Team Spirit built an early lead on Mirage, clawed into overtime, and still couldn’t stop the inevitable. Team Vitality took the opening map 16-13 in overtime, then swept the remaining two maps to close out a 3-0 grand final victory at IEM Rio 2026 on April 19.
The result crowned Vitality as the first team in Counter-Strike history to secure back-to-back ESL Grand Slam titles. For Team Spirit, the overtime push on Mirage was the closest they got to flipping the script.
How the grand final unfolded
Mirage was supposed to be where Spirit made their stand. They jumped out to an early lead, building enough of a cushion that a map win felt within reach.
Then Vitality chipped away at the deficit, equalized, and forced the map into overtime. Once there, the French-led roster closed it out 16-13.
