World Cup of Pokémon 2026 Captain Interviews
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Logo by Pissog.
With summer approaching comes another iteration of Pokémon's oldest and most prestigious official team tournament, the World Cup of Pokémon. Players from across the globe have gathered into their teams, some stepping onto the big stage for the first time, others chasing new glories. Every team has their own mix of players, ready to perform on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights.. But everyone shares the same target: ending the season with a blue trophy.
Like last year, we wanted a different angle: by hearing the captains' voices. So, we went to the captains of all 18 teams and asked them to speak in their own words: about confidence, rivalries, rookies, and what it actually takes to lead. No analysis. No predictions. Just the captains. In this article you'll have the chance to read the thoughts of the various teams and how they're coming into the tournament. Here's what they said.
| Click on the buttons to read the team captains' interviews! | ||||
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
Silent Waltz
Our SV OU core has been gaining in experience year after year, and we feel that it is our best tier.
bello figo
The team had the two most recent OST finalists, showing the big growth of the African scene. Will you carry this momentum to WCoP? Do you think having the last two OST finalists raises your expectations for this team? What do you think they'll bring to the team?
Silent Waltz
I hope so, InchAllah, our expectations are already high; we want to be the best and whoever we got will help us to aim for the win. I hope that, like every player in the draft, they will bring their experience in builds, preps, and also wins.
bello figo
What did last year's loss in the playoffs teach you? Will you change your approach?
Silent Waltz
We have to talk less and play more.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat?
Silent Waltz
Everybody, I came here for everybody.
bello figo
What is the strategy to recruit new players? What do you look for in a player and in the evaluation of upcoming talents?
Silent Waltz
There is no "new player", we just look for the IP until TDs refuse half the proposition so we have to go back to the old roster.
bello figo
Who is an underrated player of your team that will have their breakout season?
Silent Waltz
Aso is a new head in the starting roster, and I think he has the capacity to do well this tournament, we all believe in him.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
HSBT
We trust that all our slots will pull their weight in this World Cup, but even then, we do consider SV UU and ORAS OU our strongest tiers. And let's not forget that we have ACR1 playing and supporting for SV OU.
bello figo
Which rookies are you excited about? Which veterans will take on a leadership/teambuilding role?
HSBT
This year we have a couple newcomers to playing in official tournaments. Our lil bro Toryyy is probably the one we're looking forward to see play the most. I'll also take this opportunity to mention the other two, old lemons and HATE=Sylveon, who, although they are not starting, we still expect to help a lot in terms of supporting the team. In terms of veterans, we have ACR1, ziloXX, Raichy, and ElectricityCat, which, even if the latter two are not on the main roster, we still appreciate their input a lot.
bello figo
What is your goal for this year's edition?
HSBT
Our heart says we will win and become champions, but looking at it rationally, we agree that the main objective for us this year is to keep the team in main stage and hopefully reach playoffs.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
HSBT
shrug. who knows! we're not leaking...
bello figo
How do you handle the pressure of leading your country?
HSBT
Me and Lolo (editor's note: haxlolo) do have more experience with last edition and other tournaments we've managed, but it is Pauasito's first time managing on a Smogon tour, and he told us he is anxious as well as excited for this, so we hope for the best!
bello figo
What are you looking to improve this year to get to playoffs? How are you changing your approach?
HSBT
We've managed to make some good progress in several aspects, and we have adopted a more optimistic view towards what's in our control.
bello figo
Who are the unsung heroes of the team that work behind the scenes?
HSBT
Hijitus!
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
Envy
I think Skyiew's time has finally become and he'll carry the Ubers slot. He had some solid seasons in the last team tours but still needs an official pop-off, especially now with Jojen being in the team to support him.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat?
Envy
Definitely Argentina; even though we have a lot of friends there, we can't just ignore the rivalry, especially now that their team became very solid. I could also mention Chile, since they knocked us out last year in the first round of playoffs.
bello figo
Which rookies are you excited about? Which vets take on a leadership or teambuilding role?
Envy
There aren't a lot of rookies starting in our team; technically Plague is starting for us in WCoP for the first time, but we can't really consider an SCL champion and SPL starter a rookie LOL. However, all of our subs are indeed rookies. I'm particularly excited about brandonlee1 and seraphz, since both of them have good results but have also been active in SM and UU communities, which could be really cool to find out about opponent's trends while building and make it easier for the veterans, like Gama and elodin, to build something good for their matches.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
Envy
I don't think so, everything is looking a lot different in SV now but we are still trying to figure out what are we going in this new metagame. If I have to name something, I've been seeing Webs being much less dominant in Ubers than it was last year.
bello figo
What do you think of the current format? What would your ideal format be?
Envy
I like how unique it is, but we could have fewer OU slots and more lower tiers, specially LC (unbiased).
bello figo
What defines the identity of your country on Pokémon?
Envy
I can't really define the identity we had in the last years, but it was definitely not a successful one. Now we're trying to build something that unites our community instead of segregating it, so we can get the best out of every player we have available in our roster.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
LOOR
We have 85% of the SS OU player base in Canada. On paper, we are on the stronger end of the pool as we are hoarding the viable players from other regions.
bello figo
What is your goal for this edition? What would you consider as a successful run?
LOOR
Last year, we were very close to qualifying for playoffs. While we are looking to win, making a return to the playoff stages of the tournament would be a big win for the LOOR regime. This goal is more than achievable as long as our we stay motivated to play pokemon and not get distracted updating our MALs.
bello figo
Which rookies are you excited about? Which vets will take on a leadership role?
LOOR
While we have a lot of rookies this year, I'm excited to give Lacks his first official appearances. I believe Lacks did more than enough to be drafted in SPL and think it was a shame he was not. While I'm the current figurehead of the region, Canada has been a group project with Fc, Jyt, Hay, Skype, and myself for some time. suapah returning also is a dynamic I am looking forward to, as the roster has changed a lot since he took a leave.
bello figo
The team is considered to be one of the last big teams without a blue trophy to their name. How is this year's roster looking to right that wrong?
LOOR
This year suapah has more availability than usual and we will schedule our games around when he is available.
bello figo
What do you think of the current format? What would your ideal format be?
LOOR
I like the current tier format for pools itself. However, I am not a big fan of pools as a tournament format. Maybe next generation we can explore something "different" but I have no suggestions I feel strongly about.
bello figo
What is a wild prediction you have for this WCoP?
LOOR
Northeast sent to qualifiers.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
Mister McLovin
The tier we are most excited to showcase is Ubers, but we are working very hard across every slot to bring our best to each and every tier.
bello figo
The team had its best run ever in the last edition, did you expect it? How will you achieve it again this year, or even better?
Mister McLovin
Our goal is simple: improve every single year. We want to top last year's performance, and if everything goes our way, why not go all the way and win the whole thing?
bello figo
Which rookies are you excited about? Which vets take on a leadership or teambuilding role?
Mister McLovin
Most of our roster could honestly be considered veterans at this point. From the younger side, I think Deaje and Abele have grown tremendously since their World Cup debuts—both have shown real improvement and maturity. We believe this combination of experienced players with a couple of hungry younger ones is going to be a strong formula.
bello figo
Who are the unsung heroes of the team that work behind the scenes?
Mister McLovin
We have an incredible amount of support from our Chilean starters and subs, as well as some outside help that I won't be revealing just yet. What I can say is that I'm truly grateful for everything we receive every year—none of this happens without those people.
bello figo
Who is an underrated player of your team that will have their breakout season?
Mister McLovin
Vileman. Once he starts taking over SV OU, people will take notice. He hasn't played current gen OU in a while, but it's time for the king to reclaim his throne.
bello figo
What defines the identity of your country on Pokémon?
Mister McLovin
We have a saying in Chile: "no nos sobra nadie"—roughly, "we have no one to spare." We don't have the largest player pool, so we all have to support each other to succeed. What we do have is a deeply united community, and while some might see that as a limitation, I see it as one of our greatest strengths.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
Nashrock
As usual, we're confident in every tier we're about to play! I have faith in my excellent players.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat?
Nashrock
Every team that's on our path to the crown.
bello figo
Which rookies are you excited about? Which vets will take on a leadership role?
Nashrock
I won't say we have any rookie on the roster, but I'm eager to see the first WCoP season of players like kafka. Not technically a vet but we ♥ 691.
bello figo
The team is considered to be one of the last big teams without a blue trophy to their name. How is this year's roster looking to right that wrong?
Nashrock
We didn't change too much in our roster. Most lineup differences are mainly due to changes in players' IRL or interest in Pokémon. I'm very satisfied with everyone we have. This team has been putting up a better record every year and I'd like to push that trend to further.
bello figo
What's your approach in the building of the roster with such a wide pool of players to choose from?
Nashrock
Basically what I already covered in the last point. The team is made of consistent and experienced players in the CN community.
bello figo
If you could steal a player or friend from another country, who would it be?
Nashrock
I dont know! If I could steal I'd save that to the final and bring the week a free 1-0 LOL
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
Leni
We feel very comfortable across the board, especially in the oldgens where we have a lot of experienced tournament players and builders. In ORAS, Savouras is someone we trust a lot. He's been around for a long time and has been performing extremely well recently, so we feel very confident going into that slot. In Ubers, getting Ox04 back after he missed last year is also huge for us. He's coming off a very strong year in the tier and replaces Scottie, who has always been one of the most reliable players Europe has had. From the newer faces, SammyCe123 in SV OU is definitely someone people should keep an eye on. After spending a couple years on Team Nordics, he's shown that no matter where we put him, he'll deliver.
bello figo
The team underwent a lot of changes in the last few years, which players can be considered the core of the team, the heart and soul of it?
Leni
Europe has changed a lot over the years, especially with more national teams becoming qualified, but there are still a few constants that really define the atmosphere of the team.
The Swedish players in particular get along extremely well and bring a lot of life to the team environment. Sammy and pannuracotta keep things active pretty much just by being themselves, and Breezy fits into that core really naturally too, even if most of his role is to keep pannu on a leash.
A big part of the core also comes from the older players like Eeveeto, Savouras, and Lolebruh. They've been around for a long time and played through a lot of different WCoPs, and that experience helps a lot. They've pretty much seen every kind of situation already.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
Leni
Formats feel way more settled now compared to last year, which is interesting because it also makes people easier to prepare for. There are definitely trends that became almost automatic for players during the past year, both in builder choices and in how games are approached. We've mainly focused on understanding what people default to now and finding ways to punish habits that became too common. Sometimes that means bringing something unusual, but most of the time it's more about small adaptations and having a better read on what people are likely to expect.
At the end of the day, we still value consistency a lot. You don't want to force innovation every week just for the sake of it.
bello figo
What was you and the other captains' philosophy in building this year's roster? What did you prioritize?
Leni
Our main goal was finding players who were genuinely eager to put in effort and grind their way into the starting lineup. Individual skill matters obviously, but motivation and activity become just as important. This is reflected in the lineup pretty well, with our wheelchair department mostly on bench supporting newer players to make their breakthroughs. Europe has also lost a lot of player depth over the years with teams like the Netherlands, Portugal, and Belgium becoming qualified, while Greece rebuilt their own roster too. Because of that, it was important for us to identify players who really wanted to prove themselves and contribute actively to this new project of ours.
bello figo
What do you think of the current format? What would your ideal format be?
Leni
Overall, the current system works very well. WCoP should feel broad and representative of competitive Pokémon as a whole, and the mix of current generation and oldgens does a good job of rewarding teams with depth.
The one thing we'd probably change is scheduling. Having dedicated matchups assigned each week would help avoid some of the loopholes and awkward situations that can happen with the current system. Other than that though, the format has proven itself over time and still does a good job preserving the prestige and identity of WCoP.
bello figo
What defines the identity of Team Europe in this tournament?
Leni
Europe is usually just a mix of a lot of different personalities and player styles. Every year the roster changes a bit, especially now with more national teams qualifying on their own, but the team still ends up feeling pretty close once the tournament gets going. We probably aren't the loudest or most structured team from the outside, but people put a lot of time into prep and helping each other. A lot of the team environment is honestly just testing games, throwing teams around, and talking shit to each other all week.
I also think Europe has always been good at giving newer players opportunities. Every year someone new ends up stepping up and becoming a big part of the run. At the end of the day the team identity is mostly just having a good group that enjoys playing together and takes the tournament seriously when it matters.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat? Any matchups that would feel meaningful?
Cicada
We don't really care who's standing in front of us. We want that throne. Everything else is irrelevant.
But if I have to pick an answer, a rematch against Italy would definitely make for a great finale after how close last year's run was. France vs. Africa could also be an amazing showdown considering how close our scenes are. A lot of their players are part of the French community, and they've been building a ton of momentum lately, especially after OST.
bello figo
Do you all already know each other from previous years, or are you integrating new faces?
Cicada
One thing that separates France from most teams is our strong community outside of Smogon. That environment has always been one of our biggest strengths: it helps new players integrate quickly, builds team cohesion, and makes scouting easier, since most of us already know each other well. It's also kind of a saving grace because, if you look closely at our lineups over the years, we've had to reinvent the squad every year. Compared to most other teams, we tend to have a pretty high turnover rate with the uncertainty that comes with it. Even this year, with some of the #KyuremGate veterans returning, putting the lineup together still took a lot of thought and discussion on our end.
bello figo
What is the strategy to recruit new players? What do you look for in a player?
Cicada
We look at players' results in official tournaments and other communities, but it's not just about chalking up numbers. What really matters is whether we can picture them performing in a World Cup environment. We're looking for players who can thrive in a team setting and handle the pressure that comes with representing France. As I mentioned before, France benefits from having a very active community outside of Smogon, which gives us a much better understanding of players beyond their results alone. Because of that, we pay close attention to personality, how players interact with others, and the way they approach the game as a whole. Of course, skill remains the primary criterion, but from experience we know how important the environment is in a tournament that demands as much endurance as the World Cup. We want players who can contribute to the team both in and outside of games.
One aspect that often goes overlooked is a player's relationship with the game itself. We want a fun atmosphere, but we also want people who enjoy discussing the game daily and getting some momentum going. That was one of the key components of our 2022 campaign. Even if they still have areas to improve on, what I personally look for is whether they have the drive and mentality to put in the work needed to honor our colors.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
Cicada
I'll let the players do the talking on the battlefield. Personally, I've mostly been discovering new ways to punish them whenever they're being dumb and stop respecting my authority.
If you want actual meta intel though, you can always ask the few bozos rotting in our #hebs channel while my trash-talking bot keeps bullying them into staying humble.
bello figo
You have players of different eras, with some newer players and some that were already part of 2022's winning team. How are these players from different eras meshing to create a cohesive team?
Cicada
It happens pretty naturally, since most of us have known each other for years through the French community. Some of us have even met in real life, which is another great aspect of being part of a nation-based team.
From a competitive standpoint, I think a lot of it comes from the veterans leading by example. We can always exchange tips and help each other here and there, but honestly, a big part of the bonding just comes from spending time together, spamming room tours, talking about the game daily, and simply socializing with one another.
bello figo
What do you think of the current format? What would your ideal format be?
Cicada
I don't really have a preference between all current gen and multi tiers. Low tiers are kinda isolated I feel, but having more representation is good. I also wouldn't mind seeing some DOU added to the format to go all the way, I think the tier deserves more exposure as the 2v2 format offers a different and refreshing perspective.
Though if I was in charge, I would make room for (shameless plug) an RPPLF slot.
bello figo
What is a wild prediction you have for this WCoP?
Cicada
Eh, my predicts have kind of been a jinx this tour, so I'll pass on that one. I was glazing Asia and Spain during qualifiers and I had to deal with my goons making fun of me once things went south.
You know what, my wild prediction is that we're all going to get collectively decked in the face, and I'll end up spending my holidays doing literally anything other than thinking about mons lmao.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat? Any matchups that would feel meaningful?
Paprikaflow
Any European team feels like a derby, especially France after losing to them in a close tiebreak last year. The Dutch love to come shopping with us in Germany, would be lovely if they'd boost our economy AND win total.
bello figo
Which are the key members that work as the glue to keep the team united or that take on a leadership role?
Paprikaflow
Ewin loves to stick his nose in our captain's business, he's definitely one of the key members. Besides that we have the luxury of having many experienced and accomplished players who require a minimal amount of handholding.
bello figo
What was you and the other captains' philosophy in building this year's roster? What did you prioritize?
Paprikaflow
Deciding on fifteen people was quite a challenge, we had many motivated players that were deserving a spot. Covering current gen was definitely a priority, but also keeping track of all possible availability issues and for our lineup to be as flexible as possible.
bello figo
The team is considered to be one of the last big teams without a blue trophy to their name. How is this year's roster looking to right that wrong?
Paprikaflow
That is true. As a team, we discussed this and concluded that the most logical and efficient solution would be to win the tour.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
Paprikaflow
You would love to know, wouldn't you. The Tera Blast ban changed quite some stuff but we're definitely cooking some new stuff, innovating the metagame is something our players take pride in.
bello figo
If you could steal a player/friend from another country, who would it be?
Paprikaflow
German111 is a simple choice. He only needs one team and he will get his job done. We must not forget Kebab mlml. He would fit perfectly this year.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
Spitfire
Ubers probably. Lana has been thrown into death pools for a couple of years now and she always manages to deliver, so our entire team stands firmly behind her.
bello figo
What was you and the other captains' philosophy in building this year's roster? What did you prioritize?
Spitfire
Skill was a given, but there was special emphasis placed on team chemistry. At the end of the day we are all best friends first, teammates second. We genuinely enjoy each other's company, and this tour is something we hold pretty close to our heart. After all, there is no better feeling than competing at the highest stage with your best mates :)
bello figo
How do you nurture fresh players and talents?
Spitfire
I think it's just a byproduct of the support system that we've built up over the years. Most if not all of us on this roster have had very humble beginnings, so we understand firsthand the difficulties attached to actually improving at the game. This is especially true given our comparative lack of exposure as a country. We love to facilitate new talent and interest with proper resources and guidance, something that we never had starting off. It gives me great pride that India is now a mainstay in many different communities across Smogon, and I hope that remains the case for years to come.
bello figo
What separates a WCoP-level player from a player who is yet to make his official debut?
Spitfire
Experience and temperament. It's completely normal for someone unaccustomed to crumble under the pressure and expectations because there is simply so much at stake. You start to second guess yourself for the smallest of things, and you go into games in a suboptimal frame of mind because you are too focused on the result. Recognizing that it is natural and embracing that feeling is the best thing a new player can do to avoid cold feet.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
Spitfire
All the tiers feel fresh as we head into this tour, with there being so much room for innovation. SV OU/UU have had new life breathed into the tiers with the recent Tera Blast ban. The Masters gens have also seen some exciting developments over the last few months. All in all we have some very entertaining weeks, so it will be very interesting to see how things play out.
bello figo
Who is an underrated player of your team that will have their breakout season?
Spitfire
pj. He has just returned from his exile to the Mountains and has (claimed to) reinvent himself as a player. His life motto is "Situationships bring about championships". We are banking on his recent flings to see us through to the finish line.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
Niko
italy doesn't lack proper coverage in any tier at all, but if I have to highlight a tier where we feel particularly strong it's sooo hard not to indicate SM. Empo is arguably the strongest fairygens player the site has ever seen and it is difficult to bet against him in one of his best tiers.
bello figo
You are the defending World Champions, after making the finals in 2024 too. What do you think made this team successful last year? Do you think your path to success this year will be by recreating that or by doing something new?
Niko
of course to consistently get good results you need good players, but other teams are really solid too: see most US teams, many European teams, but in general I believe every continent has very strong representatives nowadays. what makes italy different is that we don't take ourselves or the tour too seriously: we wait for the event not for the trophy (the only one who's desperate for it is pietro who somehow uses it to pick up people on tinder) but for the whole experience. Laddering and commenting games in voice call and making fun of noobs like pais and gala going 0-3 is funny enough to attract a full comp of veterans that forgot how to play back into this shit every year, despite calling it "the last dance" each time.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
Niko
nobody consistently plays sv ou on the team lolol not even the starters. only one is gala cause otherwise he can't get permalocked over the stupidest violations.
bello figo
The team stayed almost the same for the last few editions, which are the key members that work as the glue to keep the team united?
Niko
it might look like a mediocre answer but the truth is that every member is key, we work as a group of friends but as players we are mostly independent. maybe from a technical POV players that also provide teams for other players play a particularly important role, but that's it.
bello figo
What do you think of the new state of SV OU without Tera Blast?
Niko
personal opinion on the matter, but I know most ppl from team italy would agree with me: removing tera blast helps a bit with how random the tier used to be, but it doesn't really solve the inherent problem with it, which resides in a mechanic that challenges the staples on which the game itself is engineered. I find it wrong and stupid for anything pretending to be competitive.
bello figo
Who are the unsung heroes of the team that work behind the scenes?
Niko
everyone contributes as much as possible: don't wanna repeat myself again by saying everyone is important. let's just take a moment to give credits to those who participate, help and contribute to our results without figuring on the lineup: supports, artists like LBP2 for the custom avatars, team providers, our many ghosters...
bello figo
The team came from the qualifying rounds, what did you learn from this experience? Will you carry the winning momentum into the main event?
bbeeaa
We learned a lot, since we're a relatively new group and we didn't know each other very well. The qualifiers phase helped us build great synergy and chemistry, and honestly, everyone learned and understood their role perfectly to the point that I believe the chemistry we built during qualifiers will help us in the main event.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat? Any matchups that would feel meaningful?
bbeeaa
We don't have any specific opponents in mind, but we're looking forward to facing the favorite teams, since one of our goals this year is to grow together and gain the experience we'll need for this tournament and the future.
bello figo
Which rookies are you excited about? Which vets take on a leadership or teambuilding role?
bbeeaa
Honestly I'm very excited to see Hairoll, TakingNotesKinda and Agencyisown against the top competition of the tour. Really think they all special and it will show this tour. We don't have many veterans on this tour, but we are making a collective effort to support each other. Storm Zone has been doing the most so far, with me in the back just trying to clean up stuff and making suggestions.
bello figo
What do you think of the new state of SV OU without Tera Blast?
bbeeaa
It's been fun so far, not many thoughts as we only have played it for a week, but I think it has had a positive impact on the tier.
bello figo
Who are the unsung heroes of the team that work behind the scenes?
bbeeaa
MrAldo, Ann, and oh the guilt, some of the most important members of our team; they all present important qualities that just make a team great.
bello figo
Who is an underrated player of your team that will have their breakout season?
bbeeaa
Rylon, about time he gets the respect HE deserves.
bello figo
The team came from the qualifying rounds; what did you learn from this experience? Will you carry the winning momentum into the main event?
glass shadows
First of all thank you for hosting these interviews, we enjoy reading all these bits. We learned a ton about ourselves and what we are able to accomplish when we work hard as a unit and lift each other up. And, hell yeah we will carry this winning momentum, our confidence is at an all-time high right now after having a vicious war with the ex-World Cup champions and coming out on top. We had to conquer the conquerors. Quick, someone quote this fire quote.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
glass shadows
All of them, we will throw hands and win in any tier. You can't show any kind of weakness or vulnerability when you're going up against the big dogs. We don't care if you're a 1300s ladder goon or reigning SPL champion: you will catch these hands. In Mexican culture, the warrior spirit is instilled at birth. It would be a huge mistake to underestimate us.
bello figo
Which rookies are you excited about? Which vets take on a leadership or teambuilding role?
glass shadows
Is this even a question right now? Did y'all not see my boy Duko slaying SPL players the past couple years? They might as well rename World Cup Qualifiers to the Duko Qualifiers, all glaze. He is HIM! Rey just funded the Duko statue in Mexico City by the way. Next question. As far as leadership goes MrBanana45, Luisin, and Edgar do a very good job at keeping the team composed in rough patches. Building role? Hmm, I won't mention too much since we don't wanna be giving the opps a slight edge by yapping about this. Know thy self, know thy enemy.
bello figo
What is your goal for this edition? What would you consider a successful run?
glass shadows
We accomplished our biggest goal of making it to the dance, and we plan on staying here. We know what it takes to win these wars and have set a new goal of avoiding relegation at all costs. I will do everything in my power to keep us in the main event even if it costs me my job, my wife, my kids, my dog (lol jk I don't have any of these), but for real, we mean business.
bello figo
If you could steal a player/friend from another country, who would it be?
glass shadows
You know what, we wouldn't steal anyone cause our squad is worth more than bitcoin and we don't care to have anyone else. Y'all can keep your lil starboys, cause guess what? I got starboys of my own. All I know is whoever draws dahli in their pool is definitely pooping their pants. ALSO, I will take a second to use this platform to address US Midwest and French Community PL directly: *takes off sunglasses*: draft my boy Aquilo, he is the next ABR. this shit pisses me off. Anyway…
bello figo
How do you handle the pressure of leading your country?
glass shadows
Pressure? We are all lucky to be playing this game that requires internet access. If you have internet access and play from a phone, I can safely assume you have a meal to eat and a bed to sleep in. Real pressure is not knowing when you're going to eat your next meal or worry about having a roof over your head. But the fake Pokémon pressure? We handle that by being confident, trusting each other, and, most importantly, having fun. That's what it's all about at the end of the day.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat? Any matchups that would feel meaningful?
Wesleyy
We are most excited to play vs the big names. Italy, US regions, and China all have highly respected players that would be exciting to face.
bello figo
How are morale and team spirit looking as the main event approaches? Are y'all more relaxed or are already building and testing?
Mirbro
I think activity-wise it has been better than the previous year, as we demonstrated we can play at high level as well. We really want to show that what happened last year was not an oasis and that we came to stay. That's why we already started to shift gears and have been alert to what was happening on qualifiers.
bello figo
What is the strategy to recruit new players? What do you look for in a player?
Mirbro
We did some tryouts and considered how far in the ladder they got. However, we looked for many things beyond how well they played: tour experience, vibes, motivation, activity in general... a team tournament consists of having a good and positive synergy helping the rest of the team.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
Mirbro
I think the meta is prone towards some BO hazards stuff, similarly to last year but with less variance of other types of teams such as HO.
bello figo
What is a wild prediction you have for this WCoP?
Mirbro
If NL does not win it, UK or Africa win it all. African players are doing super great individually and last year also did well as a team. UK did a great qualifiers run and I think they are motivated and come with an amazing roster.
bello figo
If you could steal a player or friend from another country, who would it be?
Wesleyy
fakenagol, his inspiration, spirit, level of play, energy, intelligence and leadership skills are something every country needs.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat? Any matchups that would feel meaningful?
Tom Bus
I want to beat US West, but only to motivate ben gay to come out of retirement ;_;
bello figo
What was you and the other captains' philosophy in building this year's roster? What did you prioritize?
Tom Bus
We have the luxury of reliable and strong gamers across the board and got four promising new fellas from tryouts. We just wanted to assemble a strong team of active and motivated players.
bello figo
Last year, you got close to a playoff spot. What did the experience teach you? Will you change your approach?
Tom Bus
Prepare and select teams well in advance of matchas.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
Tom Bus
Yes >:)
bello figo
What is a wild prediction you have for this WCoP?
Tom Bus
damien the genius surprises an opponent by bringing Shifu Glowking.
bello figo
What defines the identity of team Oceania?
Tom Bus
It's Mabo, it's the vibe, it's the mighty island nation of Kiribati 🇰🇮
bello figo
The team came from the qualifying rounds, what did you learn from this experience? Will you carry the winning momentum into the main event?
White Atoq
At first, not even we thought about qualifying directly; the most realistic result was going r2 and making the upset, just like Mexico did. However, the pairings were pretty smooth for most of our players, as our more experienced players had the most difficult opponents and the new players faced new or unexperienced players too. In that matter, we got lucky, and we believe that took a very important role in our qualy's run. Nevertheless, with the qualifiers' experience, we also realize that as an blossoming nation, our best shot is to go all out in our already good slots and keep a cold mentality and gaze in the not so good ones (referencing to johning and see what the rest of the playerbase does). Yes, we are a bit of a bunch of johns. :komedi:
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat? Any matchups that would feel meaningful?
White Atoq
We haven't really thought about it; we did look to last year's pools and already realized no one will have an easy pool... but nothing more, to be honest. We aren't afraid of anyone. Althought, I personally want to face US Northeast, as it's full of star players, @ABR go ORAS OU :PipGun:. I have been told my comrades are eager to face Mexico once again, as this matchup has become more like a paternity thing in LATAM Community. Perú is X-0 against Mexico.
bello figo
Which players can be considered the core of the team, the heart and soul of it?
White Atoq
Nowdays, they are ZDen, Heres and me. Still, I want to give an honorable mention to TrRizzo, Naraku Kirigiri and Huargensy, as the former one (Rizzo) was the one who, at first, convinced me to start this project of Team Perú, and Naraku and Huar as they were the very first people to jump in the boat. Coming back to the present, it's notable that the heart and soul is Heres, as he is very active and silly, always gives us something to fool around while waiting for the games. Though, he needs to know when to shut up... ZDen was the one who brought his friends to be helpers in Team PE, who were a massive help in our run, and as a player he himself brought security, he felt like someone you can rely on. At one point of the qualifiers' run, we felt like our momentum was gone after losing three games in a row; but ZDen was the fourth game and he won, we said "we are back on track", he is that player for us. About me, I have to be honest: this year I have not done much, I had a more passive role, looking after the schedules, making them aware of the spreadsheet and our possibilities, and encouraging everyone.
bello figo
What was you and the other captains' philosophy in building this year's roster? What did you prioritize?
White Atoq
Jajaja :XD:
Actually, we were not even sure about doing Team Perú this year, as I was moving away from Pokémon, ZDen and Mashing could go for LA, and we lacked SV OU knowledge. But one day to another, Heres turns on the bus, I hop in, we picked up ZDen and Mashing as they confirmed to go all in for Perú, then everyone went in, at the very last station there were two passengers called Zepex and Pedro, who both did massive in SV OU, very happy and proud about their performance. Our roaster is, literally, our friends and people we know by pure chance and ends up being good: Zepex is Huargensy's friend from PokéMMO, Heres met both GC and Pedro on Roblox. As manager, my priority will always be the mental health of my players, not letting anyone down and always encouraging them.
What was our mentality? As you could realize, everything was being done at the very last minute... one win, two wins, three wins, PUSH THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, BLOW'EM ALL AWAY.
bello figo
Who is an underrated player of your team that will have their breakout season?
White Atoq
This is a no-brainer, GC is the most underrated. I think people don't realize he is solo carrying SV UU, and the only help he gets, from us, is scouting, not even meaningful tests as no one else even touches the tier. Funny enough, Heres brought him last year and convinced him to play UU as he was going to be a sacrifice slot, but he ended up being good and defeated Kenix, and this year the victim was feen ( s/o @McLovin ). Be afraid, he is now in main stage 🗣️.
bello figo
How do you handle the pressure of leading your country in its first time at the main event?
White Atoq
Personally, I would like to lead by the example, and now, in main stage, I'm in my main format, so no excuses will be made. The man is back in town, starving for the X-0.
As team, we don't really feel the pressure, we are the underdogs. Main stage will be hard but qualifiers aren't easy. If they were, why can't the 2023 and 2024 champions get out? Speaking of which... Italy, take care.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
Glue
Our players in SV OU put out an amazing performance in qualifiers. Four of our five players went 2-0 each and our overall score for SV OU was 8-2. What makes this performance more impressive that our best player xavgb did not need to carry us out of qualifiers this year. Once xavgb gets back into his groove, our SV OU core will be very exciting to watch.
bello figo
The team came from the qualifying rounds after being relegated from the main event of last year, what did you learn from this experience?
Glue
We have learned that despite getting relegated last year, our players have a great mentality and we are hoping to continue our form onto the main event.
bello figo
What is your goal for this edition? What would you consider as a successful run?
Glue
I would love for us qualify for the playoffs like we did back in 2023, we have a very strong group of players and I believe we can make it this year.
bello figo
What was you and the other captains' philosophy in building this year's roster? What did you prioritize?
Glue
This year we are very fortunate to have a lot of strong players who are regular starters in SPL and SCL. We made sure everyone is playing their best tier this year.
bello figo
What do you look for in a player? How do you evaluate upcoming talents for team UK?
Glue
For new players that want to be part of Team UK, everyone that is new goes through a tryout system. The main factors we look for in a player includes their playing ability, what tiers they can play, their attitude and how active they will be. Ticking all of these boxes is how we have picked players that end up being part of our roster and it has heavily benefitted us, making us a stronger team overall.
bello figo
Who is an underrated player of your team that will have his/her breakout season?
Glue
This year we have four new players that have never been on Team UK's roster before. zRyan is doing great in SM OU tournaments, Goobius has peaked number 1 on the OU ladder, and impersonxtor, who has come from the Draft scene, has impressed us incredibly well in the tryouts. Finally we have LB, who will be starting for us and has made a great first impression on their debut in SPL going 3-2. They all have great potential to become well established players in the top Smogon tournament scene.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat? Any matchups that would feel meaningful?
emma
US West or US South, as they're the only teams that have ever eliminated us in playoffs. US Northeast has additionally had intense and exciting showdowns with Italy and Germany in RBYWC and I would love to continue the competition with so many constant faces.
bello figo
The team has stayed almost the same for the last few editions, who are the key members that work as the glue to keep the team united?
emma
For all the talk about how cliquey US Northeast is, we've added four newcomers (c0mp, Monai, MGDos16, and yours truly) this year! obii definitely holds it all together and does an excellent job, regardless of his asinine vitriol towards an announcements channel.
bello figo
What's your approach in the building of the roster with such a wide pool of strong players to choose from?
emma
It's always a good problem to have and is not uncommon for US Northeast teams across Smogon World Cups. It's about putting the puzzle pieces together regarding who's in good form, who wants to play what tier, who has time available, and who's willing to be tagged by me endlessly over the course of the season. I'm really happy with how everything worked out this year!
bello figo
US East is one of the most winning teams in history, how do you handle leading a team with such a historic legacy?
emma
Speaking personally, I don't identify with US East at all and I don't believe even our longest-tenured members do. Looking at US Northeast's history, we haven't won the tournament since I was in high school, so I'm not carrying any burden. Ultimately, you need to be very good and pretty lucky to win official team tournaments, so I'm focused on doing my best and leaving no regrets.
bello figo
What do you think of the current format? What would your ideal format be?
emma
I like RBY OU and Smogon Doubles, so we should add RBY OU and Smogon Doubles to World Cup of Pokémon. As a whole, because we're so old (besides me!), the team leans more towards old generations than lower tiers, but we will have fun regardless.
bello figo
What is a wild prediction you have for this WCoP?
emma
I'll hit 100 followers on Letterboxd, ABR will finally post the 💅 emoji, emforbes will go x-0, I will NOT have to substitute out Fallen S0lidier, and Norway will win the tournament.
bello figo
Which tiers does your team feel the most confident in heading into this year's WCoP?
hellom
I think most people would expect us to answer with our SV OU, but that's a boring answer, so I'll say our Ubers slot. tier's a great player and one of our close friends, so we're happy to have him on board this year, he's been grinding the Ubers meta a lot lately. Aside from that, I'd also say we're pretty confident in our SM and ORAS slots, zaza has already shown to be extremely motivated and wants to put up some numbers for the team, while GeniusX has already had some prior experience in ORAS (from SPL) and is looking forward to playing it some more this year.
bello figo
What was you and the other captains' philosophy in building this year's roster? What did you prioritize?
hellom
Not sure if we had a real philosophy, we mainly just wanted to have a roster full of strong players we trusted and have them all play tiers they're comfortable playing. We do prioritize a fun and competitive environment though.
bello figo
What did last year's experience teach you? Will you change your approach to replicate 2021's winning run?
xrn
The past years have taught us that you really can't take pools lightly. We're often seen as a top team in the tour, yet we haven't made playoffs since SV began. I'd say we're historically slow starters who don't always give it our all out the gate, and are left trying to claw it back in the final days. To recapture the success we found in SS we'll have to give it 100% from the very start instead of expecting to coast.
bello figo
What do you think of the new state of SV OU without TeraBlast?
hellom
Most of us seem to enjoy it so far, haven't seen very many complaints at least. Most of our roster actually wanted Tera Blast gone, so hopefully we do well in the meta now that it is gone.
bello figo
What do you think of the current format of the tournament? What would your ideal format be?
xrn
The current format works fine, just kinda mid. All current gen OU is the best format for World Cup since it's the most accessible and encourages the most teamwork, but as the years go it can definitely get stale. Especially with SV being the longest gen in forever I dunno how well received five years of mono-SV would be. Would be better if we added Monotype/Draft/DOU/SS NatDex/BW ZU though.
bello figo
Who is an underrated player of your team that will have their breakout season?
xrn
To start, I know kDCA and tier still have their doubters but we're confident both will continue their success from SPL. As for an actual breakout, this'll be the tour Zaza shows his full potential in an official. Very creative and talented player hungry to pop off in his home tier.
bello figo
Which teams are you specifically hoping to beat? Any matchups that would feel meaningful?
shiloh
There's a safe PR answer here and our actual answer. The safe one is that there is nobody we are hoping to specifically beat, instead we will beat whoever is in front of us when we reach the playoffs and there is no meaning assigned to it. This years WCoP field is maybe the strongest its ever been, and we know that no playoff series will be a cakewalk.
However, we can say that but also know that it's not fully true. We are obviously hoping to play Italy again in the playoffs this year and show and prove to everyone what we all know and believe, that we can beat them. We've played them two years a row in the playoffs now, and they've gotten the better of us both times, in semifinals and in finals tiebreak last year, where we lost in a heartbreaking game three. We know our roster is stronger this year, but at the same time so is theirs. It's a pleasure to play them every time, and making it three years in a row playing in the playoffs would be great, especially if we can best them this time and hopefully have it lead to a trophy.
The other answer like last year is Northeast of course. While this isn't the rivalry of West vs East of the past, its still the closest thing to a "rivalry" that we have and its always a fun series when we do play. We've played the last two years in a row, and while we were able to get the better of them both of those years, I think we both know that in any given week either one of us can win. They have a strong roster that is full of our friends as well, but this is no heated rivalry, just the closest thing we have.
bello figo
What was you and the other captains' philosophy in building this year's roster? What did you prioritize?
shiloh
This year's roster building philosophy was pretty much the exact same as previous years, just easier. We only have three players on the roster this year that have not been on the roster in previous years, and this roster really is the culmination of what West has been in the SV Era. Year one of SV we made it to the quarterfinals and lost to Oceania, year two we made it to the semifinals and lost to Italy, and year three we made it to finals tiebreak and lost to Italy again. Throughout all three years, and now this year as well, we've pretty much kept the same exact core and key pieces. We've grown stronger through these past few years together, and thats why despite WCoP's flaws as a tournament it really is unique and we wouldn't want it replaced for anything. There's no other tournament where we can build up this identity, make these friendships that we know every year we are going to fight with and fight for to try and win the trophy.
bello figo
Which rookies are you excited about? Which vets take on a leadership or teambuilding role?
shiloh
Well, compared to last year we only have three players on the roster this year that have never been on the team before. The first one is Sire Clod, who was in the chat last year as a helper and immediately stood out. Super active, constantly laddering, building, and helping across pretty much every SV slot. Within a week of pools last year, we already felt like we made a mistake not rostering him, so getting him on and having him start this year was a priority. He's improved a lot, played in SCL and SPL, and we're hoping this is his breakout tournament, especially as the only rookie starting in SV OU for us.
Aside from him the other rookie we have starting is aerobee, who is mostly known for playing tiers you've never heard of. I mean honestly, did you know that people played the "Custom Game" as an actual challengeable format? Well, now you do, and aerobee might be one of the only people both insane enough to not only play it, but also make a 10k word RMT. While more normal compared to "Custom Game" but nonetheless still an insane format, hes a massive Pure Hackmons player as well as most other Hackmons formats, which just shows how much of a sicko he is with it all combined. We are excited to see how this translates to an official tournament, especially considering he does have some Ubers experience in winning this most recent UPL and participating in a few other Ubers tournaments. By the way he also posted a 4k word update of that Custom Game team…
And last but not least the last new player on the roster is CloudyEJ, a newer player compared to the other two who has been more of a ladder demon who has also been around the tours scene more lately. Hes the perfect compliment to aerobee, having topped the Ubers ladder multiple times and qualifying for the ladder tour. The two of them, despite it being the first official tournament for both, have the team's full trust to dominate in Ubers this year and build a foundation for West's Ubers going forward.
In terms of vets, as we mentioned in the prior answer Vert and ima are both playing this year after taking a year off to manage last year. The two of them along with Attribute are really the veteran knowledge and leadership we have that lead by example. All three can pretty much play every tier in this tournament between them, as well as support and build where needed. The fact that we can have all of them year over year just feels unfair, and it makes everyone else on the team want to play better and do better, since we know that they will do everything in their power to get us wins, and we have to do the same.
bello figo
Last year you got very close to the trophy, what did that experience teach you? How motivated are you all to get the trophy this year?
shiloh
Like we mentioned earlier we've been building this roster since the start of SV with the goal of winning the trophy. We go into every year believing that we are the best team and that it is our trophy to lose. We've done better every year of SV, and obviously while last year's loss was absolutely heartbreaking it won't have us down going into this year. The fact we took it to a tiebreak game 3 shows just how strong we are and know last year's result really could have gone either way.
That being said, playoffs can go either way, and it's not only us that have gotten stronger year over year. This is probably the strongest the WCoP pool has ever been, and there's always a chance we don't make it out of pools or lose early in playoffs. We know how hard it is to make even a finals in the first place, and we can never take that for granted. So, while we are motivated and everyone on the roster believes that this year can be our year, we are also aware that we have to put in the work to reach that point again. Every win has to be fought for, we can't expect them to just fall into our laps just because we did well last year.
bello figo
Did you find any new meta trends (different from 2025) that you will be able to exploit?
shiloh
I would surely hope so.
bello figo
What defines the identity of team US West?
shiloh
Don't have a great answer.
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