The Esports Foundation (EF) has officially announced the players who have received direct invitations to the EA SPORTS FC tournament at the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026, with India’s Charanjot Singh earning a place through the FC Pro World Rankings. The 23-year-old will represent the country at the inaugural edition of the global nation-based esports competition, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026.
EA SPORTS FC at ENC 2026 will take place from November 17 to 22, featuring a prize pool of USD 600,000 (~INR 5.7 crore). A total of 128 players will compete at the tournament. The EF allocated 64 direct invitations through the official FC Pro World Rankings, with one invite awarded to the highest-ranked eligible player from each country or territory. The remaining 56 places will be decided through regional online qualifiers, scheduled from July 29 to August 9, while the final eight slots will be filled through wildcard invitations.
Widely regarded as South Asia’s leading EA SPORTS FC competitor, Charanjot has donned the Indian colours at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the FIFAe Nations Cup, the FC Pro World Championship, and several other premier international tournaments. On the domestic circuit, he has captured multiple major titles, including the eISL Season 3 championship, cementing his reputation as one of the country’s most accomplished EA SPORTS FC players. His consistent performances over the past season also saw him emerge as the highest-ranked Indian player in the FC Pro World Rankings, earning direct qualification for ENC 2026.
Speaking on securing his place at the Esports Nations Cup 2026, Charanjot Singh said, “I have had the opportunity to compete on some incredible stages over the years, and every tournament has taught me something new while helping me grow as a player. The Esports Nations Cup is the next big challenge in that journey, bringing together the best players from across the world on one of the biggest stages in esports. Now the focus is on making the most of this opportunity and delivering the level of performance I know I’m capable of.”
The online qualifiers for EA Sports FC will be held through the in-game FC Pro Live Events mode and the Battlefy tournament platform. The regional qualifiers will be divided into two phases and are open to all eligible players, with no limit on the number of participants per eligible country or territory. During Phase 1, players will compete in a ladder-based format between July 29 and August 2, with matches available 24 hours a day. Competitors will be matched against opponents with a similar Skill Rating. At the conclusion of the ladder stage, the top players from each region, based on their peak Skill Rating during the ladder period, will advance to the Playoff Stage hosted on Battlefy.
A maximum of two players from each country or territory may qualify for the ENC 2026, including those who have already received direct invitations. With Charanjot already securing one of India’s two available spots, one more Indian player can still qualify through the South Asia regional qualifier, where a total of four players will advance to the ENC 2026 main event.
With this announcement, India has now secured representation in seven titles at ENC 2026: Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Chess, EA Sports FC, Honor of Kings, Rocket League, Trackmania and VALORANT. The nation earned a special invite in BGMI and Honor of Kings. In Chess, Grandmaster Nihal Sarin qualified directly through the official ENC Rankings, while Mitrabha Guha secured his place through the regional qualifiers. India’s Rocket League team, VALORANT team and Trackmania star Kunal Upreti (Spark) also earned their spots at the global event through their respective regional qualifiers.
Attention now turns to the remaining titles. India’s MOBA Legends: 5v5! roster, which was earlier revealed by NODWIN Gaming, the country’s National Team Partner (NTP) for ENC 2026, remains in contention for a direct invitation to the main event. If required, the team will compete in the regional qualifiers scheduled for August 15 to 16.
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