League of Legends 2021 Worlds tournament Group stage predictions: Who reaches the Knockout stage and who goes home?

The 2021 League of Legends Worlds teams are deadlocked in their groups and are ready to fight for their chance at the Championship title. 16 teams have progressed through Season 11 and are sectioned off in four groups.

Of these 16 teams, eight will advance to the Knockout round after a double-round robin-style stage.

Two teams from each group will move on to the next round, leaving two behind to return home empty-handed. This proves especially difficult for groups that contain multiple Championship contenders, like Damwon Gaming and FunPlus Phoenix.

In recent years, Chinese and Korean teams have slaughtered other regions.

The LEC has sent a few teams into the top four, but only has one victor in 10 League of Legends seasons stretching all the way back to Season 1. Furthermore, the LCS has never won a Worlds title and have only managed to send two teams to the top four - TSM in 2011 and C9 in 2018.

With all of that into account, here are our predictions for how all 16 teams will finish the Groups stage.

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League of Legends 2021 Worlds predicted Group stage results

Group A - The group of death

• 1st - Damwon Gaming: 5-1
• 2nd - FunPlus Phoenix: 4-2
• 3rd - Cloud9: 3-3
• 4th - Rogue: 0-6

This group likely holds two League of Legends teams that will make a great run at the Knockout stage. DWG and FPX are heavy favorites headed into this year's League of Legends Worlds event, thus creating the name "the group of death," from C9 and RGE's perspective.

Cloud9 doesn't hold the consistency to oust FunPlus Phoenix or Damwon. Meanwhile, Rogue have arguably played worse in their recent games.

Damwon will finish 5-1 with a loss to FunPlus Phoenix, leaving them 1-1 in the head-to-head record. They lost to C9 back in the 2021 MSI, but have learned from their mistakes and dominated in the last 2 months. At the end, DWG and FPX advance while C9 and RGE go home.

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Group B - Clash of winners

• 1st - Edward Gaming: 6-0
• 2nd - T1: 3-3
• 3rd - 100 Thieves: 3-3
• 4th - DetonatioN FocusMe: 0-6

Three of the four teams in this group finished first in the League of Legends Summer Split in their region, but the skill gap between them is glaringly obvious. 100 Thieves took the LCS crown, but EDG is a far better team, which is why they'll finish undefeated in this group.

T1 and 100 Thieves will have a 1-1 head-to-head record. They will eventually conclude at 3-3, leaving Japan's first-place team to finish without a victory despite winning in the LJL.

Edward Gaming is another favorite to win this year's League of Legends Worlds; expect them to fly off to a dominating start. T1's Faker is also looking for another title to add to his collection.

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Group C - LEC's best chance

• 1st - Royal Never Give Up: 5-1
• 2nd - Fnatic: 4-2
• 3rd - PSG Talon: 2-4
• 4th - Hanwha Life Esports: 1-5

Fnatic may be the best hope for European League of Legends fans. MAD Lions are probably the better team, but they have a harder group mixed in with Team Liquid and Gen.G Esports.

RNG will clinch first place despite a loss to Fnatic, while Europe's flagbearer in League of Legends Worlds events will take second with losses to RNG and PSG.

This may be the easiest group in terms of raw talent and potential, giving Fnatic a bit of a break compared to their LEC peers.

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Group D - LCS's best chance

• 1st - Gen.G Esports: 5-1
• 2nd - Team Liquid: 3-3
• 3rd - MAD Lions: 3-3
• 4th - LNG Esports: 1-5

Team Liquid could surge through to the League of Legends Knockout stage in Group D. Cloud9 doesn't stand a chance in Group A, and 100 Thieves have two LCK/LPL teams to face.

Here, TL only has to face Gen.G from Korea and MAD Lions from the LEC as real threats. LNG Esports finished Play-Ins with a 4-0 record, but they won't be able to keep up here. Gen.G takes first place with a loss to TL, and MAD Lions will be eliminated with a loss to each of their opponents.

The LCS hasn't represented the Worlds Knockout stage well in recent years, but this could be the stage where TL makes a great run and plays like they did in their Summer Playoffs.