IEM Cologne Major 2026: vs G2

After yesterday’s disappointing loss to Falcons (1 : 2), NAVI’s CS2 team no longer has any room for error.

To qualify for the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs with a 3–2 record and play in front of the crowd at the LANXESS Arena on June 18, the team must win its final match of the third stage.

NAVI’s opponent will be G2. The match starts at 19:00 CEST and will be played in a best-of-3 format.

As a reminder, NAVI previously lost to Spirit (0 : 2) at IEM Cologne Major 2026, then defeated Legacy (2 : 0) and MongolZ (2 : 1), but failed to secure a playoff spot at the first attempt after falling to Falcons.

G2 also lost to Falcons (1 : 2), then defeated FUT (2 : 1), but were unable to overcome Aurora in the third round (0 : 2). In yesterday’s elimination match, the European roster came out on top against Legacy (2 : 0).

This year, NAVI and G2 have faced each other twice: NAVI won 2 : 0 at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 in February, but lost 1 : 2 at ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 in March. However, G2 have since made a roster change: malbsMd moved to Liquid, while NertZ took his place. G2 are currently ranked 11th in the Valve ranking and 13th on HLTV.org.

We believe NAVI can claim the victory today and advance to the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs.