Team Vitality, the number one ranked Counter-Strike 2 team on the planet, nearly stumbled out of the gate at the IEM Cologne Major 2026. They lost the opening map to FUT Esports, stared down an early exit narrative, and then did what championship-caliber teams do: they flipped the script entirely.
The result was a 2-1 reverse sweep on June 11, securing Vitality’s spot in the next round of Stage 3 at what is widely considered the most prestigious CS2 event on the calendar.
How the match unfolded
FUT Esports, ranked somewhere between 12th and 14th globally, came into the matchup as clear underdogs. But the opening map told a different story. FUT looked sharp, composed, and entirely unbothered by the pedigree of the team across the server.
The roster features some of the most decorated names in modern CS2, including ZywOo, widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, alongside ropz and in-game leader apEX.
