaps, position juggling, style pivots, every jutsu scribbled in the books, yet the results have remained dismissive. They’ve scuffled, scrapped, and still come up empty-handed. Now, rumours suggest a change is on the cards after EWC 2025, but their Esports World Cup may very well be over tomorrow, as Aurora, carrying XANTARES back to the mantle, stands in their path in the opening round itself. The history books tip the outcome toward FaZe, yes, but I have a hunch, the kind that creeps in the marrow, that

Spirit vs. HEROIC

This one has the air of prophecy. It’s Spirit’s last dance with z0ntix, with HEROIC’s own tN1r rumoured to step into his boots. So tomorrow, the matchup between Spirit and HEROIC is going to be Spirit testing their purchase themselves. tN1r can do the funniest thing by sending Spirit home early. But it is going to be Spirit who will most likely end HEROIC’s run tomorrow, telling tN1R to get more practice before he wears their colors.