The BLAST Open Porto 2026 semifinals have concluded without a third map: Spirit defeated Falcons 2–0, while MOUZ secured the same result against Vitality. Now, on September 6, the grand final will bring together two teams that have already faced each other for a trophy very recently.
For Spirit, this will be their third consecutive grand final since returning from the summer break. The team already reached the decisive match of BLAST Bounty Season 2, where they lost to MOUZ, before going on to win the Esports World Cup 2026. Now, in Porto, Spirit have a chance to get their revenge.
The first team to reach the final was Spirit, who defeated Falcons. This series carried special significance: back in the IEM Cologne Major 2026 semifinal, Falcons defeated Spirit 2–1 and later went on to win the entire Major. Porto therefore gave Spirit an opportunity to answer their opponents.
On the first map, Nuke, which was selected by Falcons, Spirit immediately took control and secured a 13–8 victory. On Ancient, the battle was much closer, but Spirit managed to close out the map 13–11 and finish the series 2–0. Spirit's best player statistically was sh1ro, who finished the match with a 1.21 rating.
In the second semifinal, MOUZ defeated Vitality 2–0.
On Dust2, MOUZ initially took an 8–4 lead, but Vitality mounted a comeback and moved ahead 10–8 in the second half. However, MOUZ did not collapse and won five of the next six rounds to close out the map 13–11.
The battle on Mirage was less dramatic. MOUZ finished the first half with a 7–5 advantage and, after switching sides, gave Vitality virtually no chance, winning 13–7.
Vitality's tournament run ended in third-fourth place. The team played BLAST Open Porto with jL as a stand-in for mezii, and their roster issues eventually made themselves felt.
MOUZ, meanwhile, have reached their second consecutive BLAST grand final. And their opponent makes this matchup particularly interesting.
Spirit and MOUZ have already met in a grand final very recently. On August 2, the teams faced each other in the BLAST Bounty Season 2 final. MOUZ won that series 3–1.
Spirit managed to take Ancient 13–9, but MOUZ won Dust2 13–8, Mirage 13–4 and Nuke 13–10. That series secured the trophy for MOUZ, while Spirit finished in second place.
Now, just over a month later, the teams will meet again in a final. The match will be played in a Bo5 format, meaning map-pool depth and the ability to adapt throughout a long series will be even more important.
On paper, Spirit enter the final as the favorites. In the current HLTV ranking, the team sits in first place, while MOUZ are ranked fifth. Ahead of the final, HLTV gives Spirit approximately a 76.6% chance of winning compared with 23.4% for MOUZ.
But MOUZ should certainly not be written off. Spirit's biggest advantage is their current form. The team have already won EWC 2026, while in Porto they have not dropped a single map. In addition, their lineup features donk, who is capable of single-handedly turning around individual rounds and even entire maps.
Another advantage is the psychological factor. Spirit have already lost to MOUZ in a BLAST Bounty final, so this is not simply another match for a trophy — it is an opportunity to get revenge.
MOUZ have another important advantage — they already know how to beat this Spirit in a final.
They did it very recently, and in a Bo5 format. In the August final, MOUZ won three consecutive maps after losing Ancient. Therefore, there is certainly no reason for MOUZ to fear Spirit from a psychological standpoint.
Moreover, MOUZ have shown excellent form throughout this tournament. The team made it through the group stage with wins over 9z, Inner Circle and Falcons, while in the playoffs they first earned an extra day of rest thanks to finishing first in their group before defeating Vitality in the semifinal.
The key factor will be the map pool.
Based on recent tournament statistics, Spirit are particularly strong on Ancient and Anubis, while MOUZ have excellent numbers on Dust2, Inferno and Nuke. MOUZ already defeated Spirit on Dust2 in the previous final, making this map potentially important once again.
A lot will also depend on whether MOUZ can stop donk. If Spirit allow him to play at his usual pace, it will be extremely difficult for MOUZ to withstand the series. At the same time, if MOUZ can force Spirit into a slower and more tactical style of Counter-Strike, their chances will increase significantly.
As a result, on September 6 in Porto, we will get a rematch of the BLAST Bounty Season 2 final.
Spirit will look to prove that their August loss to MOUZ was simply an unsuccessful final, while MOUZ will attempt to defeat the world's strongest team in a deciding match for the second time in a row.
Spirit have the advantage in terms of current form and their results in Porto, while MOUZ have the edge in their experience from the most recent head-to-head meeting and their ability to play long Bo5 series.
The Spirit vs. MOUZ grand final will take place on September 6 at 17:00 Kyiv time. The teams will play a Bo5, with the winner taking home the main BLAST Open Porto 2026 trophy.
As a reminder, G2 Esports coach sAw commented on the team's elimination from BLAST Open Porto 2026: “Overall, it was a step in the right direction.”