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Best Esports Players and Teams of All Time Ranked

Our ranked guide to the best esports players and teams of all time, from Faker to T1 and Astralis. Real picks, real reasoning, no filler.

Best Esports Players and Teams of All Time: A Comprehensive Guide — illustrative featured image
## Our picks at a glance | Rank | Legend | Best for | Price range | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) | The one player you build a goat debate around | Free to watch | | 2 | T1 (formerly SK Telecom T1) | Dynasty-watchers who want the safest pick | Free to watch | | 3 | Astralis (CS:GO era) | Fans of tactical, system-first play | Free to watch | | 4 | OG (Dota 2) | Romantics who believe in chaos and belief | Free to watch | | 5 | s1mple (Oleksandr Kostyliev) | Anyone who thinks raw mechanics settle arguments | Free to watch | | 6 | Team Liquid (multi-title) | Fans of consistency across many games | Free to watch | | 7 | NaVi (2010s CS) | Historians of the pre-franchise era | Free to watch | | 8 | Fnatic (2010s) | Supporters of Western European pedigree | Free to watch | Yes, the "price" column is a joke. Watching esports costs nothing but sleep. The real currency here is legacy, and that is what we are ranking. ### How we picked - Peak dominance, not longevity alone. A player who was untouchable for three years beats one who was very good for ten. - Level of competition at the time. Beating prime opposition matters more than farming a weak region. - Titles that required adaptation. Winning after a meta shift, a roster change or a patch that killed your style counts double. - Cultural footprint. Did the name change how the game is played, coached or watched? - No recency bias. We are not handing out participation trophies to whoever won last season. We should be honest about the shape of this list. If you searched for the best soccer players of all time, you already know how these arguments go: Pelé versus Maradona versus Messi, with someone in the replies insisting on Cruyff. Esports has the same problem, except our Pelé is still playing. Faker is 30 in 2026 and still starting for T1. That alone should tell you how strange this sport is. --- ### 1. Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) #### Best for: the one player you build a goat debate around **Verdict:** The most decorated [League of Legends](/blog/esports-prize-pools-in-2026-where-the-money-really-is-lol-dota-2-cs-valorant) player alive, and the only name in esports that non-fans recognize. **Why it's on the list:** Faker debuted in 2013 and has won Worlds in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Nobody else in the history of the game is close. He has survived three complete overhauls of how mid lane works, two ownership changes at T1, and a wrist injury that would have ended most careers. In 2024 he was named to the inaugural Esports Hall of Fame class, which is the closest thing this industry has to a knighthood. **Pros:** - Six Worlds titles across a twelve-year span, which is absurd - Still mechanically relevant at 30, when most mids retire at 24 - Carries an entire league's global audience on his back **Cons:** - He plays one game. A CS or Dota fan will never fully accept that - His peak years are behind him, even if his floor is still elite **Who should buy:** Anyone who wants a single answer when a friend asks why esports deserves to be taken seriously. --- ### 2. T1 (formerly SK Telecom T1) #### Best for: dynasty-watchers who want the safest pick **Verdict:** The New York Yankees of esports, except the trophies are real and the payroll is smaller. **Why it's on the list:** T1 has won six Summoner's Cups, more than any other organization. The 2015 roster (Marin, Bengi, Faker, Bang, Wolf) is the most complete team ever assembled in League. The 2025 squad answered the one question that hung over the org for years: can they win without Faker carrying every fight? They did, and the answer annoyed everyone who bet against them. **Pros:** - Six world titles, spread across three different eras of the game - A [player development](/blog/esports-player-behavior-why-orgs-must-teach-soft-skills-for-long-term-success) pipeline that keeps producing starters - The most recognizable brand in Korean esports **Cons:** - Years of roster churn have produced some genuinely ugly seasons - Their fanbase is large enough to be its own weather system **Who should buy:** New fans who want to support a team that will not disappear in two years. --- ### 3. Astralis (CS:GO era) #### Best for: fans of tactical, system-first play **Verdict:** The team that turned Counter-Strike from a game of aim into a game of chess. **Why it's on the list:** Between 2018 and 2019, Astralis won three Majors and looked unbeatable doing it. Their utility usage and default setups became the template every tier-one team copied. device, dupreeh, Xyp9x, gla1ve and Magisk did not just win, they changed what coaches taught. The org's later decline in CS2 does not erase that. **Pros:** - Four Major titles, the most of any CS:GO org - Invented the modern utility-heavy playbook - Dominated during the most competitive era of the game **Cons:** - The roster broke apart and the magic never came back - Their CS2 results have been mediocre at best **Who should buy:** Viewers who appreciate structure over highlight reels. --- ### 4. OG (Dota 2) #### Best for: romantics who believe in chaos and belief **Verdict:** Two-time TI winners who did it the hard way, through the open qualifiers, twice. **Why it's on the list:** OG won The International in 2018 and 2019, and the second one came after they qualified through the open bracket. No team of that caliber had ever done that. Their run at TI9, dropping only one map across the entire tournament, is the single most dominant performance in Dota history. They also did it with a substitute coach filling in at one point, which remains deeply funny. **Pros:** - Back-to-back Aegis wins, a feat nobody else has matched - The TI9 run was near-flawless - Their style made aggressive Dota look smart again **Cons:** - The roster dissolved and the org has not recaptured it - Their regular-season form was often mediocre **Who should buy:** Anyone who roots for the underdog story even when the underdog is a two-time champion. --- ### 5. s1mple (Oleksandr Kostyliev) #### Best for: anyone who thinks raw mechanics settle arguments **Verdict:** The most individually gifted Counter-Strike player ever, and the AWP highlight reel that launched a thousand arguments. **Why it's on the list:** s1mple won a Major with NaVi in 2021 and was named HLTV Player of the Year three times. His 2021 season is the highest-rated individual campaign in the modern era of the game. He did things with an AWP that looked like bugs. He also carried rosters that had no business winning maps, which is the real test of a superstar. **Pros:** - Three HLTV Player of the Year awards - A Major title and a Major MVP - Mechanically the highest ceiling anyone has recorded **Cons:** - His trophy cabinet is thinner than his talent deserves - Long stretches of his career were spent on rosters that wasted him **Who should buy:** Fans who care about the player more than the badge. --- ### 6. Team Liquid #### Best for: fans of consistency across many games **Verdict:** The most reliable multi-title organization in Western esports, even if they are rarely the best at any single one. **Why it's on the list:** Liquid has won a Dota 2 TI (2017), a CS:GO Grand Slam, and titles in StarCraft II, League, Valorant and [Rocket League](/blog/esports-world-cup-2026-complete-guide-to-events-games-and-how-to-watch). No other Western org has stayed relevant across that many scenes for that long. The 2019 CS:GO Intel Grand Slam, won in record time, is the cleanest proof of their peak. **Pros:** - TI7 champions and Intel Grand Slam winners - Competitive in six or more titles simultaneously - A stable org that treats players well, which matters **Cons:** - Frequently the bridesmaid, never the dynasty - Their [League of Legends](/blog/faker-s-50k-card-the-surprising-crossover-of-esports-and-trading-cards) team has never won Worlds **Who should buy:** Fans who want one org to follow across every game they watch. --- ### 7. NaVi (2010s Counter-Strike) #### Best for: historians of the pre-franchise era **Verdict:** The team that made Eastern European Counter-Strike a permanent fixture at the top. **Why it's on the list:** NaVi's 2010 roster, led by markeloff and Edward, won everything that mattered before the Major system existed. Their 2021 Major win with s1mple and electronic closed the loop on a decade of near-misses. The org has been a top-ten fixture for fifteen years, which is rarer than it sounds. **Pros:** - A Major title in 2021 and a legendary 2010 run - Fifteen years of continuous relevance - Produced some of the best individual talents in the game **Cons:** - The 2010s were full of finals they lost - Roster instability has cost them several peak years **Who should buy:** Anyone who wants to understand how Counter-Strike became a global sport. --- ### 8. Fnatic #### Best for: supporters of Western European pedigree **Verdict:** The old guard of European esports, with a trophy case that spans nearly two decades. **Why it's on the list:** Fnatic won the first-ever [League of Legends](/blog/drx-and-nuon-how-indonesia-korea-deals-are-shaping-esports-in-asia) World Championship in 2011, then won again in 2018 after a seven-year gap. They have also won Majors in Counter-Strike and been a force in Dota 2. Few orgs have stayed this relevant for this long across this many games. **Pros:** - Two Worlds titles, seven years apart - CS:GO Major wins and Dota 2 success - One of the oldest continuously operating esports brands **Cons:** - Their recent League form has been inconsistent - They have been overtaken in several scenes by newer orgs **Who should buy:** Fans who value history and want a European team to call their own. --- ## Our take: what we would actually recommend If you are new to esports and want one thing to watch, watch T1 in a [League of Legends](/blog/esports-world-cup-2026-top-players-and-teams-to-watch-in-week-7) playoff run. The production is polished, the stakes are clear, and Faker is still there. If you want the purest competitive experience, watch a Counter-Strike Major final. The tension in a CS decider map beats anything else in the industry. The value pick is Dota 2's The International. It is free to watch, the prize pool is enormous, and the meta is genuinely unpredictable. The one to avoid is any scene that requires you to learn forty years of lore before you can enjoy a match. Start with the games, not the history. And if you came here from a search about the best soccer players of all time, the comparison holds better than you think. Both debates are unwinnable, both are worth having, and both reward the fan who actually watches the games instead of just reading the lists. --- ## How to choose the right legend for you - **Pick your game first.** A Faker fan who has never played League will bounce off. Start with the title you already play. - **Decide what you value.** Peak dominance, longevity, or entertainment. The list changes depending on which one you pick. - **Check the current roster.** Half the legends on this list are retired or playing elsewhere. Follow the player, not just the badge. - **Watch a full series, not a highlight reel.** A best-of-five tells you more about a team than any montage. - **Ignore the goat arguments.** They are fun, but they are not a reason to watch. --- ## FAQ **Who is the best esports player of all time?** Faker, and it is not especially close. Six Worlds titles across twelve years, still competing at the top level in 2026, and the only esports figure with mainstream recognition outside the industry. s1mple has a case on pure mechanics, but trophies decide these things. **What is the best esports team of all time?** T1, on the strength of six Summoner's Cups and a decade of relevance. Astralis has a strong argument if you weight era dominance over total titles. OG has the best single-tournament run in Dota 2 history. We would still take T1. **Are esports players athletes?** They train six to ten hours a day, work with coaches and analysts, and retire earlier than most footballers. Whether that makes them athletes is a semantics question. It makes them professionals, which is the part that matters. ---

Frequently asked questions

Who is the best esports player of all time?

Faker, and it is not especially close. Six Worlds titles across twelve years, still competing at the top level in 2026, and the only esports figure with mainstream recognition outside the industry. s1mple has a case on pure mechanics, but trophies decide these things.

What is the best esports team of all time?

T1, on the strength of six Summoner's Cups and a decade of relevance. Astralis has a strong argument if you weight era dominance over total titles. OG has the best single-tournament run in Dota 2 history. We would still take T1.

Are esports players athletes?

They train six to ten hours a day, work with coaches and analysts, and retire earlier than most footballers. Whether that makes them athletes is a semantics question. It makes them professionals, which is the part that matters. ---

How we picked - Peak dominance, not longevity alone. A player who was untouchable for three years beats one who was very good for ten. - Level of competition at the time. Beating prime opposition mat

- No recency bias. We are not handing out participation trophies to whoever won last season.

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