For about 24 hours, 9z Team was the best story in Counter-Strike. Then the story ended.
The Argentine organization pulled off one of the most stunning results in recent Major history on June 12, 2026, taking down Vitality, the reigning Major champions and world No. 1 ranked team, in a 2-1 series at the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The win pushed 9z to a pristine 2-0 record in Stage 3, putting them a single victory away from the playoff bracket. One day later, Team Spirit sent them home with a 2-1 defeat, and what looked like a Cinderella run turned into a pumpkin.
The upset that shook Cologne
The series went the full distance across Inferno, Mirage, and Dust2. For a team that has accumulated over $1.8 million in total tournament earnings across its lifetime, this single result may end up being worth more in reputation than any prize check.
The Spirit loss and what went wrong
