France’s Sports Ministry Joins Esports Foundation for 2026 Cup

The Esports Foundation and France’s Ministry of Sport, Youth and Community Life (Ministère des Sports, de la Jeunesse et de la Vie associative) have signed a memorandum of understanding to support the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris and to collaborate on programs for young people.

Under the MoU, the organisations will develop projects to teach digital skills, online safety, teamwork and fair play. Possible initiatives include gaming workshops in schools and community outreach designed to connect major competitions with education activities.

The Esports World Cup 2026 will run from July 6 to August 23 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Organisers expect more than 2,000 players and about 200 clubs from over 100 countries. The event will feature 25 tournaments across 24 titles, including League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and Fortnite, and will offer a total prize pool of $75 million. It will be the first edition of the World Cup held outside Riyadh.

France is considered the third-largest esports market globally. Domestic clubs such as Vitality, Gentle Mates and Karmine Corp regularly compete at international level. Organisers described hosting the World Cup in Paris as a way to reinforce the country’s appeal as a destination for large esports events.

Planned collaborations are intended to produce measurable outcomes in youth training and participation, but the announcement did not provide details on funding, timelines or specific school programs.

Officials said the agreement reflects increased involvement by national sports ministries in esports governance and event hosting and will support coordination on logistics, local outreach and related policy work for large-scale esports gatherings.