Russia Leads IEM Cologne Major Playoffs by Player Count

The IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs have not even started yet, but Russia has already claimed the first top spot of the tournament. Not by rounds, not by maps, and not by the trophy - but by the number of players in the decisive stage of the Major.

A total of ten Russian players will compete in the playoffs. And this is not just a nice number for the stats. The Russian presence is spread across several teams that are real contenders for a deep run. Most of the players represent Team Spirit and BetBoom Team, while two more Russians play for Team Falcons.

Turkey took second place with five players, but there is an important detail: all of them are gathered in Aurora Gaming. Russia’s situation looks stronger - its players are spread across multiple teams, making the influence broader and more dangerous.

The picture is pretty harsh: the playoffs have not even begun, but Russia has already become the most visible country in the final stage. Now there is only one question left - will this quantity turn into a title?

IEM Cologne Major 2026 is taking place in Cologne from June 2 to 21. Teams are competing for a $1.25 million prize pool.

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List of playoff participants by country:

• Russia — 10

• Turkey — 5

• Israel — 3

• Brazil — 3

• France — 2

• Argentina — 2

• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 2

• Denmark — 2

• Uruguay — 2

• Belarus — 1

• Latvia — 1

• Spain — 1

• Estonia — 1

• Slovakia — 1

• Kazakhstan — 1

• Ukraine — 1

• Chile — 1

• United Kingdom — 1