Santa predicted a victory for Team Spirit at The International 2026

...> The point of the Yandex matches is to warm up Team Spirit before their battle with Parisian. And that’s not bad at all—a top-3 finish is an excellent result for a team that’s been playing together for a year and actually started out in the DreamLeague’s second division.

As sad as it may sound, that’s just how The International works. At every tournament, there are teams destined to reach the finals. As a rule, one is the pre-tournament favorite, while the other gains momentum as the tournament progresses. If we were to compare Yandex and Spirit metaphorically, the former are like an MMA fighter who’s had a spectacular season and won many titles. The latter, on the other hand, are masters of street fights—where there are no rules and the battle is to the death. You can’t learn this—you just have to live it. Maybe someday Yandex will become like that, but not today and not tomorrow. And tomorrow’s defeat is just part of the journey.

2) Team Spirit > Parivision Essentially, the entire Internet is one big anime season, led by the battle between the King and the Prince. The first match: 2-0. The second: 2-1. The third—??? As soon as Yatoro lost in the group stage, all he could think about was revenge. After losing a second time, he not only thought about it but also spoke about it. Constant references in interviews to Parivision, about how he’s waiting for a rematch. Ilya never, not even for a second, considered the possibility of not making it to the grand final. He’s been there for a long time already, thinking about how he’ll teach the youngster a lesson. It’s like a scene from a massive battle, where the main characters charge toward each other through the fray, sweeping aside the other fighters who get in their way without even noticing them.

After all, there’s something personal between them. Satanik took Yatoro’s spot when Ilya went on hiatus. Upon the King’s return, the Prince was asked to vacate the slot. Many at the time considered this decision highly controversial, since Satanik is young and hot-headed, full of promise, with his prime still ahead of him, while Ilya had supposedly won it all, proven everything to everyone, and had his prime behind him. This grand final is a great chance to prove to the whole world—and above all to himself—that if you’re the King, entering the zone isn’t a problem, but merely a task.

It’s not enough for just one person to be in the zone; Yatoro, like a true King, lights up everyone around him and, so to speak, brings out their best. Collaps has repeatedly spoken in recent months about a drop in motivation. Maga simply couldn’t find the desire to shine like he used to. But now everything has changed. He needs to claim the third Aegis, make history, and defeat the arrogant Satanic. With whom, by the way, he’s facing off. If Yatoro is the King, then Maga is his Executioner.

I’m thrilled to witness the denouement of this—I won’t hesitate to use the word—drama. Both teams are more than worthy of the Aegis. Nun alone is worth it. But Spirit, in his current form, is the embodiment of everything I love about Dota. It’s passion, it’s courage, it’s magic—it’s pure, undiluted testosterone and self-confidence. And they’ve achieved all this in just one tournament! The Grand Final will go down in history as one of the most nail-biting ever. Let’s go!!!