The Esports Foundation has announced that League of Legends Player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok will serve as the game’s ambassador for the Esports World Cup and Esports Nations Cup until 2028.
Faker joins a list of notable ambassadors, including Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen.
In this role, he will represent players at the Foundation’s international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums. Next week, Faker will lead T1 at the Esports World Cup when he begins his ambassador duties.
What the Faker’s Esports Foundation ambassador role includes
The Ambassador Program aims to involve athletes in running Esports Foundation events. According to the Foundation, Faker’s responsibilities include representing the perspectives of esports players at the Foundation’s international events, contributing to athlete initiatives, participating in media engagements, attending leadership forums, and helping to strengthen connections between players, fans, and organizations.
This feature covers the Esports World Cup, Esports Nations Cup, and Nations Group Stage Championship.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation, said: “You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker. He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming, a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation.”
He added: “As our Gaming Ambassador, Faker embodies what the Ambassador Program stands for: esports creates its own global sporting icons. Through EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a say in shaping its future.”
Faker expressed his opinion: “Competition has shaped my life and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as an ambassador for the game. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow around the world.”
Faker’s professional achievements and the KeSPA confrontation context
Faker has been competing at the highest level of League of Legends for more than ten years. His key achievements include six World Championship titles, two Mid-Season Invitational titles and an Esports World Cup victory. He has made multiple consecutive appearances in world finals with T1.
Recently, Faker went from an individual star to a team leader, playing a vital role in helping T1 defeat strong teams from Korea and China during the recent world tournaments.
In 2026, Faker became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal, South Korea’s highest sporting honor. The award was presented by President Lee Jae-myung in recognition of Faker’s contributions to Korean sports and culture.
His appointment as ambassador comes after a period of tension between the Esports Foundation and the Korean e-Sports Association over control of South Korea’s national roster for the Esports Nations Cup.
In April 2026, the Foundation ended its partnership with KeSPA and announced that it would directly contact South Korean players for ENC 2026. Media reports indicated that the Foundation had “indirectly intervened” in player selection, favoring certain players.
Speculation within the community suggested that Faker could have been the player in question, given his prominence and history with the South Korean national teams. KeSPA, however, maintained control over the selection process. The disagreement briefly led South Korea to consider withdrawing from the tournament before the matter was resolved.
The ambassador role provides Faker with a formal position in the Esports Foundation, independent of national team selection processes. Even if KeSPA decides in the future that Faker is not suitable for a specific list, his ambassador status ensures that he will remain a representative of Foundation events.
What’s next for Faker, T1 and the Ambassador program
Faker will lead T1 at the Esports World Cup next week, marking the beginning of his role as an ambassador. This feature will continue until 2028 and will include multiple editions of the EWC, ENC and NGSC.
Interested users can follow Faker’s activities as an ambassador by checking the Esports Foundation’s official channels and T1’s social media accounts. These platforms will provide updates on upcoming events, their competitive calendar, and ambassador commitments.
So far, the Esports Foundation has only announced Faker, Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen as ambassadors. More appointments may be announced as the Foundation expands its program.
