2024 World Championships: Meet Team Europe!

The 2024 World Championships, which will be held on 16–18 August 2024, are hosted in Honolulu, HI, United States. This is the third time the World Championships are held in Hawaii, after the 2010 and 2012 editions; and the first time they are held in the United States since 2019. In these articles, we will take a look at the best players that are qualified to compete in the biggest event of the year.

Here we have Europe! Let’s meet the 16 players with a Round 1 bye at Worlds, and take a look at the other 216 invitees this region brings.

Europe at Worlds

European players will go with full force to try to bring the title home for a third time!

Despite being a region with so many successful trainers, only two World Championships have been claimed by Europeans: Italian Arash Ommati in 2013, and Portuguese Eduardo Cunha in 2022. The only other finalists are Italian Matteo Gini (2011), Spaniard Guillermo Castilla (2022) and German Michael Kelsch (2023). Going further down, only 7 players have made it to the semifinals. Despite the lack of success in previous years, Europe has been very powerful in the latest World Championships, especially since the covid hiatus!

The latest World Championships top cut featured a record-breaking 10 European players, with Spaniard Víctor Medina, Dane Nikolaj Høj Nielsen and Irishman Mattie Morgan reaching top 8, Italian Federico Camporesi making it to the semifinals, and the aforementioned German newcomer Michael claiming a spot in the finals, which unfortunately he lost.

Requirements for a Worlds invite

As per the European system, all players that have achieved at least 400 CP (or Championship Points), won a Regional Championship or a European Special Event, or made finals of an International Championships in the 2024 season receive a Tier 3 invite. Additionally, the players ranked 17th to 22nd get a Tier 2 invite, which includes a Travel Stipend, and the top 16 players achieve a Tier 1 invite, which corresponds to a Round 1 bye at the tournament as well as a Travel Award.

The final result is a big increase in spots from the 2023 World Championships: from 89 invitees last year to a total of 232 this season!

Players with Round 1 bye

1. Eduardo Cunha

With the most Championship Points total globally at 1792 CP, Eduardo has virtually earned five invites: one as Special Event Champion and four after having earned over 4 times the amount needed for a regular invite. He will play Worlds for the seventh time: he made it all the way to top 4 in 2016 in his very first participation, and then played in Day 2 in 2017, 2018 and 2019 before earning the title of 2022 World Champion after the pandemics break, and playing in Day 1 in 2023.

Eduardo, who also is an International Champion and a 2-time Special Event Champion, earned his second Special title right at the start of the season with a victory in Barcelona. Notably, he won the largest ever non-side-event Midseason Showdown and also got a top 32 in LAIC, a top 4 in Liverpool and a top 32 in Dortmund before winning the Global Challenge III. He rounded up the season with a top 32 in EUIC and a top 4 in NAIC, being one of only four players to make Day 2 at all Internationals of the season. Overall, he has earned during this season:

1,080 CP in major events
442 CP in local events
270 CP in Global Challenges
$13,000 in prize money

Eduardo has been a part of Team Portugal in the World Cup since the 2022 edition, and last year he was a manager as well.

He has been favouring Shadow Rider Calyrex in Regulation Set G: he used this team to get to the semifinals at NAIC!

Watch Eduardo’s victory over Henry Rich at the top 8 of NAIC!

2. Nils Dunlop

At 1678 CP, Nils has qualified to Worlds for the seventh time. Starting as a Senior Division player, he made top 8 in 2016. He aged up to Masters and kept improving his own records by reaching top 8 in 2017 and top 4 in 2018. He played in Day 2 in 2019, made it to yet another top cut in 2022 and had his worst performance last year, even though he progressed from Day 1 to Day 2.

The Swedish-American player’s first half of the season brought him a top 32 in Lille, a top 8 in Gdańsk, and reaching the finals in Stuttgart. Then, he made top 16 at Liverpool and won EUIC, becoming an International Champion, a title that adds to his two Regional titles and Worlds finishes. He ended the season with a top 4 home in Stockholm and a top 64 at NAIC. Overall, he has earned during this season:

1,180 CP in major events (down from 1,220 CP due to BFL)
438 CP in local events
60 CP in Global Challenges
$21,750 in prize money

Lately, he has been favouring Miraidon in Regulation Set G, even though he used Terapagos to reach semifinals in Stockholm: he used this Miraidon team at NAIC!

Watch Nils’s victory over Aurélien Soula at the Stockholm Regional!

3. Aurélien Soula

At 1642 CP, Aurélien has qualified to Worlds for the fourth time. They had previously played as a Senior Division player in 2019 and 2022, and made it to top 8 in the latter edition. Last year, their first as Master, they played in Day 2 and lost the last round, a win-and-in for top cut.

The French player will win an event in the Masters Division some day, everyone agrees that it’s just a matter of time, as they have been so close so many times. Their outstanding consistency pushed them to a top 16 in Barcelona (out of cut due to tiebreakers), the finals in Lille, a top 8 in Liverpool, another finals in Utrecht, a top 8 at EUIC, a top 16 in Stockholm (again out of cut due to tiebreakers) and yet another finals to end the season with a second place at NAIC. Overall, they have earned during this season:

1,230 CP in major events
292 CP in local events
120 CP in Global Challenges
$20,750 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Aurélien has been a member of Team France in the World Cup since 2021. The team reached top 16 in last year’s edition.

He has been favouring Terapagos in Regulation Set G: he used this team to reach the NAIC finals!

Watch Aurélien’s victory over Eduardo Cunha at the semifinals of NAIC!

4. Marco Silva

At 1607 CP, Marco has qualified to Worlds for the fifth time. He had previously played as a Senior Division player in 2018, when he made it to the top 16. Then, having aged up to the Masters Division, he played in Day 2 in 2019, 2022 and 2023, making it to the top 16 last year.

The Italian player, a former OCIC Champion as well as a Regional Champion, started the season with a top 8 in Lille before winning a record-tying second International Championship at LAIC. Afterwards, he made top 64 in Liverpool, top 4 in Stockholm from seed #1, and a top 64 at NAIC. Overall, he has earned during this season:

1,140 CP in major events (down from 1,170 CP due to BFL)
297 CP in local events
170 CP in Global Challenges
$13,000 in prize money

A former Global Challenge winner in the Sword & Shield era, Marco likes to venture in the Ranked Battles top spots: he recently finished 30th in Season 15.

Aside from the official circuit, Marco has has been a member of Team Italy in the World Cup since 2021. The team reached semifinals in last year’s edition, only losing to the eventual champions, Team United Kingdom. He also regularly plays grassroots tournaments, having made it to the top 16 at the VR Winter Challenge, top 32 in the VR Spring Challenge and Day 2 at the Victory Road to Honolulu #2.

He has been changing Restricteds at every event of Regulation Set G, so it is difficult to know which he feels suits him best: he has consistently used Terapagos, Ice Rider Calyrex and Shadow Rider Calyrex teams!

Watch Marco’s victory over Lorenzo Allemagna at the top 8 of the Stockholm Regional!

5. Eric Rios

At 1480 CP, Eric has qualified to Worlds for the tenth time, every season since 2013. Having achieved a top 4 finish as a Senior in 2014, then aged up to Masters where his best results were the top 8 he got in 2019 and top 16 in 2022.

The Spaniard, a former International Champion and 4-time Regional/Special Event Champion, who was signed by esports team Movistar KOI this season, has had many good results throughout the season. At the early stages he got a top 16 in Lille (out of cut due to tiebreakers) and then flew to the Americas for a top 64 in Toronto and a top 16 at LAIC. He followed those up with his season-best top 4 in Gdańsk, a top 8 in Dortmund and a top 32 in Utrecht. In the latter stage of the season, he made it to the top 32 in Stockholm and the top 16 at NAIC. Overall, he has earned during this season:

960 CP in major events
350 CP in local events
170 CP in Global Challenges
$9,750 in prize money

He has been favouring Shadow Rider Calyrex at Regulation Set G: he used this team at NAIC!

Watch Eric’s victory over Jean Paul López at NAIC!

6. Àlex Gómez

At 1441 CP, Àlex has qualified to Worlds for the eleventh time, every season since 2012. Having achieved two back-to-back top 8 finishes as a Senior in 2013 and 2014, then aged up to Masters where his best results were two top cuts: he reached top 8 in 2019 and top 32 last year.

The Spaniard, a former International Champion, UK National Champion and Regional Champion, who was also signed by esports team Movistar KOI this season alongside Eric, has done pretty well this season. He made it to top 8 at home in Barcelona and got a top 16 in Lille (out of cut due to tiebreakers) before a top 16 at LAIC. He went on to get a top 32 in Dortmund and a top 16 in Utrecht before his powerful top 4 at EUIC. He finished the season with a top 16 in Stockholm and a top 32 at NAIC, being one of only four players this season to make Day 2 at all Internationals. Overall, he has earned during this season:

1,080 CP in major events
291 CP in local events
70 CP in Global Challenges
$13,500 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Àlex has been a player and manager of Team Spain in the World Cup since 2021, when they were champions. Last year, they fell in top 16.

He has been favouring Shadow Rider Calyrex at Regulation Set G: he used this team at NAIC!

Watch Àlex’s victory over Luca Ceribelli at top 8 of EUIC!

7. Víctor Medina

At 1430 CP, Víctor has qualified to Worlds for the fifth time. He played in the Seniors Division in 2017 and 2018, when he finished in top 8, and then aged up to Masters playing in Day 1 in 2022 and reached top 8 in 2023, equalling his best result in the lower age category.

The Spaniard, who is still looking forward to winning his first title in the Masters Division, started the season with a top 16 in Barcelona (out of cut due to tiebreakers) and a strong top 8 at LAIC. Then, he made it to top 8 in Dortmund, top 16 in Utrecht (again out of cut due to tiebreakers) and a top 32 at EUIC. He finished the season with a top 16 in Stockholm and a top 8 in Bologna. Overall, he has earned during this season:

1,000 CP in major events (down from 1,080 due to BFL)
380 CP in local events
50 CP in Global Challenges
$8,750 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Víctor played for a top 16 in the VR September Challenge early in the season, and has been a player of Team Spain in the World Cup since 2021, when they were champions. Last year, they fell in top 16.

He has been favouring Terapagos at Regulation Set G: he used this team for a top 8 finish in Bologna!

Watch Víctor’s victory over Leonardo Chinchilla at Day 2 of LAIC!

8. Michael Kelsch

At 1390 CP, Michael has qualified to Worlds for the second time. Last year, his first season competing, he made it all the way to a second place in the 2023 World Championships!

The German player has made amazing achievements for a newer player. After earning the title of Worlds finalist and earning an automatic invite to the 2024 Worlds, he improved on that by getting top 8 in Stuttgart, top 4 in Utrecht and top 64 at EUIC before earning his first major title by winning in Stockholm. He went on to get top 16 at Bologna (out of cut due to tiebreakers) and another top 64 at NAIC. Overall, he has earned during this season:

800 CP in major events
450 CP in local events
140 CP in Global Challenges
$7,000 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Michael joined Team Germany in the World Cup last year, when they reached the nation’s best result, a top 8.

He has been favouring Zamazenta at Regulation Set G: he used this variation of his Stockholm winning team at NAIC!

Watch Michael’s win in Stockholm!

9. Davide Cognetta

At 1390 CP, tied with Michael, Davide has qualified to Worlds for the fifth time, after playing in Day 1 in 2019 and reaching Day 2 in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

Davide, who is a 2-time International finalist and also a former Special Event Champion, started the season with a top 32 in Lille and a top 16 at LAIC. He then went on to get top 8 at Liverpool, famously doing so with just 4 Pokémon in his team through all of Day 2; achieved some great results online, including a second place in the Global Challenge III; and had his last good result with a top 64 at EUIC, as he struggled to get Day 2 finishes later on. Overall, he has earned during this season:

650 CP in major events
480 CP in local events (full BFL)
260 CP in Global Challenges
$4,000 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Davide has been a player for Team Italy in the World Cup since 2022. Last year, the team made it to the semifinals, losing only to the champions, Team United Kingdom. He has also played some grassroots tournaments preparing for Worlds, reaching top 8 in the Victory Road to Honolulu #2.

After not finding much success with Terapagos during the later stage of the season, he has been favouring Miraidon at Regulation Set G: he used this team at the latest VR tournament!

Watch Davide’s set against Markus Stadter at EUIC!

10. Antonio Sánchez

At 1310 CP, Antonio has qualified to Worlds for the third time, after playing in Day 1 in 2022 and 2023. He has never made it to Day 2, though!

The Spaniard has had his best season so far, with not many results, but doing really good in those. His season is marked by his victory in Liverpool, which he later followed up with a top 4 in Bologna and an impressive top 8 at NAIC the following week, as well as filling out his BFL by dominating the local scene in southern Spain. Overall, he has earned during this season:

780 CP in major events
480 CP in local events (full BFL)
50 CP in Global Challenges
$11,000 in prize money

He has been favouring Terapagos at Regulation Set G: he used this team at NAIC!

Watch Antonio’s win in Liverpool!

11. Giulio Tarlao

At 1290 CP, Giulio has qualified to Worlds for the third time, after playing in Day 1 in 2022 and in Day 2 in 2023.

The Italian may not have any title under his belt yet, but has a level of consistency many players would like for themselves, as he is one of only four players to have made Day 2 at all Internationsls of the season… even though the luck has not favoured him much. He made top 16 at Lille (out of cut due to tiebreakers), and top 16 at LAIC as well; followed those up with a top 64 in Dortmund, a top 32 in Utrecht and a top 128 at EUIC; and finished the season with a top 16 in Stockholm (again out of cut due to tiebreakers), a top 32 in Bologna and a very strong top 16 at NAIC (missing cut yet again on tiebreakers). Overall, he has earned during this season:

830 CP in major events
360 CP in local events
100 CP in Global Challenges
$7,500 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Giulio has been a player for Team Italy in the World Cup since 2022. Last year, the team made it to the semifinals, losing only to the champions, Team United Kingdom. He has also played some grassroots tournaments, reaching top 16 twice, in both the VR Winter Challenge and the VR Spring Challenge.

He has been favouring Terapagos at Regulation Set G: he used this team at NAIC!

Watch Giulio’s victory over Michael Riechert at the Dortmund Regional!

12. Oliver Eskolin

At 1130 CP, Oliver has qualified to Worlds for the sixth time. Having started as a Senior Division player, he reached top 16 in his first Worlds in 2017. He aged up to Masters for the 2019, 2022 and 2023 editions, missing Day 2 for the first time last year.

The Finn, who is an International Champion from his times as Senior, has had a pretty good season. It started with a top 16 in Barcelona (out of cut due to tiebreakers) and a top 64 in Lille before getting his first Masters Division title with a victory in Gdańsk. With the invite locked up, he finished in the top 8 of the Global Challenge II and got a top 64 at EUIC. Overall, he has earned during this season:

510 CP in major events
420 CP in local events
200 CP in Global Challenges
$6,000 in prize money

With Finland no longer playing the World Cup, Oliver made it individually in the grassroots scene, with two top 4 finishes in both the VR September Challenge and the VR Spring Challenge.

He has been favouring Terapagos at Regulation Set G: he used this team early in the metagame in the VR Spring Challenge, and has used it several times afterwards!

Watch Oliver’s win in Gdańsk!

13. Frederik Høj Nielsen

At 1108 CP, Frederik has qualified to Worlds for the second time. He played last year, but failed to make it to Day 2.

The Dane and his twin brother, last year’s Worlds quarter-finalist Nikolaj, seem to flip a coin to decide which of the two does well in each tournament, even though they usually bring the same teams. Frederik’s best results this season include a top 8 in Gdańsk, a top 16 in Liverpool (out of cut on tiebreakers) and a top 8 in Stockholm. The one tour both brothers did pretty well was the Global Challenge II, which saw them both in top 4! Overall, he has earned during this season:

480 CP in major events
378 CP in local events
250 CP in Global Challenges
$6,000 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Frederik has been a player for Team Denmark in the World Cup since 2021. He also played some grassroots tournaments in the current format, reaching top 16 at the VR Spring Challenge and top 4 at the Victory Road to Honolulu #1.

He has been favouring Miraidon at Regulation Set G: he used this team in the recent VR tour!

Watch Frederik’s victory over Flavio Del Pidio at the Stockholm Regional!

14. Simone Sanvito

At 1096 CP, Simone has qualified to Worlds for the sixth time. He had previously played in Day 2 in 2016, 2017 and 2018 (when he reached the top cut and finished in top 16), then qualified for Day 1 but did not attend in 2019, and went back all the way from Day 1 to Day 2 in 2023.

The Italian, who is the 2018 Europe International Champion, started the season in an almost perfect way: he made top 8 in Barcelona, won in Lille, and reached finals in Gdańsk. With the season almost locked up by November, he only made it to top 32 in Stockholm many months later. Overall, he has earned during this season:

680 CP in major events
336 CP in local events
80 CP in Global Challenges
$10,000 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Simone joined Team Italy in the World Cup last year, with the team reaching semifinals and only losing to the eventual champions, Team United Kingdom.

He has been favouring Ice Rider Calyrex at Regulation Set G: he used this team in Stockholm!

Watch Simone’s win in Lille!

15. Zhang Hengyue

At 1080 CP, Hengyue has qualified to Worlds for the third time. He had previously played in Day 1 in 2019, ranked as Chinese in the Asia-Pacific region, and then in 2023 in Europe, as he is currently living in the United Kingdom. He hasn’t been able to make it to Day 2 yet!

Hengyue has not had the best results, but has committed to competing and has obtained Championship Points from almost every event in Europe and his local scene, and is one of the players with most Play Points globally. He made Day 2 in Gdańsk and Utrecht, both times finishing in the top 32, and then at the end of the season with a top 64 at NAIC. He hasn’t earned any prize money this season apart from International TAs, but has earned:

500 CP in major events (down from 530 CP due to BFL)
480 CP in local events (full BFL)
100 CP in Global Challenges

He has been favouring the uncommon Zacian at Regulation Set G: he used this team at NAIC!

Watch Hengyue’s set against Àlex Gómez at the Liverpool Regional!

16. Baris Akcos

At 1065 CP, Baris has qualified to Worlds for the eighth time. He had previously played every season from 2013 until 2018, having reached top 8 in 2016. After 4 seasons, he came back in 2023 where he made it to Day 2 again.

Baris, a staple in the European Nationals era and a former Special Event Champion, reached the top 16 in Lille, top 32 at LAIC and top 64 in Liverpool, and dominated the local scene to clinch that last European Tier 1 spot. Overall, he has earned during this season:

520 CP in major events
480 CP in local events (full BFL)
65 CP in Global Challenges
$2,750 in prize money

Aside from the official circuit, Baris has been a player for Team Germany in the World Cup since 2022. Last year, the team got their best result so far with a top 8.

He has been favouring Miraidon at Regulation Set G: he used this team in Stockholm!

Watch Baris’s victory over Japan’s Kaito Arii at the top 8 of the World Cup!

Other players

Europe has 216 other representatives in Worlds, some of which are big names in the scene. Watch out for 2013 World Champion Arash Ommati, 2-time National Champion Markus Stadter, 2019 EUIC Champion Flavio Del Pidio or 2023 Worlds semifinalist Federico Camporesi!

The following list comprises all other players with an invite, be it through an International finals appearance, a Regional win or with 400 or more CP in the Europe rating zone, and is based on the official Play! Pokémon leaderboard.

2023 Worlds

Reg. / Spe. Champions

600+ CP

500-599 CP

450-499 CP

400-449 CP

2023 Worlds

Reg. / Spe. Champions