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The 2024 knockout stage League of Legends The World Championship is upon us and sets the stage for intense battles as eight teams compete for the trophy. With the London final just around the corner, fans are eager to see who will emerge victorious.
This year's tournament was full of surprises, from a CBLOL team qualifying for the main round to no EMEA teams qualifying for the knockout stage after G2 Esports was eliminated. Other smaller regions also fell short despite impressive performances throughout the tournament, such as GAM Esports, who eliminated MAD Lions KOI in the Swiss stage. And the icing on the cake has to be FlyQuest keeping Western hopes alive.
The four LPL teams demonstrated their dominance throughout the tournament, all qualifying for the final stage of the competition. It's no surprise, though, that Gen.G, heavily favored to win Worlds this year, is still in the running for the Summoners' Cup. But it seems that once again all roads lead to T1, the reigning champion, who aims to defend his title and secure a fifth championship.
2024 World Cup knockout stage format and teams
The knockout stage follows a best-of-five single-elimination format, where teams must win three matches to advance or face elimination from the tournament. The top eight teams qualified after the Swiss stage, which was characterized by intense competition, with some matches closer than most thought they would be, resulting in some surprising qualifying teams, such as LNG Esports.
LNG secured the spot by finishing the Lol Swiss stage of the World Cup with an impressive 3-0 record, a feat that most fans would have thought impossible at the start of the tournament when they weren't sure who their midfielder would be. Gen.G also went a perfect 3-0, with a notable win over Hanwha Life Esports in a rematch of the LCK Summer Finals. Top Esports made their mark by overwhelming Dplus KIA to finish with a strong 3-1 record, and the LCK's top seed, HLE, secured their spot with a 3-1 record after overcoming FlyQuest, but not without sweating.
T1, the current champions, clinched their place by defeating G2 Esports with a score of 2-0, maintaining their record of never losing more than one match in the main stage of the World Cup. Weibo Gaming advanced with a 3-2 record after eliminating Fnatic and Dplus. Ultimately, Bilibili Gaming rounded out the top eight, eliminating G2 Esports with a 3-2 record in a series that could have gone either way.
Last but not least to qualify was FlyQuest, beating Team Liquid 2-1 in a rematch of the LCS Summer Finals, which was the last match of the Swiss stage.
Schedule and results of the knockout phase of the 2024 World Cup
As the knockout stage begins, these four opening matches will determine who advances to the semi-finals of the tournament:
| Time | Pairing | Winner |
| Wednesday, October 17, 6:00 am CT | LNG Esports vs. Weibo Gaming | Weibo Games (3-1) |
| Thursday, October 18, 6:00 am CT | Hanwha Life vs. Bilibili Gaming | Bilibili Gaming (3-1) |
| Friday, October 19, 6:00 am CT | T1 against the best eSports | T1 (3-0) |
| Sunday, October 20, 6:00 am CT | Gen.G vs. FlyQuest | Gen.G (3-2) |
It was a pretty eventful knockout stage as LPL teams LNG Esports and Weibo Gaming battled it out to allow Weibo Gaming to carry the LPL banner into the tournament. However, Bilibili Gaming dashed LCK top seed Hanwha Life's hopes of getting another all-LPL semi-final. While Weibo Gaming and Bilibili Gaming will face off to become the representatives of the LPL in the finals, a disciplined T1 defeated Top Esports with a clear blow.
FlyQuest nearly pulled off an upset and eliminated Gen.G in a close 3-2 series, but the Yellow Tigers took the final game of the Silver Scratches. With the victory against FlyQuest, defending champion MSI will face defending champion, T1, to reignite their rivalry with the LCK in the semi-finals and secure a place in the finals of Worlds 2024. This year we will see an LPL vs. LCK final. LCK where the best regions will clash to form a new legacy.
Semifinals
| Time | Pairing | Winner |
| Saturday, October 26, 6:00 am CT | Weibo Gaming vs Bilibili Gaming | Bilibili Gaming (3-0) |
| Sunday, October 27, 6:00 am CT | T1 vs. Gen.G | T1 (3-1) |
The last two giants of the LPL have been trying to make their case to become the team that can defeat the LCK powerhouse and bring glory to the region. Bilibili Gaming showcased a phenomenal performance by defeating last year's Worlds runners-up and coming away with a clean sweep against Weibo Gaming despite their solid team fights. WBG failed to convert their small advantages to win matches and BLG always emerged victorious by holding their nerve, getting their ticket to the final.
T1 finally manages to break the curse of the Gen.G finals and overcome the LCK kryptonite for a chance to defend the world title against Bilibili Gaming. Even though Gen.G made the series very close with their great coordination, T1 always ensured a crucial team fight. With this defeat, T1 also extinguished Gen.G's hopes of securing their first world title and qualifying for the final for the third time in a row.
Final
| Time | Pairing | Winner |
| Saturday, November 2, 6:00 am CT | Bilibili Gaming against T1 | T1 (3-2) |
T1 secured their fifth title by defending their championship after defeating Bilibili Gaming in London on November 2 at the O2 Arena.
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