Vitality to Face Inner Circle, NAVI to Clash with M80 at BLAST Open Fall 2026

Vitality to Face Inner Circle, NAVI to Clash with M80 at BLAST Open Fall 2026

The organizers of BLAST have announced the opening matches for the group stage of the BLAST Open Porto 2026. The tournament will kick off on August 26 at the BLAST studio in Copenhagen, where 16 teams will compete for six playoff spots. The final part of the competition will be held at the Super Bock Arena in Porto.

Some of the main favorites of the tournament remain NAVI and Vitality. The Ukrainian team will start with a match against M80 , while the current champions Vitality will face Inner Circle.

Opening Matches of BLAST Open Porto

August 26:

aurora vs G2
Spirit vs DENDELE
NAVI vs M80
FURIA Esports vs pain

August 27:

Vitality vs Inner Circle
Mouz vs 9z
Legacy vs FUT
Falcons vs Lynn Vision

The match between Vitality and Inner Circle is particularly noteworthy. In this encounter, jL will debut for the French team, temporarily replacing mezii . The British player will miss the tournament due to paternity leave.

In Group A, besides NAVI and M80 , Spirit , FURIA Esports , G2, aurora , DENDELE, and pain will compete. Group B will feature Vitality, Mouz , Falcons , 9z , FUT, Legacy , Lynn Vision , and Inner Circle.

Group winners will advance directly to the semifinals. Teams finishing in second and third places will secure spots in the quarterfinals through the lower bracket.

After the group stage, the top six teams will head to Porto, where from August 29 to 30, they will determine the winner of BLAST Open Porto 2026 and the recipient of the largest share of the $1.1 million prize pool.