Iberian Soul win qualifier as org exit weighs on squad

Iberian Soul beat FKOMAR 2-0 at the Esports World Cup 2026 open qualifier on Aug. 8, finishing the day with a clean match after an earlier loss to 6666. The win over FKOMAR was achieved without dropping a round.

Gentle Mates confirmed it was exiting Counter-Strike while Iberian Soul were still playing their second match, leaving the Spanish side without a parent organisation for the tournament. The announcement followed a year-long association between the two groups.

Captain Alejandro “alex” Masanet said the team has struggled to stay motivated since the split and that the situation is affecting performance. “Right now, we are in talks with some organizations, but I think this is affecting us mentally,” Masanet told reporters. He added that players must cover travel and tournament costs without club backing: “When you don’t have a club to play for, you need to pay out of pocket to come to this kind of event, so it’s hard, it’s hard mentally.”

Roster arrangements at the qualifier were temporary. Daniel remains the official coach. Joey, competing under the tag CRUC1AL as a stand-in fifth, was told this will likely be his last event with the squad. Masanet praised Joey’s contribution but said the group is not yet operating as a settled five-player unit: “We just need to find a balance.”

Iberian Soul have been short of a specialist AWPer since Antonio “MartinezSa” Martinez left earlier this year. Masanet noted there are only a couple of domestic AWPers available — SunPayus and Martinez — and both are currently committed to other teams, making an all-Spanish lineup difficult to maintain. “So yeah, of course we’re forced to play internationally,” he said, and he called signing SunPayus an option depending on contractual circumstances.

The team reached a strong position at the Roman Imperium Cup earlier this year. Last year the roster spent eight months seeking a new organisation after a previous split. With Gentle Mates’ exit, Iberian Soul continue to compete in open qualifiers and regional events while searching for new backing and a stable five-player lineup.