FURIA defeat Spirit in the IEM Krakow 2026 semifinal and advance to the grand final

FURIA and Spirit faced each other in the semifinal of IEM Krakow 2026, where the ticket to the grand final was decided across three maps. The match turned out to be tense and closely contested, featuring overtimes, long streaks of rounds, and standout individual performances. In the end, it was FURIA who managed to edge out their opponents and continue the fight for the title, while Spirit dropped to the third-place match.

Map veto:

1. FURIA removed Ancient
2. Spirit removed Inferno
3. FURIA picked Mirage
4. Spirit picked Dust2
5. FURIA removed Anubis
6. Spirit removed Overpass
7. Nuke was left over

Mirage (16:13 FURIA)

The series began on FURIA’s map pick. The first half ended in a 6:6 tie, with both teams showing their best rounds. After the side switch, the tension continued as the teams traded rounds, but FURIA managed to reach map point on the CT side. Spirit were able to push the game into overtime, but won only one round there and eventually lost 13:16.

Dust2 (13:8 Spirit)

In the first half on Dust2, FURIA secured a slight advantage, leading 7:5. However, they lost their focus on the CT side. Spirit imposed their own tempo and, thanks to fast executes onto the bombsites, put together a streak of seven rounds, securing a 13:8 victory and forcing a deciding third map.

Nuke (13:7 FURIA)

The first half of the decider started with complete domination from FURIA. The Brazilian team jumped out to a 6:0 lead and closed the half with a solid 9:3 advantage. After the side switch, Spirit managed to take four rounds in a row on the T side, but thanks to smart and decisive calls from FalleN, FURIA closed out Nuke 13:7 and booked their place in the grand final.

Match MVP

Despite the loss, the best player of the match was donk, who finished the series with an ADR of 107.9 and a 1.43 rating.

FURIA secure an important victory and advance to the grand final of IEM Krakow 2026. Spirit will play for third place against the loser of the MOUZ vs Vitality matchup. The IEM Krakow 2026 Playoffs take place from February 6 to 8, with the winner claiming the first major trophy of the new year and a $400,000 prize pool.