Astralis eliminate FUT at IEM Kraków 2026 after dramatic three-map series

Astralis ended FUT’s Cinderella run at IEM Kraków 2026, completing a 2–1 comeback victory in one of the most emotionally charged series of the tournament and securing a 9th–12th place finish for the Turkish squad.

The Danes overturned an early deficit after dropping their opponent’s map pick, showing resilience on Overpass before delivering a dominant performance on Nuke to close the series.

Astralis vs FUT — Full match results

Mirage: FUT 13–7 Astralis

Overpass: Astralis 13–11 FUT

Nuke: Astralis 13–2 FUT

After losing Mirage convincingly, Astralis found their footing on Overpass, where late-round discipline allowed them to erase a 7–3 deficit and deny FUT a 2–0 sweep. The decider, however, was one-sided from the opening rounds.

Early promise, late collapse for FUT

FUT entered the series full of confidence following their surprise run through the early stages of the tournament. Their Mirage defense looked composed and aggressive, and Overpass appeared to be slipping away from Astralis as FUT built momentum on the T side.

That momentum vanished late in the second map.

A handful of lost clutches and mid-round misreads gave Astralis the opening they needed, shifting the psychological balance of the match before the teams even reached Nuke.

Nuke turns into Astralis showcase

Nuke quickly spiraled out of control for FUT. Astralis raced to a 10–2 T-side half, powered by repeated clutch situations that broke FUT’s economy and morale.

Jakob “jabbi” Nygaard won two separate 1v3 clutches in the opening half

Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen added a crucial 1v2, compounding the pressure

With Astralis in full control, coach Casper “ruggah” Due was caught on broadcast jokingly taunting FUT as his in-game leader continued to rack up kills — a moment that captured the confidence swing perfectly.

Series MVP and player impact

Across all three maps, Love “phzy” Smidebrant emerged as Astralis’ standout performer, finishing the series with:

48 total kills

1.34 HLTV rating

Astralis’ supporting cast contributed consistently, but it was their late-round composure and clutch efficiency that ultimately decided the series.

FUT’s Kraków run still a success

Despite the loss, FUT leave Kraków with their reputation significantly enhanced.

They entered the event as one of the lowest-ranked teams

Finished 9th–12th, exceeding expectations

Currently sit 19th in the latest VRS ranking, placing them in strong position for future invites and qualifiers

Their tournament highlight remains a 2–0 upset victory over FURIA in the Stage 2 opener, where in-game leader Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija described the win as “revenge” for a previous online loss that had denied them a LAN appearance.

FUT are also already confirmed to compete in the online stage of ESL Pro League, with Kraków serving as a major confidence boost heading into that event.

Astralis continue lower-bracket recovery

This victory builds on Astralis’ earlier elimination of PARIVISION, keeping their lower-bracket run alive and reinforcing signs of progress in the team’s long-term project.

Speaking earlier in the event, HooXi emphasized that recent wins validate the team’s rebuilding process, while phzy highlighted steady improvement as Astralis continue adapting to English communication.