Faker qualifies for his 11th World Championship after 13 years of dominance

Lee Sang-hyeok, universally known as Faker, punched his ticket to an 11th League of Legends World Championship on September 1, 2026. His T1 squad locked in a playoff position in the LCK after GEN.G’s victory over KT clinched the spot for them, meaning T1 didn’t even need to win their own match to secure qualification.

A streak that shouldn’t exist

This qualification marks Faker’s sixth consecutive trip to the World Championship, a run stretching back through 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and now 2026.

His full Worlds resume reads like a timeline of League of Legends itself: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and then every single year from 2021 onward. He became the first player to reach 10 or more Worlds appearances back in September 2025. Now he’s extended that record to 11, a number nobody else is remotely close to touching.

For context, Faker debuted professionally in 2013 as a teenager. Most of the players he competed against in his early years have long since retired, moved into coaching, or transitioned to streaming. Faker is still qualifying for Worlds.

The numbers behind the legend

T1 has claimed six World Championship titles as an organization, and Faker has been central to all of them. The team recently completed a historic three-peat, winning in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Faker holds the record for the most finals appearances at Worlds with eight. He also holds records for kills and assists in Worlds history and is recognized as the oldest player to win the championship.

What another Worlds run means

Of his 10 prior appearances, six ended with him lifting the trophy. If T1 wins again, it would give the organization a seventh title and extend their three-peat into a four-peat.

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