Five teams that could make their Major debut at IEM Cologne Major 2026

There is less than a month left before the teams receive invites to the upcoming IEM Cologne Major 2026. With every Major births new storylines, and this one is no different. This time around, there are quite a handful of organizations that are on the verge of making their first-ever appearance at a Counter-Strike Major. Let us take a look at the top five contenders who are knocking on the doors of their first Major appearance.

FUT

For a team that was ranked outside the top 40 four months ago, FUT have done well to make it to the #11th spot in the global VRS. Formerly the core of NAVI Junior, FUT has established themselves well among the top teams on the back of some strong foundational individual players. The climb to the top 10 spot in Europe has come after some decent showings at IEM Krakow and ESL Pro League. They are in prime position to qualify for the Major, predicted to make it to Stage 2. And thus, they are the easiest pick in our list of orgs debuting at a Major.

Current lineup:

• lauNX
• dem0n
• Krabeni
• cmtry
• dziugss

Sharks

The mostly-Brazilian Sharks lineup including five potential debutants are currently ranked 7th in the Americas, which has a total of 10 spots for the Major. According to current predictions, this stack is expected to make it to the second stage of the Major by climbing to the 4th spot in the Americas. They have recently played a $25k LAN in Brazil, which is all they will participate in before the Major invites are locked in. Although they’re not going to overtake the likes of Legacy, NRG, and paiN, they are still in a sweet spot to qualify for the Major, currently ranked above even the likes of Passion UA.

Current lineup:

• Gafolo
• koala
• maxxkor
• rdnzao
• doc

Morningstar

Morningstar are a Chinese stack ranked #4th in Asia, which has 5 spots in the Major. Ranked 104th in the world, they will potentially be the lowest-ranked team in the event, with all five players on the lineup yet to make their Major debut. They have no upcoming events and are gatekeeping TYLOO, Rare Atom, and Lynn Vision. However, only TYLOO is playing in Rotterdam, so there is a chance of a last-minute turnaround before the IEM Cologne Major 2026.

Current lineup:

• rubeN
• SPine
• rage
• expSasiKi
• suki

Voca

The all-American Voca lineup featuring junior and Jeorge is currently ranked 10th in the Americas. They will play PGL Bucharest and a Tier 3 LAN before the Major kicks off, and they need to shake away Imperial in the run to qualify for the Major. It is funny how the 10 spots for the Americas could go to these new teams, all because most of the good American teams are faltering or pulling out. I wonder if it is the death, or the rebirth, of American CS.

Current lineup:

• junior
• Infinite
• snav
• nosraC
• Jeorge

Gentle Mates

Gentle Mates feature plenty of names you’ll recognize. They are currently ranked 18th in VRS and are expected to make it to the first stage of the Major. The players might be veterans, but the colors on the jersey will shine in the Major spotlight for the first time if this does happen. They have been silently on the grind, and winning events like IstanbuLAN has contributed significantly to gaining VRS points. They are expected to reach the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 despite not having any more events before the event on their calendar.

Current lineup:

• alex
• mopoz
• sausol
• MartinezSa
• dav1g