Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen as Game Ambassadors of the Esports World Cup and Esports Nations Cup

With Faker’s appointment, the Foundation’s Ambassador Program now brings together representatives from traditional sports, chess, and competitive gaming, reflecting esports’ growing importance on the global stage.

”Cristiano Ronaldo has become bigger than football, Magnus Carlsen bigger than chess, and Faker bigger than League of Legends,” Ralf Reichert, Chief Executive Officer of the Esports Foundation, explained. ”Together, they embody a global culture of competition that transcends the boundaries between disciplines.”

The trio represent the expanding global culture of competition: the reach of traditional sport, the evolution of competitive gaming, and the athletes who built esports itself.

With an esports career spanning a decade, the South Korean is not only a six-time League of Legends World Champion, but he also won gold medals in the 2022 Asian Games and 2024 EWC.

Now, in 2026, he’s aiming to reclaim his crown. Faker said in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports that he intends to continue competing at the highest level: ”As an ambassador for esports, I want to deliver world-class performances alongside the other great ambassadors. I hope this will encourage even more people to discover esports and enjoy it even more.”

Within his role, the 30-year-old will represent the perspective of esports players across the Foundation’s international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums, helping strengthen the connections among players, fans and organisations.

Ralf Reichert explained why Faker is the perfect choice: ”You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation.

”As our Game Ambassador, Faker represents something fundamental to the Ambassador Program: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next.

”Faker has redefined what people believed was possible, won championships across multiple generations of players, and continues to compete for the biggest trophies more than a decade after making his debut. No one was better suited to represent the players, the competition, and the culture of esports.”

This year Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal, the Republic of Korea’s highest sporting honour, to recognise his contributions to Korean sport and culture.

As esports has grown from a passionate community into a global cultural phenomenon, Faker has remained at the centre of that story, becoming one of the defining athletes of his generation while inspiring millions of players around the world. Now he has the chance of helping grow it further with this ambassadorial role by inspiring and connecting current players, fans and organisations.

The Esports World Cup is an annual competition that brings together the world's leading esports clubs across multiple game titles. The 2026 edition is currently taking place in Paris and features the largest prize pool in esports history.

The Esports Nations Cup will launch in 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Held every two years, the tournament will feature national teams competing across multiple titles. Unlike the Esports World Cup, players will represent their country or territory rather than their club.