Team Secret Whales eliminate TOP Esports from MSI 2026 with historic win

Team Secret Whales just did something most analysts thought was deeply unlikely. The Vietnamese League of Legends squad eliminated TOP Esports, one of China’s most decorated organizations, in a best-of-five series at MSI 2026 in Daejeon, South Korea.

For context, TSW had just been swept 0-3 by Hanwha Life Esports in the upper bracket. Coming back through the lower bracket to knock out a team of TES’s caliber is the kind of narrative arc that makes esports compelling, and that makes prediction markets very interesting.

The upset and why it matters beyond the Rift

Team Secret Whales is a Vietnamese organization that was only established in December 2024. They qualified for MSI 2026 undefeated in LCP Split 2, representing the combined Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and Oceania region. Their jungler Hizto earned MVP honors for that split, and their roster of Pun, Hizto, Dire, Eddie, and Bie has quickly developed a reputation for punching above their weight class.

TOP Esports, meanwhile, carries the expectations that come with representing the LPL, China’s premier league. The MSI 2026 bracket stage runs from July 3 to 12.

Coinbase’s headline sponsorship and the prediction market angle

Coinbase is the headline sponsor of MSI 2026, and the partnership includes built-in prediction markets where fans can wager on match outcomes. Polymarket has also listed prediction markets related to the tournament, giving crypto-native users another venue to put their game knowledge to work.

Neither Team Secret Whales nor TOP Esports has any direct crypto sponsorships or associated tokens. TSW’s sponsors include traditional brands like Pulsar and VTVCab ONLive.

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