After three weeks of intense group stage action, and a couple of tiebreakers to boot, the 8th iteration of ETF2L's Nations Cup can kick off its playoff phase. The remaining ̶1̶6̶ ̶1̶5̶ 14 teams feature everything from experienced Premiership winners to ragtag squads of players hungry to make a name for themselves. Here they all are in detail for you to peruse.

All rosters are subject to potential changes

Poland

• Scout: S4m
• Scout: paparazi
• Roamer: Bonkers
• Pocket: SOLAR
• Demoman: stan
• Medic: fiszjuka

Poland coming out of Group A on top was not a surprise to many, especially considering the early demise of Ukraine. The Polish group-stage campaign was kicked off by a comfortable win over Lithuania, before getting a default win after the Ukrainian national team folded, following their surprise defeat at the hands of Turkey. Turks and Poles faced off for the first place slot, and Turkey managed to showcase their talent, clinching 3 rounds in a 6-3 loss on the first map, before Poland proved why they were favorites to win the group after a dominating 5-0 finish on the second map.

Poland have been pretty low-key so far due to their group not having other well-known teams, but with their experience both in higher divisions and playing together, they could end up being a real dark horse in this Nations Cup. Their next game against Portugal will be the ideal match to prove if they can replicate their success against teams of a higher caliber.

Portugal

• Scout: 31
• Scout: Spanns
• Roamer: haunts
• Pocket: COLLINE
• Demoman: cooney
• Medic: Wild_Piggie

Portugal is in this round of 16 after probably the most surprising trajectory of this cup so far, finishing in second place of Group E after playing Sweden twice and literally no one else. The road to playoffs was pretty smooth for the Portuguese, as both Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia opted to bow out of their way without a fight. Dreaming of a first place finish, Portugal took the fight to Sweden and traded maps with the Scandinavians, forcing a tiebreaker game to happen between the two sides, that Sweden ultimately won in two hectic maps.

While their most recent game against Sweden showed that the Portugal team still has a lot to learn, it also proved that they at least possess the raw skill to cause some trouble. Their next clash against Poland will be an opportunity for them to see how well their aggression stacks up against a well-drilled team.

CZECHIA

• Scout: snh
• Scout: misha
• Roamer: Breez
• Pocket: milkyeu
• Demoman: LUKASTANK
• Medic: koling

Czechia steamrolled through Group H, winning every single map on round difference. Wins over Croatia, Belarus, and Serbia ensured a first place finish that was never really in doubt in the first place. The Czechs have looked like a cohesive unit throughout their games, showcasing the experience they acquired together in the last couple of Division 1 seasons, and will be looking to prolong their streak deep into the playoffs.

Spain, their next opponent, are looking like another easy target for them. But Czechia need to avoid complacency, lest they be caught cold by a ready opponent: especially after the relative ease of their group.

Spain

• Scout: doby
• Scout: scatmo
• Roamer: WFlash
• Pocket: Oshunter
• Demoman: Sollo Wollo
• Medic: Jorge

With Spain being placed in the same group as the juggernaut that is Germany, first place was probably never on the mind of the Spaniards. But second place looked up for grabs, especially thanks to the added cohesion most of their team acquired playing together on Los Muppets during S38. Spain dispatched Switzerland and got dispatched by Germany, and readied themselves for their game against Norway, who had the exact same results. The deciding game was very close, but Spain pulled out on top, countering the Norwegian talent with their superior synergy.

Their next game pits them against Czechia, and while it looks to be an uphill battle, it will at least be easier than playing against the Germans. Spain will be ready to pounce on any openings to try and unsettle their opponents.

Russia

• Scout: utka
• Scout: slash
• Roamer: tur1k
• Pocket: dqz
• Demoman: sano
• Medic: madmak

Russia is a nation that has always featured in the playoffs of the Nations Cup, and number 8 is no exception. Placed in Group F, Russia effortlessly breezed by Slovakia and Israel before facing off against Italy, who we predicted to finish in first in our previous article. And while Italy showed their grit in the first map, losing 3-4, they were swept aside by the Russians 5-0 in the second map.

Leaving the group with all 18 points, Russia will face however face a significant challenge in the round of 16 in the form of Finland. The Finns are not the powerhouse they once were however, and Russia will be keen to continue their momentum and reach the quarter-finals.

Finland

• Scout: credu
• Scout: nuthouse
• Roamer: junnu
• Pocket: tk
• Demoman: Derpy Hooves
• Medic: Muffinz

History looked to repeat itself as Finland faced England in the first match of Group D. The repeat of last cup’s final even ended with the same winner, as England defeated Finland 5-0 and 5-4. The rest of the games were a formality for the Finns, beating Belgium and Algeria without losing a single round.

With the roster now having some games together under their belts, Finland will hope that this is enough to defeat a Russian team high in confidence after their perfect group stage performance. Finland does possess a wealth of Premiership experience that few teams can match, and they’ll be looking to exploit that in playoff games: where keeping a cool head is often the key.

France

• Scout: Néo
• Scout: Cuby
• Roamer: dmoule
• Pocket: Corbac
• Demoman: deli69
• Medic: mulaa

Historical heavyweights, France have finished in at least 3rd place in the last three Nations Cup. With a roster composed in its entirety of Premiership players, first place in Group C looked like a done deal for France. While Estonia and Ireland were quickly taken care of, the Netherlands made them work for it. The Oranje managed to take a map off an admittedly weaker French roster, and since they also matched France’s results with other teams in the group, a tiebreaker game would be played. France used this opportunity to showcase that they got what it takes to go far, with their full-strength roster beating The Netherlands 6-1 and 5-0

France is also the first team to qualify to the quarter-finals, although this decision is not due to their talent but rather because Hungary opted to drop out of the Cup early. France will therefore face the winner of Finland-Russia, and maybe could have a grudge match against Finland on their hands: the Finns knocked them out in the semi-finals of last cup.

Germany

• Scout: voxtec
• Scout: stefaaan
• Roamer: Rising
• Pocket: Gazy
• Demoman: Brego / aidelos
• Medic: Aaron / rae

Germany. They were expected to do well, but exceeded expectations in their group by defeating all opponents without dropping a single round: finishing with a literally flawless record. While it must be pointed out that Switzerland only fielded five players against them, this probably didn’t make much difference, since neither of the other teams took more than 20 minutes for the Germans to defeat. Such was the impact of this that their first opponent Italy took one look and panicked, forfeiting the match and putting Germany straight into the quarter-finals.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a roster this packed with talent, with past and present Premiership finalists ranging from: voxtec and Gazy of FAINT and nerdRage, to stefaaan of Epsilon Esports, in their day the best team in the world. They and their countrymen have only lifted the Nations Cup trophy once before, but with a record like this and such talent on display; they will be hoping to do it again.

Denmark

• Scout: Blanc / toast
• Scout: pot8o / smile
• Roamer: tobs
• Pocket: smile / Mona
• Demoman: Dr.Phil
• Medic: Riis

Denmark’s record so far is a patchy one. They began with a spotless defeat of Austria, brushing them aside in a nine minute thumping on Process, before moving on to do the same to Greece. They were brimming with confidence going into their game against Hungary, but here they faced their first real opposition. Gullywash ended in a nail-biting 1-1 scoreline, ultimately going to Hungary in the Golden Cap. But on Sunshine the Danes fought back to take the map, the points, and the first place.

With a default win from Turkey, Denmark have a guaranteed place in the quarter-finals to face Germany. While at no point should they be counted out, this route for them is far from simple.

Sweden

• Scout: ombra / BeaVerN
• Scout: Swi
• Roamer: alba
• Pocket: ondkaja
• Demoman: Smirre / gar
• Medic: lecunea

As a country Sweden’s appearances in the Nations’ Cup have been characterised by a string of second places, and after a comfortable first place in Group E they will be hoping to at least equal this. After cleanly defeating Saudi Arabia, they then tied with Portugal, winning Granary but falling short on Snakewater. They would face the Portuguese again in the tiebreaker, on exactly the same maps, but this time took both maps home to clinch the first seeding.

Averaging more than a hundred matches each, the Swedes aren’t short on experience, and this roster even features the return of BeaVerN from the last time they took home a trophy, all of eight years ago. Joining him are many other stalwarts of the Swedish scene, and for their country’s eighth consecutive appearance they surely have their eyes set on another 16 pixel trophy.

Netherlands

• Scout: mystt
• Scout: Dom
• Roamer: xaM
• Pocket: Jordy
• Demoman: Marten
• Medic: Kars

Appearing in nearly every Nations Cup since the very beginning, the Netherlands are still yet to claim a trophy. After a surprisingly close game against Ireland and a first map defeat to France on Gullywash, it didn’t seem like that would change, but on the second map of Snakewater the Dutch team rallied, claiming it 3-1 and setting themselves up for a comfortable win over Estonia. This put them tied with France at the top of the group but sadly it was not to be, as the French powerhouse took them to the limit in two swift maps.

With a plethora of high-tier talents on their roster, the Netherlands are not to be disregarded, but with the titans of England and Germany in their half of the bracket their run will be far from easy. Despite this, they are no pushovers, and with the expansion of tf2pickup into their country will have the synergy to back this up.

England

• Scout: moralexei / toemas
• Scout: YeeHaw / Thaigrr
• Roamer: toemas / Thaigrr
• Pocket: papi
• Demoman: Eemes
• Medic: Domo

Before the cup began England were regarded as one of the strongest teams, but immediately ran into an obstacle in the form of Finland. The Finns, eager to avenge their defeat in the previous cup’s Grand Finals, pushed the Anglos to a golden cap on Metalworks, and while they eventually lost that this was no cut-and-dry defeat (although their Process meeting was a far less tantalizing 5-0 to England). Reunited on scout, toemas and Thaigrr proved their mettle, fragging so hard Belgium and Algeria just rolled over and defaulted.

With two Nations Cup wins England are tied with Finland and France at the top, and are looking to take a third and crown themselves the best of the best. No team can be ignored in this bracket, however, as in a single elimination format every match is a fight for survival and as Finland showed them anything could happen.

Croatia

• Scout: oriano
• Scout: nachodog1661256 / maggy
• Roamer: Manky
• Pocket: buud
• Demoman: LukA
• Medic: mattikus

Croatia’s path to playoffs was perhaps the most clear-cut out of every team. In their first two matches they took both Belarus and Serbia to win difference, dropping only one round, before the Czech Republic gave them a taste of their own medicine. It could be that Gullywash simply isn’t their map, with a 5-0 thrashing in 14 minutes, but out of all teams in this round of 16 the Croats are perhaps the most likely to do a little trolling.

Despite this, their hopes are not high with a “swift execution” looming against England in their first match but as the first time they have made playoffs in a Nations Cup, for Croatia this is already a victory.

Article co-written with JMaxchill