A Seat at the Table: GAM at the Esports World Cup Closing Ceremony

On Sunday, August 23, the Esports World Cup 2026 closed its seven weeks in Paris under the glass roof of the Grand Palais. It was not a stadium show. It was a small, intimate gathering of the people shaping the future of esports, and GAM was there, representing Vietnam as one of the 40 Official Club Partners.

The Grand Palais, set for the Trophy Award Ceremony.

TK Nguyen arrives for the Trophy Award Ceremony.

Who was in the room

President Emmanuel Macron and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: Esports World Cup.

His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and Emmanuel Macron, President of France, attended together. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Esports World Cup's global ambassador, was there. So was Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA.

Cristiano Ronaldo at the Grand Palais. Photo: Esports World Cup.

When football meets esports.

President Macron presented the Club Championship to AG.AL, the club that finished on top after 25 tournaments across 24 games, more than 2,000 players, and 200 clubs from over 100 countries.

The Club Championship presentation. Photo: Esports World Cup.

Why it matters for Vietnam

Not long ago, the idea of a Vietnamese esports club in a room like this would have sounded like a dream. Heads of state, the biggest name in football, and the leaders of world sport, gathered to celebrate esports, and Vietnam had a seat at the table.

That seat was earned. Eleven VCS titles, nine trips to MSI and Worlds, Vietnam's first esports gold medal, and a movement that put 30 Super Fans in the front row in Paris. When the Esports World Cup chose its 40 Club Partners, GAM was the only one from Vietnam.

Gen.G, T1, and GAM leadership at the Grand Palais.

"Five years ago, when I started this journey with GAM, I never imagined I would be standing in the Grand Palais in Paris, in the same room as some of the most influential people in the world: His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, President Macron, and Cristiano Ronaldo. To be there representing GAM, representing Vietnam and Southeast Asia, makes me prouder than ever. That night, Vietnam to the World meant a seat at the table. And this is only the beginning of where esports, and this movement, are going," said TK Nguyen, Founder and CEO of GAM Entertainment.

The bigger picture

Esports now shares a stage with heads of state and global sport. For Vietnam, a country of 100 million with one of the youngest, most connected audiences on earth, that is not a curiosity. It is an opportunity, and GAM intends to make sure Vietnam is part of every conversation about where this goes next.

Read the full story of our Esports World Cup: GAM at the Esports World Cup: Our Paris Story.

Vietnam to the World. It's GAM TIME.