Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok has signed a multi-year deal with the Esports Foundation, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Magnus Carlsen in its Ambassador Program. Announced on July 15 in Paris, on the opening day of the League of Legends competition at EWC 2026, the agreement runs through 2028 and covers multiple editions of both the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup.
Under the role, Faker will "represent the perspective of esports players across the Foundation's international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums." In practice, that breaks down into four strands: participating in high-level leadership forums, engaging with Foundation executive teams at global events, taking part in media activations, and contributing to player-focused operational initiatives. His remit also extends to the New Global Sport Conference, the Foundation's industry summit.
The First Esports Ambassador
The significance here is largely about who came before him. Ronaldo, listed as the Foundation's Global Ambassador and currently playing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, and Carlsen, who leads Team Liquid's chess division and won last year's EWC chess title, both bring mainstream sporting celebrity from outside competitive gaming. Faker is the first ambassador drawn from esports itself, which is arguably the point.
Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert framed it directly: "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 that "across EWC, ENC and NGSC, he will help ensure that the players who built this sport have a voice in shaping where it goes next," and that the responsibility isn't "simply to celebrate what he has already achieved" but to connect his voice with "players, fans, media, global leaders and decision-makers."
Faker responded in kind, saying competition had shaped his life and that he wants "to continue competing for the biggest titles with T1 while representing the players and fans who have helped esports grow worldwide," adding that "there is still much more to achieve."
The KeSPA Backstory Nobody Is Mentioning
There's a piece of recent history that makes this appointment considerably more interesting than a standard ambassador deal. Back in April 2026, the Foundation ended its partnership with KeSPA and announced it would approach South Korean players directly for the Esports Nations Cup. Korean media reported at the time that the Foundation had "indirectly intervened" in national roster selection, pushing for specific players to be included, with widespread speculation that the player in question was Faker. The disagreement escalated far enough that South Korea briefly withdrew from the tournament altogether before the situation was resolved.
Seen against that backdrop, an ambassadorship running through 2028 conveniently guarantees Faker's presence across the Foundation's events regardless of what KeSPA decides about national rosters down the line. Given his tenure, it isn't unthinkable that KeSPA might one day conclude he isn't the optimal fit for a title-chasing Korean lineup. This deal makes that question largely academic.
Why He's the Obvious Choice
Faker's credentials need little rehearsing. Over more than a decade with T1, he's assembled six World Championships including the last three consecutively, two MSI titles, ten domestic LCK crowns, and a win at the inaugural EWC in 2024. He was the first inductee into League of Legends' Hall of Legends.
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