In a thrilling encounter at IEM Krakow 2026 Stage 2, Brazilian team Furia overcame the mongolz with a 2-1 series victory, marked by comebacks and overtimes. The win eliminates the mongolz from the tournament while advancing Furia in the lower bracket. Yekindar earned MVP honors for his standout performance.
The matchup between the mongolz and Furia unfolded during Stage 2 of IEM Krakow 2026, an event running from January 31 to February 3, where 16 teams vie for playoff spots. The series proved tense, featuring tight contests and decisive dominance on the final map.
The map veto process saw the mongolz remove Anubis and Overpass, while Furia eliminated Ancient and Dust2. The mongolz selected Mirage as their pick, Furia chose Inferno, leaving Nuke as the decider.
On Mirage, the mongolz secured a narrow 13-11 win. Furia built an 8-4 lead in the first half, but the mongolz rallied strongly on the CT side to claim victory on their chosen map.
Inferno turned into a back-and-forth battle, with Furia taking seven rounds on the T side for a balanced first half. After switching sides, the mongolz gained control and reached match point, yet Furia forced overtime. In the extra rounds, Furia dominated to win 16-13.
The decider on Nuke was one-sided, ending 13-2 in Furia's favor. The mongolz managed just two rounds on the T side, as Furia controlled the game throughout, preventing any recovery.
Yekindar stood out as the match MVP, posting a 1.39 rating across the series. This result sends Furia onward in the lower bracket, while the mongolz finish in 13th-16th place, collecting $10,000 in prize money.