PARIS: Pakistan’s Muhammad Zubair has won the Tekken 8 Esports World Cup 2026, securing a major international esports title for the country.
Zubair produced a dominant performance in the grand final, defeating South Korea’s High Low 5-0 to claim the championship. Zubair competed with his preferred character, Dragunov, while High Low used Bryan Fury.
For his triumph, the Pakistani champion received the World Cup trophy along with a prize of $300,000, worth more than Rs830 million.
Speaking after his emphatic victory, Zubair attributed his success to hard work, dedication and extensive practice in Pakistan. He said he had remained confident about winning the title and continued to work consistently towards his goal.
Zubair also credited a close friend for playing an important role in his preparation, saying they regularly played together and trained extensively. He expressed gratitude for his friend’s support and said he believed his friend would be delighted to hear about his World Cup victory.
Zubair made his way into the grand final after beating another famous Tekken player from Pakistan, Arslan Ash, in the semi-finals.
Zubair won the match against Arslan Ash with a scoreline of 5-4. Besides that, he participated in the Last Chance Qualifier for getting qualified in the tournament.
Arslan Ash, who goes by the name Arslan Siddiqui in real life, is one of the most recognized esports players in Pakistan and has won several Tekken championships before. He became internationally recognized after winning the Tekken 7 championship in Japan in 2019.
Now, with Zubair winning the Tekken 8 championship, Pakistan continues to carve a niche for itself in the esports community.
