NAVI have won a major tournament for the first time since 2024: the Ukrainian team have been crowned ESL Pro League champions

The Ukrainian esports team Natus Vincere has once again made a big splash on the world stage by winning one of the most prestigious Counter-Strike tournaments. Their victory in the ESL Pro League Season 23 final was a long-awaited triumph following a prolonged drought without major trophies. Find out how the decisive match between NAVI and Aurora went, who was the hero of the final, and what records the team set

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Natus Vincere have made a triumphant return to the pinnacle of global esports. In the grand final of the prestigious ESL Pro League Season 23 tournament, held in Sweden, the Ukrainian team confidently defeated Aurora 3–1. The final clash proved to be a thrilling spectacle, but NAVI were in complete control of the series’ tempo. The Ukrainian team started with a confident 13-7 victory on Mirage. Although Aurora managed to fight back and take the second map, Anubis, NAVI quickly regained their composure. They outmanoeuvred their opponents tactically on Nuke (13-8), before sealing the championship victory on the legendary Dust2.

NAVI’s victory at a Tier-1 tournament for the first time since 2024

For ‘Born to Win’, this cup has become a truly landmark achievement. It is only the second LAN trophy for the revamped squad since signing Drin ‘makazze’ Shakiri in June 2025. But more importantly, this is NAVI’s first victory at a top-tier tournament since their triumph at IEM Rio 2024. Devoted fans had waited a long 518 days for this moment, and now the squad’s trophy drought at the elite level is officially over.

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Igor “w0nderful” Zhdanov: statistics and highlights of the final

The team’s Ukrainian sniper, Igor “Iw0nderful” Zhdanov, was undoubtedly the key architect of victory in the decisive match. His individual performance was the highlight of the tournament: he finished the series with an outstanding 1.56 rating, won seven crucial clutches and was the team’s top scorer on all four maps played. It is symbolic that it was he who won that very decisive clutch on Dust2, which secured the championship for NAVI.

b1t’s words after the victory

Once the confetti had settled on the stage and emotions had calmed down a little, the players were able to share their joy with the audience. Veteran of the current squad Valery ‘b1t’ Vakhovsky didn’t miss the chance to take a dig at their main rivals, quipping with a smile from the stage:

“Without Team Vitality — an easy win”.

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A reminder! The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina have come to an end, leaving Ukraine with mixed feelings: the national team failed to win any medals, and the result was the worst in the history of their participation in the Winter Games. Despite this, some athletes managed to come close to the top level, whilst high-profile events unfolded around the team away from the competition. Find out what made the 2026 Olympics memorable for Ukraine and what conclusions it left.

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